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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a game that has been on my radar for some time now. Not only is it one of the only non sequel or non remakes of Q4, but it's a story driven game. The game actually has a writer who is known for such movies as The Beach and 28 Days Later. Not too shabby, especially in the video game world. So, it's to be expected that I was really excited about this game, the story buff (in video games at least) that I am. Did Enslaved live up to it's high hopes during the first few hours of gameplay or is this game destined for B game bargain bins? Read on to find out in my first impression.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West takes place about 200 years or so after a nuclear holocaust in the United States. Vegetation is beginning to overtake structures and the world is beautiful in a despairing kind of way. You play as Monkey, a strong brute of a man who was captured by slavers and stored on a slave ship. In transit to wherever it is they were taking you, a girl breaks out of her cell and continues to sabotage the ship in her hasty attempt to get free and sets you loose. The ship is coming down and you need to make it to an escape pod. After some platforming, you eventually make it to the last escape pod, which is taken by the girl who caused the commotion. You hold on for dear life to the escape pod as she ejects and you land in a desolate NYC years after a nuclear war. Upon awaking, you find that the girl, named Trip, has fitted you with a slave headband that shocks you if you don't do her will. She can issue commands to you and you must do them for her. If she dies, you also die. So Monkey is a rough spot, but Trip isn't bad. She did this because she knows she would never get home without Monkeys brute strength. Her proposition to him, take her 300 miles to the west to her sanctuary village made by her father and she'll remove the collar. With no choice in the matter, Monkey agrees and the two set off on their Odyssey to the West.
And with that, Enslaved begins. The opening sequence is very epic and the graphics in the game are some of the best I have seen on the 360 this side of Gears of War 2. If you aren't familiar, the game is actually loosely based on Journey to the West, an old Chinese story that is apparently pretty popular in the UK due to some tv shows about it. I wasn't familiar with it until I googled it. Regardless, you don't need to know about the book to enjoy the game. They use some of the same names and try to leave subtle clues to the book, but it's really a different beast altogether.
The story so far is top notch and I'm really excited to see how Monkey and Trip make it to the west, but there are other things besides story in a game. Namely, gameplay. The gameplay is sort of reminiscent of a platformer like Prince of Persia. There's a lot of climbing and swinging, but at the same time combat plays a huge roll. You're going to be doing a lot of computer AI co-op to outsmart enemy mech's, the games most prevalent enemy. For instance, Monkey is the strength, Trip the brains. In one scenario, Monkey needs to make it across a huge area to take out an automated turret, less they be shredded to bits. So, Trip uses her armband to create an electronic diversion that draws their fire. That leaves you to circle around flank the enemy. In doing so, you rip the arm off the mech and use it to finish off the remaining turrets. But, the path you took here required a lot of jumping and swinging, something Trip can't do. You need to go back and carry her on your back across hazardous areas and throw her to places she can't jump to. At first, I thought it would be a pain in the ass, but I found I enjoy the times you have to carry her. During these times is when the next thing I loved about the game begins to shine...
The talking between the two characters is key in the game. You never know when it will start or end, but they talk a lot. It's in these times you learn the stories of the two travelers and what worlds they come from. Without spoiling anything, they come from two totally different backgrounds so relating is a little rough. Their banter is almost flirty in some regards so if you're into the chemistry between two co-op partners, you'll enjoy this portion of the game. I found it refreshing and a nice diversion. The world around them is crumbling but they have each other in rough times.
I already mentioned it but the graphics are amazing. The vistas and backdrops are truly breathtaking, especially when your ship crashes in the beginning. Take a long look at the NYC skyline and be sure to keep your jaw from hitting the floor. It's amazing and a true sight to see in a video game. Plus, this is a post apocalyptic game that isn't brown. How many games are out there that automatically equate post apocalyptic with brown, but in reality, after the fallout (if any) the world would be overtaken by nature. It's nice to see this in a game.
So far, I haven't had many complaints about the game. If I had to point out anything I'd say that maybe the gameplay could get repetitive, but that's just me trying to find gripes where none exist. There's an upgrade system that Trip performs that allows you to learn new combat options and new moves (as well as health and shields) that have the ability to keep things fresh. If you like platformers though, you already know how those games can get after a solid gaming marathon. It's something that comes with the territory, but most good platformers get around this by having varied level design, which Enslaved has in spades.
So, should you buy this game? Depends...do you like platformers that have heavy combat and some stealth scenarios? If so, I'd say yes. How about story? I'm a sucker for a good story in a game so this one was a no brainer. Enslaved could be a rent if you aren't too thrilled on the idea of platforming but be sure not to miss it. This has the possibility of being a sleeper hit of 2010. It won't compete in sales with the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor games, but it's a new IP in a world of sequels and remakes. Give it a shot so we can tell the industry we want to see new games, not just sequels.
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Wow...this game is amazing! I have played a ton of games this year, but I must say I have been blown away by how fantastic this game is. This game is extremely underrated. I'm really not sure why this game isn't more popular. Here is my small attempt to get the word out.The game is set in a post-apocalyptic United States that has been overrun by vicious mechs. You play as a character named Monkey with awesome climbing and fighting abilities. With the "help" of female companion Trip, you escape a slave ship together. The gameplay involves solving puzzles and fighting mechs with your female companion throughout the game. Trip reminds me a lot of Elika from 2008's Prince of Persia. She is very helpful throughout the game, and although the game is one long escort mission she never gets in the way. The gameplay reminds me most of 2008's Prince of Persia, except the weapons are very different. The climbing in the game reminds me of both Prince of Persia and Uncharted 2.
The graphics are awesome! The scenery and character models are both very well done. The game world is extremely colorful and beautiful. The sound is also incredible. I really love the epic soundtrack. The voice acting is extremely well done and made me really care about the characters. Perhaps one of the best aspects of the game is the story. For me it's a tossup between Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for best video game story of the year.
Don't take this game for granted. You need to play Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, especially if you enjoyed Uncharted 2 or Prince of Persia 2008. Really can't express enough how enjoyable this game is. On "Normal" settings the game took me about 10.5 hours to complete. I'm looking forward to another play through on "Hard" settings.
I have readjusted my Top 10 games of the year to the following:
1. Mass Effect 2
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
3. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. God of War III
6. Halo Reach
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Alan Wake
9. Bioshock 2
10. Heavy Rain
Best Deals for Enslaved: Odyssey To The West - Xbox 360
For those of you worried Enslaved will be a muddy black-brown mess visually like other games featuring post-apocalyptic settings (Fallout 3 comes to mind), rest assured Enslaved is a beautiful and COLORFUL!The game itself is a mix of platforming and combat, coupled with occasional brief cutscenes. Combat is fluid and challenging. Monkey (the man on the game cover -the character you control) battles primarily with a staff. Slow, strong moves, and fast, weaker moves can be chained together as well as other powered-up abilities you can acquire with the game's upgrade system. You can also use the staff to shoot at enemies from a distance. Thankfully, you usually have to apply some thought to battles as some enemies frequently block, others hit very hard, and others attack from a distance.
Visually, Enslaved is impressive. The environments are vibrant and detailed. Enslaved truly makes ruins and wasteland look beautiful. The music of Enslaved is just as great. It has a haunting orchestral feel at times which fits perfectly with the desolate world Monkey and Trip inhabit. Natural, believable VA work rounds out the superb audio of Enslaved and enhances the characters.
My only issues with this game are on a technical level. My largest issue is with the camera, sometimes it works, other times it feels way too close or unresponsive. While not often, I do experience frame-rate drops at times. Also, there are occasional pathing issues with Monkey (you'll be positioned perfectly for a jump but the game simply won't recognize it), or when an enemy awakes from a stun, sometimes the game won't recognize your input till after the enemy lands a hit on you. These issues are nothing serious and should not detract too much from the beautiful visuals, engaging storytelling, and satisfying gameplay.
Honest reviews on Enslaved: Odyssey To The West - Xbox 360
Perhaps I'm pickier than other reviewers, but I just didn't find Enslaved to be the be-all and end-all action game others seem to rant about. For starters, the graphics engine fills the screen with soft, pixelated imagery but also has a habit of misplacing rendering. For instance, a bot you can see halfway behind a tree may be fully shielded anyway, while you can crouch behind a solid wall and still get shot (see also Hunted). This also leads to some frustrating glitching, including my most sigh-worthy in chapter 3 when I'd fought all the way to the end of the level and simply had to jump down a ledge to Trip and leave. Except when I jumped down I was too far to one side, so Monkey just hung in the air, caught on some invisible graphic, and nothing I could do would free him. So I had to do the whole level again. There are also MANY times when you'll try to jump (up or down) and Monkey will not respond correctly (sometimes rolling, sometimes jumping in place rather than to the designated target).Furthermore the combat system suffers the same inadequacy, at times Monkey or enemies seem to just seize up until one or the other gets hit. Other times the game is just fundamentally flawed in its design, like when being chased by a mechdog and the camera insists on looking at Monkey and the giant mech behind it instead of ahead so you can actually see where you're going and get away. Your character is looking ahead, you just can't see what he sees, resulting in a trial-by-memorization-and-luck episode. The game gets points for breaking up the monotony of punch-shoot-repeat with some mini-games like lever puzzles and surfing.
What salvages the game is its engaging storyline and (mostly) excellent directing. There were at least five times I turned the game off, frustrated by poor game control and/or level design, then came back to it anyway because I wanted to know what happened. It just gnaws at the back of your mind, which is a testament to talented writing.
Overall I certainly wouldn't recommend Enslaved as highly as many others seem to, but if you're willing to put up with the game itself there's a well-crafted and engaging story in it.
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So, where do I even start!?Story line Outstanding to any other game I have played, I became emotionally attached to the characters
Graphics stunning to say the least, it encourages you to look at your surroundings, not around
Environment Eye gripping is an understatement, it actually pulls ur eyes into the game. The artwork that has gone into this is incredible
Music Unbelievably detailed and fixed at specific points to make the player feel the mood of the game
Controls good for what is involved. The combat is smooth and the controls themselves are simple and
easy to remember, camera angles are brilliantly placed at the right times to make the player feel a part of the world you play in
Overall if u love adventures, action, climbing abandoned buildings, stunning views, a gripping story line and characters who are humourous, irratating and heroric, then this is for you.
My view Totally underated, needs more love for a second. PLEASE BUY IT
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