Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Review

05 Oct 2010 at 13:00:40 by Lauren Wainwright
Systems used to review this title: (360)

Narrative in video games tends to be a mixed bag, and it’s quite rare when developers manage to pull off both gameplay and storytelling perfectly. We can select pretty graphics, addictive gameplay or interesting stories, though we’ll rarely see all three in one distinct package. Have games really not been out long enough for us to use them as an effective storytelling medium? And is Enslaved really any different or have Ninja Theory managed to do what most developers seem to struggle with? Well, yes and no.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is based on the already heavily-used franchise ‘Journey to the West’, the 16^th century Chinese novel that has already inspired countless films, games, movies and TV shows, and is now getting a futuristic twist with Ninja Theory’s retelling. Combine that with star appearances from script writer Alex Garland (The Beach, 28 Days Later), award winning composer Nitin Sawhney and co-directed by motion cap legend Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, King Kong), and there are high hopes – and panicking investors – for what Ninja Theory would end up producing.

You play as Monkey, a bulky lone-wolf who needs nothing more than fuel for his ride and food in his belly. After escaping a slave ship, he unwillingly joins forces with fellow escapee Trip – a tech savvy girl next door – who cheekily popped a slave headband onto Monkey while he was passed out after the crash. She commands him to escort her back home before deactivating the headband, adding in the rather gruesome fact that if she dies, he dies.

I’ll just say it: Enslaved is good; great in some respects, but certainly not perfect. The effort gone into telling the story, the acting and the motion capture is all very apparent, and it really feels like you are buying into a blockbuster title. Enslaved pulls you in from a narrative stand-point; each character is filled out tremendously and there is little to be fleshed out, and the pacing is comfortable, never leaving you in sections or chapters for too long. Each character fulfils their purpose and, for twenty hours at least, you feel like you are on an epic journey.

But as I said before, it isn’t perfect. There are a few issues here and there that didn’t quite settle with me. The game itself is a marvel to look at; the sheer vibrancy of Monkey’s environment is a joy to explore, especially since the game is running in Unreal, an engine notoriously known for its grey and brown games. The level on Brooklyn Bridge, for example, is amazing: blue skies, lush foliage, and a giant landmark with just the right amount of rust and carnage to show-off its previous life. Unfortunately all of it is hovering above lifeless water and suffering from the occasional drop of frame rate during one of the few battle sequences that take place on the bridge.

The game constantly tries to hold your hand during the journey, offering no real challenge in traversing the world. You can occasionally go off path to find some of the secret ‘glitches’ and additional tech orbs but no real change to explore large areas.  Occasionally you’ll hit an area where you have to work with Trip, but these can sometimes linger longer than needed, which is especially true of the Bridge section where even the game actively recognises the repetitiveness of what you are doing. More open areas activate Monkey’s Cloud, which lets you traverse a lot of ground quickly but even those moments are short lived.

The combat is simple, offering a light, heavy and stun attack with a block and dodge. Luckily there is some variety to the battles, some of which requiring you to think more tactically in the first instance, but once you’ve encountered all the specialist groups of robots, you kind of have the strategy down to a tee. Thankfully, it’s never as simple as just bashing heavy attack over and over. Boss battles are frantic, each with specific strategies to harness but are sadly predictable.

Trip acts as a support character, distracting enemies away from you, scanning the area for bombs or in-active units and upgrading your gear. Upgrades can range from shield strength, health to combat abilities and staff abilities. The tech orbs dotted around the world are used to purchase new upgrades, so it’s worth running around every nook and cranny if you want your journey to be an effective one. Even defeating enemies drop tech orbs, so it’s worth getting into a fight even if you can avoid it entirely.

One rather endearing feature of Enslaved is Trip’s total reliance on Monkey. This can be from general protection to being carried around or thrown about. You give her a piggy back through mine fields, throw her up to high ledges or even throw her across large gaps. She will occasionally loose her grip on certain throws and her frantic screams for help are delivered perfectly. From Monkey’s awkward acceptance of company, Trip’s emotional turmoil and Pigsy’s blatant flirting, each character feels so real, and you’ll feel a true emotional bond with the characters, and it’s this quality that makes Enslaved an exciting journey to experience.

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