Enslaved: Odyssey to the West - PlayStation 3

Ninja Theory, the creator of Heavenly Sword, are the minds behind Enslaved. Since I liked Heavenly Sword for the most part, thought why not give this one a shot. At least the trailers looked good. After finishing the game once and replaying few chapters, here is my impression. PROS. ADORABLE CHARACTER DESIGN: One thing Ninja Theory knows how to do is character design. The main characters (while not many), are really beautifully designed. While the facial expressions of characters are not as remarkable as say in top notch games such as Uncharted 2, they are still very good. Other than character's aesthetic looks, the Ninja Theory has also done wonderful job portraying character personalities. Little quibbles and exchange of emotions between main characters Trip and Monkey make the story very touchy and enjoyable. You have to play it to feel it. GORGEOUS LEVELS AND WONDERFUL GRAPHICS: Again not as gorgeous as you may see in games like Uncharted 2 or God of War 3 nevertheless they are some of the most stunning graphics you see in games these days. The game is set in post apocalyptic setting; however, Enslaved has much different view of post apocalyptic settings than games such as Fallout 3 or Rage. While surroundings are barren and filled with enemies, they still have greenery and majesty to them. Each level (chapter) has different types of settings. This variety truly prevents the experience from being repetitive. TACTICAL BATTLES: Compare to their previous game, the Heavenly Sword, the battles are more tactical. Pure button mashing will easily get you killed on normal or higher difficulty mode while proper use of dodge, defend and combo hits will give you edge over the enemies. Thinking and executing commands will feel very rewarding and keep you engaged in the gameplay. ACROBATS AND STRATEGIC GAMEPLAY: In this game to get through a level, you will have to travel from one structure to another. For that you will mainly utilize Monkey character who can acrobatically jump from wall to wall, climb upward etc. However, you will also have to make sure that you help out the side character Trip by making a way for her, assisting her to reach high places by throwing her etc. (kind of like Prince of Persia 2000 game and Uncharted 2). The side character Trip is not as useless as she sounds though. She will create decoy for you so you can safely go past machine guns, upgrade your weapons and even heal you. So honestly it is pretty fun controlling both characters. ENGAGING STORY AND UNIQUE ENDING: This is what I loved the most about this game. Almost every action you perform has something to do with the story. While a lot a games these days make the gameplay repetitive by mindlessly forcing you to perform the same actions repetitively, in this game there is a clear story related motive behind each of the objective. Also, the ending is mysterious, unique and deep. UPGRADABLES: You can upgrade your moves, weapon, defense etc. Doing so will give you an edge in combat and make the battles more enjoyable. Love how majority of games are adding RPG element to them. This is one of the few things that make this game somewhat replayable, unfortunately. CONS. SHORT GAME AND LITTLE OR NO REPLAYABILITY: The game lasted me about 13 hours, but I am one of the people who will walk to each and every corner of a map during the very first gameplay to get majority of collectibles, so it always takes me longer than average player to get through the game. Unfortunately, once you finish the game there is not much to do. The game does give you option to play your favorite chapters (so you don't have to play the whole game again), but honestly that's only good for unlocking particular achievements. RIGID CONTROLS: While they work well for most part, compare to games like Prince of Persia, jumping wall to wall and climbing wall controls feel quite rigid. You have to wait few milliseconds before you tap the button again jump from wall to wall smoothly. Wish it were as fluid as Prince of Persia games. Same thing with combat, if you have played Heavenly Sword and Devil May Cry 3, the difference is the same. Action is not as smooth as in games like Devil May Cry 3. This is particularly concerning to me as the Ninja Theory is not directing Devil May Cry reboot. Hope they fix these controls by then. LACK OF VARIETY IN ENEMIES AND BOSSES: While they do have few different types of enemies and bosses, majority of small fry enemies look the same and major bosses simply reappear in later levels. Disappointed. CONCLUSION: All and all it is a pretty good game, but I truly wish it were a bit longer. Nevertheless, I truly think fans of games like Prince of Persia (2000) and Uncharted 2 should at least give it a rent. Chances are you will like it.

If you enjoyed Heavenly Sword, you will probably enjoy Enslaved. Ninja Theory, the team that created Heavenly Sword, brings you their next cinematic experience. Andy Serkis again directs and stars in this new beautiful game about a journey through New York years after a destructive war that has left most of the country in ruins. Mechs that fought in the war still patrol the land, killing those they see as enemies. The graphics are once again amazing with some of the best animations. The facial emotions don't have the creepy plastic look that so many graphic animations suffer from. Movement and especially gameplay flows naturally. The sound is also incredible with a wonderful cast of voice actors. The problems with the game are small, but can detract from your gameplay. The combat mechanics often leave you past your enemy or missing your target, the range attack is awkward and often leaves you vulnerable. Despite the wide range of animations, you'll find yourself using one or two combos if you're not just mashing the buttons. Platforming on the other hand is mostly superfluous. It is a major element of the gameplay, but you can't make any mistakes in it. It only allows you to make the jumps that will get you to the next platform. The story is mostly okay for children except for the Piggy character who can be inappropriate. There isn't a lot of language, especially the courser language that many developers fill their games with. The game is short and in reaching the end, will leave you unsatisfied. It almost feels like they needed to finish the game and decided to cut out several levels. Overall, I enjoyed playing Enslaved and fell in love with the characters, but I don't know that the short, simple, frustrating gameplay is worth the $60 price tag.

this game hooked me in like non other, its relateable to uncharted, but gives you more to look at and experience. this game is worth every penny. tho it is linear, its played like a deeply plotted movie. brilliant voice acting and great cinematics and gameplay that doesnt make you throw controllers. i had a blast with this game! it was a tiny bit short but then again i played it for 2 days straight with no breaks and got thru it. check it out!!! not many games get my attention cuz of minor issues that ruin gameplay, but this game had soooooo few issues that i only remember one....one level that i had to retry 4 times, but i never got frustrated cuz every move makes a different reaction. i wish i could do it more justicee in this review, just go get it

We have another good action/beat-em up title on ours hands with this one folks. Enslaved takes you on an epic journey across a post apocalyptic New York riddled with war machines to find freedom. You start your journey escaping the slaver's ship..(with your partner Trip) that held you both captive. This level serves as a tutorial of sorts but as soon as you get off the ship the fun really begins. The combat is pretty straight forward...its not really that deep, although they have an upgrade system to it doesn't add that much to the hand to hand combat. Monkey's weapon (his staff) can shoot plasma and shock bullets at enemies, which gives you a needed advantage in some battle situations. So eventhough there may not be an extensive combo system the combat is still fun...plus the takedowns are pretty cool too. Your partner Trip helps out too. She scans the areas for traps, enemies and alternate paths, and she can distract enemies so you can sneak by and get the drop on them...which is pretty useful. Another cool part of the game is the platforming. Monkey's movements are really, really cool. He can effortlessly run along ledges, jump gaps...etc. He also has this thing that's called the "Cloud." It's like a little hover board that monkey rides around on that can help him in certain spots on the board. Pretty much the environment is his playground. Bottom Line...this is a great game and worth the money...pick it up.

I didnt really hear much about this game at first, until i saw reviews on it in magazines and saw the demo to play...After playing Demo, i fell in love with it. It just Made me want to know whats gonna happen next lol..So i Bought the Game and It was a very interesting story and excellent gameplay..I recommend to those who likes heavenly sword or Uncharted, because it felt like a mixture of both :D

Good game to get and just let loose. Its worth the money, I beat the game twice and still find more I missed.