The West is beautiful.....

I suppose I should start of this review of Enslaved (if the title didn't cue you in) by saying that I was extremely hesitant about buying it. I mean it had gotten good reviews, but Fallout: New Vegas is coming out soon, and while I have the money for both, I still don't want to waste sixty bucks. Well I will say that I believe my leap of faith on buying it payed off, as Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of the most....unique games I've played in awhile. Now, when you put in on paper it doesn't sound very unique. Post apocalyptic world, melee combat against robots, platforming segments; I mean, it sounds like most of the non Wii shovelware these days. But the execution of Enslaved is such that it reinvents all of those and more. The game isn't perfect though, and it stumbles along the way. Let's start with the good first, the story, graphics, and platforming. You play as Monkey, one of the few survivors in a world populated by dormant killer robots and remnants of old cities and technology. He's a loner, and it shows through his dialogue. Through a certain set of circumstances involving the destruction of a ruined New York City block he ends up "Enslaved" by a girl named Trip. While he is knocked out, she puts a slave headband on him, and as long as he does what she says she lets him live, mainly getting her home to a commune her father established. It's these circumstances and characters that make the game. Ninja Theory has set the new bar for motion capture in games, and most of the time the emotions Trip and Monkey portray are seen in they're expressions, rather than their words. Andy Serkies (Gollum in Lord of the Rings and who also stared in Ninja Theory's other game, Heavenly Sword) does an amazing job portraying Monkey, showing his reluctance and anger toward his situation in the beginning, which grows into genuine care by the end. The actress of Trip also deserves high marks, and her and Serkis play off one another perfectly. The pair grow as the game progress, and the attachment I felt by the end of the game to them has only been rivaled by Heavy Rain and the Mass Effect's series characters. The game progression is also the second best part about the game, as it is the best paced game I have played since Uncharted 2. If you get this game on a Friday night, I can guarantee you will finish it Saturday morning. It's a game that you won't want to put down, and the ten or so hours it takes to complete means you better set aside a weekend to play it. Enslaved's graphics are also above the line in every way. The lush vegetation and the way nature has reclaimed the world stands in stark contrast to the brown, light brown, and dark brown worlds of most post apocalyptic games (Killzone and Gears I'm looking at you). Now onto the not as good parts. While the platforming and teamwork with Trip portions of the gameplay are immense fun and incredibly satisfying, the straight up combat isn't so much. Monkey's staff is a very effective weapon, and can bash, bludgeon, and shoot bolts of plasma at the numerous mechs that come at you. The combat would've been one of the better parts of the game if it weren't for the fact that the controls are delayed beyond belief. It's a good two seconds between each button press and Monkey's block/swing and it leads to many many cheap deaths. It isn't unbearable, and when you find the much needed health regeneration upgrade in the "Trip Shop" the game's combat becomes much easier and more fun as a result. Monkey's moves can be upgraded, his health increased, and all the other upgrades you would expect are standing at attention. Enslaved's combat can be very exhilarating, as long as the controls are being cooperative. Like I said earlier though, the teamwork and platforming sections are outstanding and show how fun the game can be to play, in addition to being very entertaining to watch. The best combat sections are the boss battles, which show some very good imagination on the part of the developers. All in all, Enslaved is an entertaining Odyssey with an ending that leaves a question that is very difficult to answer. This is a cult hit that should not be missed.
Final Score: 9 out of 10

-Smith