Ninja Theory and Alex Garland invite you to experience one of the best narrative adventures in interactive entertainment.
Format: PS3, Xbox 360 (version played) Dev: Ninja Theory Pub: Namco Bandai
Out: 08/10/10 Players: 1
Ever wondered how to encapsulate the immersive captivation of Avatar into a game better than the arduous shooter of the same name? Enslaved is the answer.
This is another new-age Pocahontas plot, and is loosely based on the Chinese fable Journey to the West. Far from feeling pretentious, Lord of the Rings mo-cap star Andy Serkis’ involvement here as the leader character is excellent, and his relationship with companion Trip feels genuine, which is very rare for a game. This is about control, enlightenment and survival.
And Enslaved’s single-player matches up to the lofty expectations of using such themes. You play as the gruff action-hero character of the game, Monkey, who doesn’t remember any of his childhood and has had it hard.
You’re cast 150 years into the future, with the human race all but extinct from technological warfare. Mechs walk the overgrown jungles of Earth as you explore, with the eventually goal of removing the control headband which your intelligent female companion has enslaved you with. I would divulge more, but since its story is the primary attraction, I’ll leave it up to you to experience.
However, this story and setting is a cracking excuse for probably one of the most creative and inspiring backdrops to a video game this year. Think about an interactive version of the setting to I am Legend, and you’re not far off what Enslaved offers. The city landscape infused with centuries of forestry creates an environment, with a subtle steam-punk influence, which is a joy to experience (even if it’s a little linear in construction).
In fact, when you take a step back, pretty much all of the game’s aspects are rather linear in production. The settings look suitably mighty, only to be limited to set paths through each of the levels. This ethic also runs through the gameplay, which balances ever so troublesomely on the line between entertainingly simple and laborious.
Platforming is limited to running through highlighted paths and pressing the action button repeatedly, while watching some swish and very fluent animation of your actions on-screen. Combat is hunkered down to button bashing a lot for melee moves and projectiles. The inspirational, and often beautiful, vistas you explore and combat scenes you partake in save this game from feeling repetitive, which places Enslaved firmly within the marmite category. You will either love it or hate it.
Enslaved is very much a game that’s best merits you watch, not what you play. It has stunning production values and some really genuine character relationships. This splits things very much in two. Either, you’ll get carried away by the story and visual prowess of the game or you will feel let down by the severe gameplay simplicity with little replayability to salvage. Characters and drama of this high calibre will likely not be seen for a good while in games.
Jason England
Tags: adventure, beat-em-up, enslaved, namco bandai, ninja theory
