Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved: Journey to the West is definitely a contender for game of the year.

The 10-12 hours journey will enthrall you from beginning to end and easily make it worth the price of admission.

I almost literally played through the entire game in one sitting, which isn't something I do often, and I didn't feel my attention waver throughout the eight or so hours it took to finish.

If you're looking for a game that offers all the amazing things I've spent the last handful of paragraphs gushing over as well as one of the most interesting and original stories in a game this year, Enslaved won't disappoint.

Action trip reminds of Uncharted comes with its own style. Inspired by Hanuman, The Monkey King, offers stunning fights, fantastic environments and likable heroes. [Issue#196]

It might be too simple to call Enslaved: Odyssey to the West a melee-centric Uncharted, but it is not that far off and it is certainly not a bad thing.

This is a odyssey everyone should experience.

Ninja Theory has been successful in using the talent that they have had at their disposal to enhance the gaming experience making Enslaved one of the best surprises of the year.

Fortunately, Enslaved ranges from consistently good to outstanding, and for that reason, I'd recommend the title if you have an interest in single-player adventures full of masterful storytelling.

If you are in the mood for a great action/adventure title with a truly engaging narrative, you owe it to yourself to check out Ninja Theory's latest title.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a beautiful journey, highly emotional and protagonized by two memorable characters. Despite some techinal flaws, if you enjoy well written story and you are not afraid to be moved by a videogame, you really shouldn't miss this one.

This game has a good story and a unique setting. The emotional bond between Monkey and Trip is pretty good and the gameplay is a bit basic, but fast and nice to play. If you like good stories in games with easy gameplay and overall a great adventure, than Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is your game.

Enslaved really fits the "fun" label. It's not as technically proficient as it should've been, one may question the built-in ease of certain aspects of the gameplay (i.e., hand-holding), and there can be camera and frame rate issues. This is what keeps it from being an elite production. At the same time, the characters, story, atmosphere, design, presentation, and acting make it a must-try.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a really good game, but it's not a truly great game.

The ending may prove divisive, but thanks to some brilliant acting and well-balanced gameplay, Ninja Theory seems to have found the perfect storytelling formula. [Issue#197, p.76]

If you love a good science fiction tale wrapped around a gorgeous, post-apocalyptic world with some decent gameplay thrown into the mix, you should give Enslaved a try.

Enslaved is an engaging experience where, even if you don't feel astonished by the gameplay, you will enjoy an amazing experience. Its characters are among the most gripping ones we have seen in a videogame, and with its amazing cutscenes the game creates an incredibly cinematic experience.

All in all, Enslaved is a pretty cool action-adventure with a nice story, a stunning atmosphere and a cool gameplay. The game's weak points are only the occasionally bad graphics and the missing multiplayer mode.

From loveable characters to gameplay that works and an environment that is worth exploring, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West may be the sleeper hit of this month and also... the game has a great checkpoint system!

Enslaved is scoring with its motivating story, the good graphics and the enjoyable, but not challenging climbing passages. Sadly, the fights are unvaried and there is no multiplayer.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The facial animations, the explosive combat moves and virtual acting are all top notch, elevating Enslaved to being an above-average action game. Also, there's an enthralling story being told here with entertaining characters and it proves difficult to put the controller down. [November 2010 p72]

I desperately want to give it a ten purely for its fantastic story, but a fantastic story does not a good game make – it needs the gameplay to back it up and that's where Enslaved falls down in places. What we are left with is a flawed masterpiece, but one that you definitely need to play.

It seems a little harsh to accuse Enslaved of presenting style over substance but the feeling remains nonetheless: much like Heavenly Sword before it, Enslaved is an exceptionally well produced game from Ninja Theory where gameplay takes a passenger seat and cinematic presentation drives the experience.

Enslaved is an affecting adventure that makes strong use of its characters and story to create a believable world.

It's a well-produced effort that makes itself easy to get invested in and is worth considering for anyone who enjoys a solid dozen-hour-long, story-driven action game. It doesn't do everything right all the time, but some grander and higher-profile games could stand to learn a lesson or two from this one.

There are certainly better hack 'n' slash games on the market, built around deeper combat, but few games can match Enslaved's excellent fusion of gameplay and storytelling.

In spite of the few glitches and minor graphic issues, Enslaved is one of those games that is hard to put down once you get captivated by its compelling story and memorable characters.

Ninja Theory has created a quality game that brings us a strong story and some great visuals. The gameplay feels a bit simple but this isn't as big problem thanks to the well balanced pace.

As a trip through an interesting, beautiful world covering ground that hasn't been effectively tread in games, with a strong narrative and engaging, believable characters, it provides something unique this Fall. If you can look past its flaws, Enslaved might surprise you as much as it did me.

Enslaved is an atmospheric apocalyptic adventure with a strong focus on graphics and story. The game offers by far the most colorful apocalyptic setting. The idea with the "chained" hero is fresh and works quite well, but the relationship between Monkey and Trip should be even more dramatic and emotional. Unfortunately the action is only on an average level. There is a lack of variety and options.

Enslaved is sci-fi road adventure featuring a captivating story that spans the fears of a world gone crazy with technology. Despite some mediocre gameplay elements, this game is hard to put down, and you will want to play it all the way through to see how it ends.

Good adventure, with multiple options and great technical job. Enslaved has some problems, like the simple system combat or the poor plataforms.

Its rich imagination, restrained narrative and charming cast of characters place it a significant step above its often clumsy story-obsessed brethren - and, while easy to find fault with, it's harder to knock Enslaved in terms of pure entertainment value.

Enslaved is a bit scrappy in its presentation and would have benefitted from more polishing time, but its heart is in a place few games even try for. Its world is original, fascinating, beautiful, and daunting. Its characters are alive and full of real emotion and they're truly loveable. Its simple combat is spare but elegant, and its climbing sequences get the blood pumping. It tells a story unlike any other, and it tells it with maturity and confidence.

Once completed it becomes a rewarding and complete experience.

It's a good game with a very engaging narrative, and I hope to see more Enslaved in the future. I just can't help feeling that this game could have been so much more than it ended up.

Another dark post-apocalyptic action-adventure? Nope. Enslaved introduces gamers to a gorgeous and detailed world, full of mechanical quirkiness. If you can look past his flaws, you'll be rewarded with one of the best sci-fi games of the year. Give it a try, you wont regret it!

Enslaved offers a truly fantastic experience, and I am having a hard time not recommending it to everyone I know, but its potential makes you wonder what could have been.

A great example of how a good action/adventure games should be. Enslaved has a good balance between fighting, platforming and story-telling and is perhaps the surprise of the year.

It's a great ten-hour campaign, but there's little replay value.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has some flaws in its design; neither of its gameplay styles achieves to excel, and there are some obvious insatisfactory aspect. However, as a whole it works very good, and its is an enjoyable and gratifying title, with a good story told with unusual success. It has its flaws, but its achievements compensate for them.

With its latest offering, Ninja Theory has proved it is capable of pulling off an engaging, enthralling and – dare I say it? – enslaving action game.

The simple, albeit underdeveloped, combination of gameplay styles is brisk enough to carry the inspiration behind its characters, setting, and story.

The whole production feels like it could do with a little more depth - outside of the narrative, it feels like there's nothing going on below the surface - but this is still a fun, awe-inspiring and lavish eight hours of game that delivers plenty of its own style and flavour and is a fine addition to a busy genre.

The first hours are a bit too rocky and the controls are not very precise, the camera sometimes get stuck and the character Trip is an irritating wuss. The atmosphere, the characters, the design and the story is really nice though and the game deserves a play-through.

With the gameplay being such an unwanted distraction, the story is the only attraction. The plot delivers a cool science fiction twist in its final moments, but ultimately serves as a slave to mediocre gameplay for eight to nine hours.

The game, though, stumbles throughout. The combat is at best serviceable, as are the puzzles. [Dec 2010, p.84]

Enslaved takes players 150 years into the future, in a world where both creation and destruction flourish. Its overwhelming beauty of nature entangled with machinery requires a moment to digest. Sadly, the game rarely allows for such sightseeing. Instead players are forcibly dragged through every scene of the game, which then comes to an abrupt close. Ultimately they are left with a very convincing movie, without the gameplay to back it up.

Quotation forthcoming.

Plagued by small but numerous issues, Enslaved still has a lot to offer... but maybe not for the full price of a new game. If you let yourself be charmed by its lush world and its well portrayed characters, you may tolerate its flaws in order to follow its narrative, and the various sequences. They are mostly enjoyable despite some loose gameplay mechanics. But for others, the frame rate issues, the terrible ending, and the lack of polish will obfuscate the qualities of the game. Once again, it seems Ninja Theory focused too much on the form and less on the substance.