1. Martyn

   9

   Graphics: 10
   Gameplay: 9
   Story/characters: 10 (after thinking :P )
   Music: 9
   Overall: 9.5 VISUALS/WORLD: Not since Beyond Good and Evil have I been simply flabbergasted at the quality of the world I found myself in. The vistas are comparable in awe inspiring quality to Red Dead Redemption. I've read a significant deal about pop up in this game, but for me, I didn't notice it once. GAMEPLAY: is my only gripe and what keeps this from a 10. Whilst the fighting is fun, the combos are extremely limited with respect to the animations. Also, when fighting multiple enemies you have to know where they are so that the spastic camera doesn't hide them. This isn't so much of a problem once you get past the first few hours. The climbing mechanic is fluid and the un-lockables for fighting and movement later on are simply awesome. STORY/CHARACTERS: Is to an acquired taste. For me the monkey/trip relationship was executed brilliantly as was the ending... though please, please, don't dismiss it at face value like so many on the forums I've read... and that's all i'm saying without spoiling anything :P The voice acting is sublime. Nothing more needs to be said about this really. The set piece action is also something that has the be experienced as it doesn't overcompensate ala Call of Duty but finds the sweet spot between repetition and pure unadulterated fun.
   MUSIC: Perfectly orchestrated. Fits the mood of a post apocalyptic world, but playful at the same time.
   Overall: Small, and may I emphasise: *small* gameplay gripes are what hamper this otherwise masterful example of game design. I don't give it a 10 because a 10 is reserved for games I believe don't break the immersion and are, for lack of a better word, perfect. This game, if metacritic allowed for it, would easily be a 9.5.… Expand

   • Helpful? 5 of 5 users said Yes.
2. DarkKnightG4

   8

   DKG4's Bargain Bin Reviews Enslaved is a tough sell. You get to play as a silly looking, relunctant hero who has to escort a vulnerable female npc through a cliche apocalyptic wasteland patrolled by generic robots. Doesn't sound too appealing eh? Well, let me assure you that this game is well worth the $20 or less price tag it has now. Few games are successful at making the main characters deep enough and convincing enough to care for. Enslaved's approach to this problem was to have credible talents perform the voicework and motioncapture. With Andy Serkis (Gollum in LOTR, Kong in King Kong, and Ceasar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as the main protaginist Monkey, and Lindsey Shaw as the female Tripp, who Monkey has to escort through the game, Enslaved succeeds at producing likeable, interesting, deep characters that are easy to invest into. All ranges of emotions are conveyed convincingly through these characters in voice, facial expression, and body language. Enslaved looks good. Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic setting, Enslaved uses a bright color palette filled with bright greens and reds. It's a pleasing asthetic that provides numerous beautiful set-peices. Character models are nicely detailed and are animated well. The music is excellently composed and does its part to evoke emotion from you (You can listen to the soundtrack on youtube for a sample). Combat is fluid and satisfying, however, can get stale as the game progresses. There is a leveling up mechanic that provides new moves, but it is somewhat limited. You'll be too heavily invested into the characters and the story that the combat getting stale won't really bother you much. The pacing of the game is well plotted, with appropriate highs and lows. There is a lot of platforming, as Monkey is...well Monkey-ish. The platforming is easy...almost too easy. You can cover great distances quickly with Monkey's agility and strength, however I never felt that I was in danger of falling or messing up. The story itself isn't as engrossing as the characters, however, it does a well enough job at progressing you through the game and has a great, unexpected twist at the end. Yes, you have to escort the female companion Tripp through the majority of the game and no its not really that bad. Tripp is both capable and useful and having her at your side throughout the game helps to build the relationship between her and Monkey and build your investment into the characters. The banter between the two is excellently scripted. She is also used in clever ways that make her an integral part of the duo. I don't recall an instance where she was ever a burdon to me. This game is short. You can play through it in a matter of a couple of days. I paid $24 for this game a year ago and while I haven't played through it a second time, it is still sitting on my game shelf as a worthy contribution to the collection. Enslaved has no multiplayer. It is simply an engrossing tale of two people struggling to survive. If you find yourself a free weekend, do yourself a favor and pick up this little gem from the bargain bin.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
3. dupplawt

   6

   Enslaved is a vibrant, colourful game with characters you'll come to love along the journey. The story and colourful world are definitely the highlights, with an intriguing sci-fi twist towards the end, but unfortunately the gameplay isn't exceptionally exciting. Nonetheless, it is fun to put combos together to destroy robotic enemies and there are enough types of them to keep you guessing; the boss sections are good and the hover-craft is easy to control and fun to use when you're allowed. Unfortunately, there isn't much to go back and do in a second play through. Overall, Enslaved is a game built on its story and setting, with gameplay apparently tagged in; it's a very good game if you like a good story in a game, but for others you may find the uninspired mechanics tedious. I enjoyed it, 3/5.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 4 users said Yes.
4. Tabascofish

   4

   Ninja Theory's Enslaved is based on the Chinese legend "Journey to the West". The main character is even called Monkey and he has to lead a frail girl named Trip to the West to get her back home. Enslaved is a mediocre, re-hash action platformer along the same vein as Uncharted. Monkey climbs over the ruins of our modern civilization with a similar style as Nathan Drake as well. He looks like he's struggling to climb these ruins, but it's actually impossible to miss the next handhold or to just jump out into space. The platforming in Enslaved literally takes no skill even though the animations are painstakingly crafted to make Monkey look like an average guy, straining against gravity.
   
   Monkey is anything but average though, and trying to portray him as such just cheapens the game and the story. When he rides an escape pod to the ground at terminal velocity and survives with only a minor concussion, how normal is that?
   
   Anyway, the combat in the game is very much like God of War, though it has less depth and you can just spam one combo to win even on the harder difficulties. The game environments do look pretty, though there are frame rate issues, which aren't terrible when you get used to them. However, the game is filled with bugs. Characters disappear completely during important cut scenes, Trip gets stuck on the terrain often, checkpoints that require you to pass them for the game to progress don't register all of the time when you do pass them, and the entire game has locked up completely on me occasionally during really hectic, screen-filling fights. Other reviews say these bugs are rare, but they occurred often enough to completely frustrate me and often enough to kill my motivation to play at times.
   
   Enslaved is also pretty short. I finished the hard campaign in just about ten hours. The story can be compelling and the ending was very good, but games can't thrive on story alone without good game play that makes the experience truly engaging and fun.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 15 users said Yes.

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