Video Game Review: Lush Journey of ‘Enslaved: Odyssey to the West’

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CHICAGO – One of the most surprisingly-accomplished and well-executed titles of the season has to be “Enslaved: Odyssey of the West,” a gorgeously-rendered blend of combat, puzzle solving, and climbing that gets a bit repetitive but stays entertaining due to its incredibly high production values and beautiful graphics.

Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

So many modern games value everything else above actual storytelling. They place emphasis on cool weapons, a new gameplay concept, or online capabilities and ignore the potential of the form to tell a cinematic tale. “Enslaved: Odyssey to the West” works from an ancient Chinese novel and was written by Alex Garland (“Never Let Me Go,” “Sunshine,” “28 Days Later…”) with cut scenes directed by and even “starring” the great Andy Serkis (Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” among many other awesome things). It features some of the best voice work and overall storytelling of the year in gaming. And one should never underestimate the value of actually being interesting in the story of the game you’re playing instead of merely the things that go boom.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Photo credit: Namco Bandai

The plot of “Enslaved” is pretty simple. In a post-apocalyptic world that takes place 150 years from now, John Connor lost and the world has basically been overrun by killing machines known as Mechs. You take on the role of a slave named Monkey, an athletic loner who has nearly-superhuman powers of climbing, jumping, and swinging. The game opens with Monkey breaking free on his slave ship as it’s about to crash. He jumps on to an escape pod driven by the gorgeous Trip, a tech expert who discovers that she needs Monkey to survive the hostile planet and get home again. She’s the brains, he’s the brawn, let the gaming commence.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Photo credit: Namco Bandai

Monkey and Trip travel across the planet first to her home and then beyond as “Enslaved” produces an incredible sense of space and movement. You’ll cover a lot of ground and it could arguably be called repetitive, but the beautiful graphics always keep the title fresh. For the most part, a level consists of a few bad guys, a few things that Monkey needs to climb on to throw a ladder down to Trip or open a door from the other side, and then a big boss. When one thinks back on the title, it could be seen as familiar, but it’s an engrossingly-conceived and executed one in that you can get lost in this game, spending hours on the saga of Monkey and Trip without realizing it. And, for the first time in a long time, don’t be surprised if you want to keep playing not to see what you can blow up next but to see where the story is going next. The saga of Monkey and Trip and the development of their relationship is remarkable. These are two of the most memorable characters — from conception to design to voice acting — of the entire year. I’d love to see them again.

The world of “Enslaved: Odyssey of the West” is a beautiful combination of buildings overgrown with vegetation and foliage and metal creations of the future. It’s not your standard game of the future in that it’s based on nature. The greens of the overgrowth, the blue of the sky — it is one of the most uniquely captivating gaming worlds of the year. With perfect character animation and incredible background detail, “Enslaved” often looks better than most Hollywood CGI animated movies. It’s a stunning presentation and the only conceivable argument could be that the Mech enemies start to become a little generic after awhile (except, of course, the big boss ones that will blow your mind).

To succeed, Monkey will need his partner in usually at least one or two key moments a level. Most of the time, you’ll be using poor Trip as a decoy, instructing her to distract a turret or Mech, so you can sneak up behind them and do what you do so well. Other times, Trip will have to use a lever or switch at just the right time. And since Trip has outfitted you with an electronic headband that links you forever, it makes sense that she also is your way to upgrade your skills. Throughout the game, you’ll find orange orbs that you then “spend” for upgrades, turning you into even more of a machine-fighting machine.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Photo credit: Namco Bandai

What about combat? While there is some, “Enslaved” is not a title heavy on destruction. Expect more climbing and puzzle-solving, punctuated by scenes of intense battle. Monkey carries a staff which can be used in several ways to stun, hit, or even shoot a blast at an enemy. The combat is the weakest element of the game but I liked playing a title in this explosion-heavy season in which I didn’t feel bombarded by enemies at every turn. The team behind “Enslaved” use enemies when they need to, not just throwing them on a level to keep it entertaining.

A bit more variation in the design of the enemies would have been nice and it’s becoming arguably unacceptable to make a game in 2010 with no online or multiplayer functionality, but these are the only conceivable complaints about one of the most surprisingly-enjoyable titles of not just the season but the year. “Enslaved: Odyssey to the West” plays like a fascinating sci-fi mini-series with interesting characters, well-written and well-performed dialogue, and a story that draws you in more than most of what’s aired on SyFy this year. It’s a great game.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com