Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Immersive"

You'll play Enslaved for the story and a little less for the gameplay, but it will leave you ultimately satisfied and probably asking for more. Now, with the story already providing incentive to play, does the gameplay hold up and maintain your interest? The short answer is yes.

Boss battles can be entertaining, but leave a little to be desired. The basic combat could have been more developed and it shows. Monkey, one of the two protagonists of this journey, utilizes a staff weapon to smash and plug away at the mechanized enemies you'll encounter, but shooting is also incorporated into the basic combat. That being said, more could have been done to flush out the somewhat basic attacks at your disposal. Monkey can stun enemies, wide-range attack, basic and strong attack his enemies, while also being able to shoot his foes with a stun or plasma blast to lighten the opposition. What seems to be lacking is a core framework to hold the combat together. It all feels like button mashing after a little while into the game, and combos would have greatly improved upon this. Also, the shoot seems to detract from the action and slow down the intensity of being surrounded by swarms of enemies. What is not present are quick-time events, and while some admit that said mechanic is a little overdone these days, it almost feels as if quick-time events could of enhanced the experience in Enslaved.

If you've played the demo or seen any videos/screenshots, you'll already know that this is an aesthetically pleasing game to behold. However, the occasional framerate issue will deter you from enjoying these lush, and beautiful environments.

With all of its problems, Enslaved really garners an interesting premise and a duo of protagonists (the aforementioned Monkey, and his 'master', Trip) will ultimately make you want to keep playing the game and see it through the end. Now, depending on how you felt about the game up until it's climax, the ending will dictate whether or not you'll want to see more of Enslaved. Although the developers did not initially plan on a sequel, if you enjoyed the game you will definitely want to see the story continue.

Really, all it comes down to is my recommendation that you download the free demo from Xbox Live and give this game a chance. If you like the demo, then you'll surely enjoy the rest of the game, but if it doesn't satisfy you there, then best to leave well enough alone.

Enslaved offers a great blend of combat, story and production values and really had the potential to be something great. The overall feeling of the game reminded me of the Oddworld series and was quite pleasing to play for said reason. However, the issues with a bland combat system and an often too close to the action camera hold Enslaved back from being something truly special. Instead, Enslaved still manages to remain cohesive and offer a great adventure for those who can see themselves platforming through a post-apocalyptic, mech infested United States, and don't mind the occasional fault in gameplay.