Enslaved Demo

I have literally just come from playing the Enslaved demo for PS3 and I was really impressed. This game was previously one I had just passed off and never even considered buying, but now I am definitely considering it.

I had heard this games premise and thought it was quite interesting but I really thought it would be another hack and slasher. I realised it was by Ninja Theory, creators of Heavenly Sword and for some reason I was reminded I only played through Heavenly Sword once (even though it was a great game, I am just not into hack and slash style games). The game had great promise but didn't appeal to me.

So I gave the demo a go to see if I could be persuaded.

"Enslaved: Odyssey to the West" to give it's full title is about two characters, Monkey (your controllable character) and Trip (your AI controlled companion) and their their journey to escape impending slavery. The game is set 150 years in the future and sees what's left of the human race struggling to survive in their now war torn cities and trying to evade slavery by the machines that were programmed to destroy them during the wars.
For anyone that is familiar with the ancient Chinese novel turned legend Journey to the west you will recognise the loosely based inspirations in the character "Monkey" and presumably the Journey/Odyssey the characters will embark on.

Judging by the demo the game plays well with a nice mix of platforming and battling, it had a feel of Heavenly Sword during the fighting but the platforming was a definite improvement with a much more fluid and free feel. Several times I was reminded of the epic platforming sections of Uncharted 2 where drake is scaling massive structures which evolve as you pass across them. There was a nice sense of urgency and danger even though climbing on the outside of a crashing airship was a breeze to control. The climbable sections are clearly visible and your character is responsive to your commands, leaving you satisfied instead of frustrated with the outcome.

The graphics are quite impressive with character textures bearing up to close scrutiny, a beautifully detailed game world and some excellent particle effects. The characters skin, eyes and face details in particular are very nice. Emotion is portrayed very well although lip syncing was a little off, I thought with Ninja Theory being pioneers in motion capture they may have done this a little better. The first time you meet and converse with Trip she has a great expression on her face which really shows they type of person she is and also hints at how emotionally connected you could become to her, which will be important when it becomes your "duty" as Monkey to make sure she arrives home safely.

Unfortunately the demo ends before being able to sample the co-operative elements with your AI partner Trip. Ninja theory have promised that Trip will be more helpful and less of a burden than previous AI controlled sidekicks who often left you gritting your teeth at their stupidity and ineptitude. Trip is the clever brain to Monkey's Brawn, she can hack and gain control over machinery so this offers some exciting prospects for some truly original teamwork efforts.