WARNING: There may be some spoilers ahead.

TRIP (ENSLAVED: ODYSSEY TO THE WEST)

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a woefully overlooked and criminally underrated game, and the character of Trip is perfectly emblematic of just how good a game it was. On paper, Trip should be nothing more than yet another annoying character in a glorified escort mission – you literally have to carry her weight – but she proves to be so much more. During gameplay, she can actually be pretty helpful, but what helps her really stand out is just how well written she is as a character, plain and simple. That excellent writing is backed up by equally excellent acting and voice work, and watching her relationship with Monkey grow over the course of the game is one of the highlights in an excellent game.

Last year’s Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was an absolutely wonderful game, and while we did point out some flaws in the game, like many other publications, we did like the game a lot… like many other publications.

However, Enslaved did not really sell well, and Ninja Theory, currently working on the Devil May Cry reboot DmC, has stated that they have no plans for an Enslaved 2. Bummer.

“Enslaved should have done better,” studio co-founder Tameem Antoniades said in and interview in the latest issue of Edge. “Right now we should have been doing a sequel and perfecting that sequel and doing what franchises do, which is get better over time.

“[But] because that didn’t happen we’ve not expanded to two teams like we intended to. So we’ve remained a smaller shop. But now we get another chance with DMC.”

That’s a letdown. We really hoped we’d see more of the wonderful world of Enslaved. Ah, well, I guess someday Ninja Theory might come to their senses… hopefully.

Pigsy

You start off with Pigsy narrating the story from beginning to end.  He gets his own abilities as he moves through the story but always carries his trusty sniper rifle which has infinite ammo making things easier.  The abilities you’ll eventually gain are EMP’s, Decoys, Ally (Changing enemies to friendlies) and Bombs.  All of these abilities prove to be quite useful and the game gives you the option of how you want to go about scenarios.  You can complete tasks in many different ways, it’s all up to you.  A small stun baton like rig is equipped to your hand for enemies that rush that you can quickly press a button to activate, but has a recharge time after one use much like all your other abilities.

Ready for action

The story and plot was well thought out and I don’t want to give anything away, but there are twists that you will not expect.  There are cut scenes after every couple of levels that truly add to the content whether it is just Pigsy narrating or it’s an epic scenario.. for the story at least.  I must also stress that it is really different from the Enslaved game in that manor, with this story being a stand alone mini game if you will.  The graphics are as wonderful as they are in the full game even if Piggsy isn’t the prettiest thing to look at.  Pigsy’s Perfect 10 is a well worth is buy for $10/800 Microsoft Points, I think it is dead on with its worth.  As well as how impressive it was I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoyed enslaved.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Namco Bandai has apologized for the various problems with the Enslaved DLC download problems from the PSN.

Here is their statement:

“Namco Bandai are aware that a very small amount of consumers have been having issues with their PSN purchases of Pigsy’s Perfect 10 for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. This problem was quickly resolved last week and players are able to purchase and redeem codes as normal.

“However, if you have had a problem redeeming your code having purchased the DLC content on PSN, you are entitled to a replacement code which you can redeem by contacting customerservices@namcobandaipartners.com where you’ll need to provide proof of purchase in the form of the 37 digit code you received when you purchased the content from the Playstation Store.

“Once again, the problem has been resolved and Pigsy’s Perfect 10 is available for download from all UK and EIRE customers and Namco Bandai Partners apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

This DLC called Pigsy’s Perfect 10 was released last week for the PSN and XBL.

Source

The recently announced “Pigsy’s Perfect 10” DLC for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is now available for download on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, for 800 Microsoft Points and $9.99 respectively. Obviously, players have to have the retail version of the game to make use of the DLC.

With this DLC pack, not only will players get a TriOviz® for Games Technology update which will help them play all the entirety of the game in magnificent three dimensions, they will also be presented with an addition side-story level, Pigsy’s Perfect 10, based on the beloved non playable character in the main game.

The utmost attractive Pigsy has some DLC being released for ‘Enslaved: Odyssey to the West’ revolving around him.  You get to know much more about Pigsy in this Dev Diary for the DLC as well as explaining details about the new download for ‘Enslaved: Odyssey to the West’ available later this year.

Takedowns are a ton of fun

Enslaved takes place 150 years in a post-apocalyptic world plagued with robots. Although they are from a bygone era, their mission is to completely destroy any signs of life on the planet. The storyline is inspired by the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West. The game starts off with Monkey and Trip aboard an airship which for some reason is about to crash. Via a number of platforming sections Monkey makes it across and lands safely on ground. But when he wakes up, he founds out that Trip has embedded a headband on his head with help of which she can command him. Trip wants to meet his father who is 300 miles away but she can’t reach there alone and will require Monkey to help her get across. After realizing he has no choice Monkey aides Trip to her destiny. Overall I think the story of Enslaved is told pretty well via a number of cutscenes that take place in each of the 14 chapters that you are going to encounter.

Now let’s talk about the game play. You are going to be doing three things in the game. Platforming, fighting off against mechs and coordinating with Trip to get out of certain situations and puzzles. Platforming is basically very much similar to games like Uncharted and Assassins Creed, so to be honest there is nothing to add here, except the fact that it can get a bit challenging in the last few chapters. Monkey is a pretty acrobatic character and he can jump at greater distances as compared to other folks like Nathan Drake and Ezio. The areas are absolutely huge in the game so Ninja Theory have added a scanner in the form of a mechanical dragon fly which will scan the area and let you know where exactly you have to reach.

Yes thats a mech’s hand… now why the game did not had those 500 feet mechs, I will never understand.

Combat is the heart of the game. Most of the time you will be fighting off against mechs and trust me they are not a piece of cake. But fortunately Monkey has a Staff that acts as a close combat weapon as well a shooting device to stun and blow up enemies. The mechs vary in all sizes; some will take more than just lashing to take them out. The mechs are agile and quick, they can follow you over long distances if you don’t take them out early. Most of the mechs have shield with them and hence a direct attack won’t work. In this case Monkey will have to first stun them and take them out via his Staff. There are a few huge mechs as well. You will face them much later in the game. Some of scenes that take place during this boss fights are epic. You will have to stun them and take them out. You will also have to use the environments and lure them to bang their heads. Scattered around the beautiful world of Enslaved are the orbs. By collecting this, player can upgrade Monkey’s health, shield, staff and combat skills. I was very glad that Ninja Theory included these, as without them the combat could have been a bit bland.

In certain situations, Trip and Monkey will have to coordinate with each other to get themselves out of tricky scenarios. For example in one the scenes the player needs to get out of the sight of the Turret. For this the player will need Trip to distract the Turret so that Monkey can get across. Now in order to get Trip across, Monkey will have to do the same thing. Monkey can carry Trip on his back and jump over distances, help Trip get over a platform or throw over large distance. Additionally Monkey can use his Cloud, an electromagnetic field that can carry him over poisonous waters and normally inaccessible environments in the game. However it is available to the player only during some sections. Game play in general is pretty neat but the camera during some of the mech fights is horrible. The camera gets so bad in some situations that I was almost unable to see where Monkey is.

The most interesting guy in the game

Ninja Theory are known for making amazing looking games and Enslaved does not disappoint. Enslaved looks absolutely stunning with an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world and colourful environments. Numerous times I just put my controller down, seeing how beautiful the art design is. But the peak point of the game is the amazing motion capture. Andy Serkis and Lindsey Shaw who reprised the roles of Monkey and Trip respectively have done an amazing job. Andy Serkis specially puts in some amazing face based gestures. There are not a lot of people you are going to meet in the game, but there is one I should mention. There is one really funny guy who is Trip’s father’s friend, Pigsy. Enslaved was getting a bit bland for me somewhere in the middle, until this guy showed up. Again the motion capture for Pigsy is excellent. Sound is something I am pretty disappointed about. Some sections of the game felt absolutely bland due to lack of music or the ongoing sound which was pretty bad. I am not sure why this aspect of the game went missing as Ninja Theory did a great job with the score in Heavenly Sword. Voice acting is pretty solid and gets the story moving forward.

So how good is Enslaved? It’s pretty good. If you can get pass through some awful camera during mech fights and discouraging sound, there is a lot of fun to be had here. It’s pretty short, took me around 8 hours for my first play through. But if you like a good story, an interesting couple and some cool looking mech takedowns than Enslaved should be in your list.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Enslaved – Odyssey to the West is available now for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The ‘Pigsy’s perfect 10’ DLC is going to be release later this year. This DLC it will also allow options to play both the DLC and the full Game in 3D which is quite impression if you ask me. Enjoy the trailer above.

Namco and Ninja Theory have just revealed details about the first piece of DLC for Enslaved, called Pigsy’s Perfect 10, which is a side story of a new character named Pigsy.

Players will also be able to play in 3D with both the original game and the DLC.

Here is more information about Pigsy:

Pigsy, the comical porcine character known for his one-line zingers and questionable hygiene, finally gets his time in the spotlight. The Titan Graveyard is a lonely place and Pigsy really needs some companionship beyond the mechs that roam the area. He dreams of the perfect woman and embarks on a mission to build one from scratch using scrap parts he finds around the junkyard. In contrast to the main game which features strong, capable Monkey as the playable character, Pigsy is much more of a lover than a fighter. Pigsy’s gameplay will have a completely different gameplay dynamic, with a focus on stealth and sharp-shooting. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeves including a far-reaching hookshot, trusty sniper rifle, various grenades and devices, Trouble Vision eye piece and the aid of his trusty mechanical sidekick Truffles

Pigsy’s Perfect 10 DLC will be released later this year on XBL and PSN for 800 MSP/$9.99.

Source

Enslaved may already be out everywhere for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 but here is the just recently released launch trailer. Enjoy and expect a GamingBolt.com Review of the game soon.