Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a hidden gem and you need to strive it!

Enslaved is a recreation from 2010, initially launched for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Personally, I didn’t get to it till 2014 on PC, since a port was launched the 12 months earlier than. It’s made by Ninja Concept, a studio most of you most likely know because of the Hellblade collection. Sadly, the one solution to play it on consoles in the present day is by way of backward compatibility on Xbox, and I’m afraid it might disappear from the Xbox Retailer sooner or later as nicely. Namco has by no means as soon as discounted it and it actually looks like they don’t care concerning the title in any respect. Nonetheless, the worth isn’t excessive and bodily copies are pretty simple to get, so if you happen to haven’t performed it, you need to undoubtedly give it a shot!

I’m replaying it now after a few years and it’s nonetheless simply as enjoyable because it was the primary time. Because the identify suggests, the sport is impressed by the Chinese language novel Journey to the West. Gameplay-wise, it’s a third-person motion recreation with mild puzzles and a few platforming. Fight is quick, and so is the platforming, which could be very fluid. You principally simply have to press one button. Some would possibly dislike that, however for my part it retains the sport easy and snappy as a substitute of slowing you down. That manner you may totally benefit from the well-written characters and story, which is one thing Ninja Concept is understood for.

The plot follows two protagonists. The playable character, Monkey, wears a scarf given to him by the opposite character, Journey, which permits her to manage him to a sure extent or shock him if he refuses to cooperate. Monkey is thus compelled to assist Journey attain her dwelling by way of a post-apocalyptic world filled with robots. Their initially hostile relationship slowly modifications, and the sport turns right into a splendidly written street journey, with the second half typically bordering on outright comedy.

Not solely the story, however the world’s artwork route is great for my part. For its launch 12 months, it was fairly unique, since post-apocalyptic settings used to imply grey wastelands drained of life after nuclear struggle. Right here, all the pieces is vibrant, overgrown with grass and flowers. The builders even flirt with a little bit of dieselpunk. Followers of the Horizon collection would possibly discover one thing to take pleasure in right here.

From in the present day’s perspective, it’s an ideal instance of a hidden gem. And from what I’ve observed, hardly anybody remembers this recreation, which is a large disgrace. It’s completely my favourite recreation of the seventh console technology. Give it an opportunity!