Once again, there’s a storm of games incoming. Towards winter and Christmas I've ordered the likes of Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Ace Combat Assault Horizon.
The demo for the latter released earlier this week, was a little strange, I'll come back to that in a later post. That’s not counting Assassins Creed Revelations and of course, my much anticipated, Gears of War 3!
That’s right, my web shop sent the game out way too earl! I've got to play it almost ten days before the release! So farc, my impression has been very positive. The controls feel lighter and much smoother than before. The graphics are jaw-dropping and very colourful and vibrant for the Gears series.
That’s right, my web shop sent the game out way too earl! I've got to play it almost ten days before the release! So farc, my impression has been very positive. The controls feel lighter and much smoother than before. The graphics are jaw-dropping and very colourful and vibrant for the Gears series.
I've been playing multiplayer only, since I'm planning on playing the singleplayer with three friends, that's right, four player coop! The multiplayer is mostly populated by bots now, but I'm sure there will be turning up more and more human players after a while!
Released: 2010
The review this time is Enslaved, which basically is a cross between platforming and fighting. It takes place quite far into the future, in a post-apocalyptic setting, though not the typical grey and dismal one. Enslaved is colourful and full of nature environments.
Review
Played on: Xbox 360Released: 2010
The review this time is Enslaved, which basically is a cross between platforming and fighting. It takes place quite far into the future, in a post-apocalyptic setting, though not the typical grey and dismal one. Enslaved is colourful and full of nature environments.
The story begins on a slave ship carrier, which you must escape. The main character, called Monkey and is voiced by Andy Serkis, ends up being controlled by a young girl. Hence the title, referring to that she enslaves Monkey with a headband, demanding that you help her find her way home. An involuntary collaboration that results in some funny dialogue and arguments.
The city they up in, is actually New York, but its abandoned and overgrown many years after our society lived there. Humans have been slaved and killed by robots which have taken over the world. What I love about Enslaved, is that the characters actually don’t know anything about our time. So, things like cranes, cars etc. are just ancient, strange objects for them. Even the city is unknown to Monkey and Trip.
Enslaved's gameplay is varied, it changes between Monkey having to fight the robot creatures, which inhabit the environments, to climbing and scaling through buildings. The climbing is very spectacular, often with a sense of huge scale and heights. The Unreal Engine 3, once again, shows it’s amazing power.
The city they up in, is actually New York, but its abandoned and overgrown many years after our society lived there. Humans have been slaved and killed by robots which have taken over the world. What I love about Enslaved, is that the characters actually don’t know anything about our time. So, things like cranes, cars etc. are just ancient, strange objects for them. Even the city is unknown to Monkey and Trip.
Enslaved's gameplay is varied, it changes between Monkey having to fight the robot creatures, which inhabit the environments, to climbing and scaling through buildings. The climbing is very spectacular, often with a sense of huge scale and heights. The Unreal Engine 3, once again, shows it’s amazing power.
The fighting is very solid and feels heavy. Different types of robots, require various methods to killing them. There's even some shooting involved, but thankfully it stays mostly to hand-to-hand combat. The boss battles are fun and varied, so are the hoverboards you get to ride in some levels. I like the fact that Trip takes care of herself and doesn't require you to constantly be with her.
The feeling of crushing a robot, after a long fight with a horde of them, then climbing up an old skyscraper and swinging from ledge to ledge, gives you such a rush to continue on playing. The game increasingly adds more difficult enemies and puts you in more tricky situations, like crossing a minefield or protecting a riverboat with a stationary gun. It's very varied and keeps itself fresh through to the end.
I really enjoyed Enslaved, it looks fantastic, the fighting is solid, it's varied and fairly lengthy. It delivers an interesting story with two, vastly, different personalities. The climbing sections could have been less automatic in their playability, with more freedom to climbing where you want, but they're enjoyable. Much thanks to the spectacular views over overgrown cities, canyons and mountains.
The feeling of crushing a robot, after a long fight with a horde of them, then climbing up an old skyscraper and swinging from ledge to ledge, gives you such a rush to continue on playing. The game increasingly adds more difficult enemies and puts you in more tricky situations, like crossing a minefield or protecting a riverboat with a stationary gun. It's very varied and keeps itself fresh through to the end.
I really enjoyed Enslaved, it looks fantastic, the fighting is solid, it's varied and fairly lengthy. It delivers an interesting story with two, vastly, different personalities. The climbing sections could have been less automatic in their playability, with more freedom to climbing where you want, but they're enjoyable. Much thanks to the spectacular views over overgrown cities, canyons and mountains.
Overall, an entertaining title with gameplay focusing on something else than gunplay. Unique and recommended!
