Finished last night. Wow!
This game just did it for me. Upon playing the demo, I really disliked the Monkey character. But, through the smart writing and impressive voice acting, I wound up loving the characters in this game.
The journey was one amazing scenic vista after another, and yes, I found the second half just as engaging as the first. It was different than the ruined city, and I was thankful for the variety.
(I also wasn't terribly bothered by frame drops or tearing that others have mentioned. Sure, I encountered a couple of rough patches, but the rest of the time, I simply marveled at the beautiful visuals. 360 version installed to hard drive here.)
And that last level? Holy SHIT, that was awesome.
Yes, the combat and platforming are simple. Good. I'm 40 years old and have a shit-ton of games to play, and not a lot of time to do it. I actually enjoy games like this with straightforward mechanics that just let me play through the story in a week and have a good time. The characters, the world, the sumptuous visuals, and all the rest ensure that I'll be back for a second go-round soon enough.
And I was annoyed by the fact that I could never get my stun-charge attack to aim in the proper direction during combat. Until, that is, I started holding the thumb stick in the direction I wanted during the charge. Seems to me that the game should have auto-corrected that for the player, in keeping with the streamlined platforming and all, but whatever. My complaint vanished thereafter.
Overall, Enslaved was a great surprise for me. It was a fantastic, colorful romp (does it remind anyone else of Beyond Good and Evil?), and one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've had in some time. Glad I bought it on release day and so glad this game exists. It's a breath of fresh air and one I'll remember fondly.