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[Adam Blade]

Well, just finished it on the 360. I don't get the hate. Sure, the platforming was simple and the combat simple at times, but overall I had a great deal of fun. Characters were voiced well and the plot wasn't half-bad, and I had no qualms with the endings. It was, quite short though.

2 thumbs up from me.

Maybe I'll consider getting the DLC next, but 800 points...

 

[lucius]

I beat it the other day it worth $20, but not more than that. The characters and story are Uncharted2 level, the gameplay not so much but it is fun for about 8 hours. Trip was done very well.

 

[neos]

Some time ago i read that the game had some issues with 5.1 sound. Have they solved the issue?

 

[rhino4evr]

I rented on gamefly.. On chap 10. Game reminds me of The recent prince of persia . Gameplay is repetitive, but the story and design is great.

 

[gdt]

Just started this today, in the morning.

I'm on Chapter...8? Just found

Spoiler

Trip's dead father.

I'm digging it alot, actually. The gameplay is repetitive, combat is okay at best, Monkey takes 47 years to respond to my commands, and the camera sucks complete dick....but I think I'm loving it. Fantastic visuals, great characters and writing (elevated by the stunning motion capture, especially Trip's eyes and face), and just a great adventure story. I love Enslaved's take on a post apocalyptic world so much.

 

[NoRéN]

Well, just finished it on the 360. I don't get the hate. Sure, the platforming was simple and the combat simple at times, but overall I had a great deal of fun. Characters were voiced well and the plot wasn't half-bad, and I had no qualms with the endings. It was, quite short though.

2 thumbs up from me.

Maybe I'll consider getting the DLC next, but 800 points...

I completely loved this about the game. I thought whoever did Trip's voice was awesome. Did a little bit of google search and was shocked to find out it was someone I recognized as well. From a Nickelodeon show, no less.
Game was fun and that is of utmost importance to me.

 

[gdt]

Just about at the end ("This is the last time to upgrade"), still liking it alot. If I'd've played this before the cutoff, it probably would've made my GOTY list. 7 or 8, I think.

 

[Noisepurge]

Are you playing on PS3 then?

The framerate on 360 is much much much smoother than Castlevania (though it has some rough spots in the second half of the game). The PS3 version, though, seemed really bad.

yeah on the triple, gotta download the demo for the 360 and give it a spin... a bit of a shame that there are developers still that can't get these optimized for both consoles, and Ninja Theory no less, given that Heavenly Sword was PS3 only.

 

[jonnybryce]

yeah on the triple, gotta download the demo for the 360 and give it a spin... a bit of a shame that there are developers still that can't get these optimized for both consoles, and Ninja Theory no less, given that Heavenly Sword was PS3 only.

That's what really bugged me. This is Ninja Theory! I expect better from them, especially when they boast that having worked on PS3 allows them to bring it's mutliplatform version great performance.

I don't think it was a deal breaker but any worse and it surely would be.

 

[Noisepurge]

well after checking Digital Foundry's comparison they don't seem to far apart. 360 drops to 20fps during combat as well. Still pretty bad though

edit: this seems to be one of these mixed bag games as well, PS3 doesn't suffer as much from mid-level loading and in some cases loads textures quicker: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-enslaved-faceoff?page=2

weird stuff...

 

[Adam Blade]

Finished the DLC... while it was interesting to play, I still preferred the main game better. Trip was just so awesome, whereas

Spoiler

little flying robot thing

was not as much.

 

[gdt]

Great end, the final battle was just so huge and awe inspiring.

I like the ending, and can more or less dig the twist, with some reservations.

Spoiler

Pyramid's methods were wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too harsh for a seemingly benevolent goal. So many things could've been easier for him if he was open with this plan. Same for the people, too. And why all the mechs? Doesn't really jive with the details, but I still like the gist of it.

I'd like to see a sequal, but if we don't get one, that's fine too. It ended at a good place, and our characters did as well. You'd have to be brain dead not too see how close they were at the end.

 

[EternalGamer]

well after checking Digital Foundry's comparison they don't seem to far apart. 360 drops to 20fps during combat as well. Still pretty bad though

edit: this seems to be one of these mixed bag games as well, PS3 doesn't suffer as much from mid-level loading and in some cases loads textures quicker: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-enslaved-faceoff?page=2

weird stuff...

20 fps is not "pretty bad." Films are only 24 frames per second and nobody calls mainstream films "choppy."

 

[Mr_Brit]

20 fps is not "pretty bad." Films are only 24 frames per second and nobody calls mainstream films "choppy."

 

["God's Beard!"]

20 fps is not "pretty bad." Films are only 24 frames per second and nobody calls mainstream films "choppy."

Boy, you might be stupid.

 

[DonMigs85]

20 fps is not "pretty bad." Films are only 24 frames per second and nobody calls mainstream films "choppy."

Games and films don't blend frames together quite the same way, though.
In games anything below 25-30FPS has very obvious judder.

 

[derFeef]

20 fps is not "pretty bad." Films are only 24 frames per second and nobody calls mainstream films "choppy."

Wow, long time no see, Mr. 24fps comparison.

 

[EternalGamer]

Games and films don't blend frames together quite the same way, though.
In games anything below 25-30FPS has very obvious judder.

I thought the difference was more related to a change in framerate rather than blending them differently. What is the difference?

And I am aware I am challenging preconceptions of what is suitable in frame rates. Having spent most of the 32 bit and a lot of the 64bit era playing games below 30 fps regularly, I just don't see the big deal.

 

["God's Beard!"]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate

 

[EternalGamer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate

Which pretty much confirms what I suspected:

Frame rates in video games refer to the speed at which the image is refreshed (typically in frames per second, or FPS). Many underlying processes, such as collision detection and network processing, run at different or inconsistent frequencies or in different physical components of a computer. FPS affect the experience in two ways: low FPS does not give the illusion of motion effectively and affects the user's capacity to interact with the game, while FPS that vary substantially from one second to the next depending on computational load produce uneven, “choppy” animation. Many games lock their frame rate at lower but more sustainable levels to give consistently smooth motion

It is the deviation from a set frame rate that matters more in videogames, not the fact that it is a lower frame rate itself.

 

[AndyD]

Platinum!

Last bubbles were on the race tracks. 3 on each.

Not a bad game at all. I would give in an 8. If the framerate was better it would have been a 9.

 

[RoadHazard]

Which pretty much confirms what I suspected:



It is the deviation from a set frame rate that matters more in videogames, not the fact that it is a lower frame rate itself.

Yes, it's the lower framerate as well. In movies, a frame is not captured at an instant in time, but over a (short) period of time. During that time, things in the frame move a bit, creating some blur in the captured image. This blur (and the images blending together because of it) fools your eyes/brain into thinking the on-screen motion is smoother than it really is. A stop-motion movie (where every frame is captured from a static scene) at the same framerate is not as smooth. The same goes for games. Every frame is a rendered instant in time, and the end result is more choppy. Now, this can be alleviated a bit by using motion blur effects, but it rarely looks as natural as the real thing.

 

[Noisepurge]

oh lord ive been stuck on Chapter 12 train puzzle for hours :E

afterwards i decided to just look up the solution on youtube and guess what, the game is glitching on me and i can't jump between the traincarts like its supposed to... what a gamebreaking glitch.

 

[kittoo]

Finished it yesterday. What an absolutely amazing game! The village level (Tripitaka's village) was one of the most beautiful levels in any game I've played! Loved the art direction!
The platforming was a little iffy and felt especially in the last boss fight. Still, really great game! Better than Castlevania: Lords of shadow in my opinion (I havent completed LoS though).
Also, loved the name 'Tripitaka'. Being a Hindu, it bought a smile on my face when I first heard it.

 

[TripOpt55]

The village level (Tripitaka's village) was one of the most beautiful levels in any game I've played! Loved the art direction!

I loved the look of this level. Very beautiful. Wish the second half of the game ever came close to matching it. The later levels just didn't look as good.

 

[kittoo]

I loved the look of this level. Very beautiful. Wish the second half of the game ever came close to matching it. The later levels just didn't look as good.

Indeed. Later half of the game wasnt as beautiful as the first half.
For some reason, that level reminded me of Half life 2 (especially of Ep 2 I think). Just you and a girl, somewhere far from urban centres, at some solitary place, in a repressive world.
Did anyone else feel this?

 

[strem]

I just loved the game. Not many games grab me and hold me but this one did it. Story was pretty good, the characters were great and combat was good enough to hold my interest. I'm someone who doesn't buy DLC and I bought Pigsy's perfect 10 and finished that. It was an interesting piece of content. I died a shit ton. You really have to plan out every move that you make. All in all if you haven't played it give it a shot. It is cheap and really a fine game

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I bought this online for $20 dollars delivered a few days ago. I look forward to starting it.

 

[strem]

Awesome $20 you can't beat it. You will get your moneys worth easily. Have fun with it

 

[ezekial45]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/42758/Poo...gn=Feed:+mcvuk/oXMK+(MCV:+games+industry+news)

Despite what they said about western titles, NamcoBandai still sees a future for Enslaved.

: )

 

[The Praiseworthy]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/42758/Poo...gn=Feed:+mcvuk/oXMK+(MCV:+games+industry+news)

Despite what they said about western titles, NamcoBandai still sees a future for Enslaved.

: )

Very good news

I know if they ever made a sequel it will turn out to be a much better game than Enslaved... but they really need to focus on the story and cut scene like they did with Heavenly Sword... because there were so few of them in Enslaved and they were very short

 

[Phoenix4]

Finished it this weekend. Loved the atmosphere, which is always a top priority for me. Gameplay didn't feel too repetitive for me

Couldn't shake the feeling though that FFXIII should have looked like this, with the nicely done blend of nature and machines..

For some reason it made me think of the atmosphere of Beyond Good and Evil as well.

 

[TripOpt55]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/42758/Poo...gn=Feed:+mcvuk/oXMK+(MCV:+games+industry+news)

Despite what they said about western titles, NamcoBandai still sees a future for Enslaved.

: )

Cool. I'd like to see more of this series.

 

[DieH@rd]

Started playing today, i climbed on the

Spoiler

Brooklyn Bridge

. Great atmosphere so far, im loving it.

 

[Jirotrom]

Just got to chapter 6, one of the most interesting games ive played in a long time. I love the characters!

 

[ASilva]

I've finished the game at an unusual pace for me. I couldn't stop playing

I was surprised how well the game managed to suck me into its story and characters when there were only two of them for the most part. And they don't even talk that much. The environments are pretty to look at and provide a great atmosphere.

The gameplay is simple but fun and it serves its purpose well. I didn't come to Enslaved for a deep combo-driven combat and i think the various gameplay systems in Enslaved make for an enjoyable and varied experience that didn't get boring throughout the game.

The performance could be better and there's a couple of gameplay issues here and there but for the most part I really enjoyed the time i've spent with Enslaved and I would definitely recommend it

 

[JaseC]

I just finished the game, and despite my harsh thoughts on the game earlier on, I actually found myself enjoying it a fair bit toward the end. I guess it all just clicked.

Some thoughts:

* The story wasn't bad, and I believe it gets more praise than it deserves; in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that were due to Alex Garland being the co-writer. However, the characters were rather well-written.

* The graphics were average at best, however I found myself a fan of the art direction for the most part.

* The platforming could've been expanded upon a bit as its existence in the game is nothing more than "mash x to move along the predetermined path". Same goes for the combat, which I found to be a little... clunky.

Just yesterday I wouldn't have cared at all for the prospect of a sequel, but now, if one is to be announced, I'd like to see how it turns out.

Spoiler

Having Trip look like Nariko's long-lost sister reignited my desire for a Heavenly Sword sequel.

 

[FunnyBunny]

So, I beat Enslaved last night.

I really enjoyed it. But holy smokes, the ending is... strange.

 

[wouwie]

Purchased this cheap and started playing just now. I finished the awful demo level and arrived in chapter 2.

I love the art direction in the game so far. From what i have seen of chapter 2 so far, it looks beautiful and oozes atmosphere. Sound effects are great too (pity you can't adjust the sound effect volume separate from the voices) and so is the music. Cutscenes are nice, characters are nice so far. Really like Trip. Gameplay is interesting (especially the idea of working together). Just my kind of game.

However, and this is a big however, from a technical point of view, it's a different and less positive story altogheter. The framerate is all over the place and gives me a headache. And i'm told it's going to get worse later on. Also, the lag when controlling the character is game breakingly annoying. And last but not least, the platforming, which could have been awesome (lots of hurdles to take), is uneventful and boring with all the handholding.

I don't understand what happened with this game during development. It has awesome potential which seems completely destroyed by the technical problems, at least on the PS3 version.

Anyway, looking forward to continuing the journey.

 

[BumRush]

Both versions @ amazon for $15 right now

 

[Ilúvatar]

So I got this for Christmas and still have not really gotten around to playing it in earnest. I'm into the second chapter, but so far my thoughts on the game are :

• Holy hell countering is difficult
• The collect all the orbs trophy is ridiculous

 

[Criminal Upper]

This stuff usually doesn't bother me, but Enslaved is such a technical mess. Characters not loading fast enough when cutscenes start, textures constantly popping in, huge frame rate dips during sequences which really didn't look taxing at all.

On top of that, all types of weird stuff going on when commanding Trip to pull levers, where I have to hammer the LB button multiple times to get her to do what I want.

I also became stuck in the sequence where you have to move the bridges in a certain order so Trip can collect the hypedrive thing. I had moved the bridges correctly enough for her to get as far as she could, and then Monkey had to make her way to her. There was no prompt or indication I had to move a bridge one more time at that point, so I fell to ground level to start trekking to her. If you fall to the ground without moving that one bridge one last time, you basically block yourself from completing the entire objective, and I had to start the whole sequence over again, sloppy level design.

But yeah, the cutscenes are nice, I guess.

 

[Coldsnap]

Wow, just played the first chapter and I think I'm in for a treat.

 

[wouwie]

Just finished the game. Well, almost. The endboss level was dragging on for so long, the framerate on PS3 was collapsing and i couldn't get past a section near the end, so i gave up and watched the end on youtube. Found it dissapointing.

What a strange game. So glad i bought it (cheap) though. I ended up loving and hating it. Chapter 2 - 6 were my favourite chapters. I fell in love with the game in those chapters and couldn't stop playing. But i never felt so strongly about it after that. Repititive gameplay kicked in until the end and the framerate got worse aswell. The bigger number of enemies in the later levels exposed the flaws in combat and camera.

The bad:
- a technical mess (ps3 version). Probably the game with the worst framerate i have played on my ps3 yet.
- poor camera
- bad character control (lag, magnetic Monkey)
- repetitive gameplay and very few different enemies
- handholding from start to finish (both in platforming and puzzles)
- story was interesting in the beginning but lost a lot of it's appeal
- boss battles were uninteresting

The good:
- at times, it looked beautiful (chapter 2-6 are my favourite). Great art direction for the most part and great texture work.
- atmospheric sound effects and great voice acting
- superb music
- nice cutscenes and character expressions
- story in the beginning
- working together idea was nice
- has that something special at times

In the end, i felt that this could have been so much more. Ninja Theory seem to have good artists (both visual and sound) but seem to struggle with everything relating to gameplay (character control, interesting gameplay mechanisms) and technical matters (engine, camera control).

If they manage to iron out the bad things and keep the good things for a sequel, i probably would be there with my money on day one.

 

[TripOpt55]

Yeah, the first half of the game is so much more fun to be in and so much more visually interesting than the second half. I love the second major location (the one after New York). Such a beautiful level.

 

[Diablohead]

Interesting bump because I started this today also, have owned it since november but been a bit busy to sit down and enjoy such a game so I have lots to do.

 

[Coldsnap]

playing this after bullet-storm makes me appreciate motion captured faces so much...

 

[DJ_Lae]

Love the facial animation (motion capture, I guess) and the cutscene direction - which I suppose makes sense given that it was all up to Serkie. The flashes are weird, though, as you get actual photos of Serkis' grinning mug, which clashes a bit with the look of the game.

Also, if I hadn't known it was him doing Monkey's voice, I would be convinced it's actually John Dimaggio, as it sounds like Marcus Fenix or someone doing their best Fenix impression.

Controls are a bit sloppy but given the look of the world and the way everythign just flows well together, I can forgive it. I'm enjoying it a lot more than Heavenly Sword, at least, probably due in no small part to an actually playable framerate in this game.

 

[I'm an expert]

All I have left for the platinum is cleaning up the orbs but..I just can't bring myself to do it.. it's so tedious and not fun. If they at least told me how many I had in the level to make sure I didn't leave any behind, sure. Ugh. Otherwise, a solid game if you picked it up for 20 or less.

 

[Khronikos]

A film with lots of panning shots on true 24FPS bluray mode is not pleasing at all. You will NOT have this same opinion lol after seeing all that judder. It gets so bad in some films that you will be back to your 3:2 pulldown in no time flat. 24Hz mode blows goats imo because it shows 24FPS for what it is: Choppy as hell.

Only reason they chose 24 was because it saved costs way back when. It is pretty outdated at this point but can still look great most directors know how to use it.

On another note this game along with Castlevania and even parts of Red Dead were not compatible with my PS3. Enslaved and Castle have constant flickering and glitching that cannot be helped despite debug menu, etc. Although restoring file structure and rebuilding database helps my XMB achieve super speed and helps some freeze issues it could not help that these game apparently were not bug tested well for some PS3's. Sad as I did like both games.

My PS3 has ran every first party game perfectly. KZ3 is the only one to have some major problems. Games are being rushed too much these days.