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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West - It's Uncharted but with a stick - DLC out now!
Kitsuna
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is Monkey.
It's just not his day. You see, 150 years ago, there was a massive war. Mankind used lethal machines during said war and now there aren't all that many humans left. Unfortunately for those humans that are left, there are a lot of dangerous machines left over and they really don't like humans.
After having been on the run from them for a long while, Monkey has finally been captured. Placed on an prison airship for transport to who-knows-where and an unknown fate, he meets Trip.
With Monkey's brute strength and Trip's technological know-how, the two manage to escape the airship. But things go wrong and at the end of their escape, Monkey is knocked unconscious. He's about to find out that his troubles are only beginning. You see, Trip wants to get back home and she figures that Monkey is her best bet to make that happen.
So when Monkey wakes up, he finds that he's now sporting the latest in controlling headgear that can't be removed. Not only can Trip jolt him with a hefty blast of pain should he stray too far away, should her new protector be careless enough to let her die, then he'll share the same fate.
So it's up to Monkey to get the girl safely home. Should be easy enough... assuming they don't run into any of those murderous robots on the way home. Who knows... they may even find a friend on the way.
Overview
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is being made by Ninja Theory and is loosely based on the ancient Chinese novel 'Journey to the West'.
A third person tactical action-adventure game, Enslaved is largely going to centre on the relationship between the two main characters, Monkey and Trip and will require players to use a mixture of combat, strategy and climbing to beat it's various challenges.
Let's have a quick look at some of the key features that this game is touting.
* A cinematic Masterpiece – The game will feature dramatic cut scenes co-directed by Andy Serkis, (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) who also plays the lead role of Monkey, portraying critical events that drive the story of Monkey and Trip.
* Stunning Environments – Explore a beautiful, eerie world of war-ravaged cityscapes that have been reclaimed by nature and are fraught with danger at every turn.
* Tactical Gameplay - Think on your feet! Survey the environment, work together with Trip and choose your path to battle through the perilous environmental and deadly enemy obstacles that await.
* Engaging Storyline - Play through an original story co-written by famed novelist and screenwriter, Alex Garland, (The Beach, 28 Days Later); Loosely inspired by the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West," experience the evolving relationship between Monkey and Trip through their plight for survival.
* Dynamic Combat System - Attack and defend with agile prowess using a combination of melee attacks, blocks and intense takedowns which allow Monkey to overtake an enemy to steal its weapon for his own use, rip the enemy apart piece by piece or destroy it in one satisfying final blow.
You'll be controlling Monkey and will have to use his various abilities and weapons to protect Trip because if she dies, so do you. Not only will you be able to smash the enemy mechs apart with a host of combat moves, you can use your climbing skills to ambush them and - last but not least - you also have a dragonfly camera you can use to explore the gameworld. With this handy little device you can find hidden enemy patrols and check their detection radius. This handy little camera can also detect their weak points, such as machine gun attachments that you can rip off to use as weapons.
The AI controlled Trip can't fight, but she can protect herself by using a handheld EMP device to temporarily stun enemies which will give you time to get her out of any trouble. As the game progresses, you'll be able to give Trip various orders, such as having her ride on Monkey's shoulders so that combat can be avoided altogether or getting her to create a distraction so you can sneak up on enemies unseen.
Reviews
The reviews have finally started appearing. Below are the Metacritic links that lead to all of the reviews so you can peruse them and decide whether or not this game is for you.
Playstation 3 reviews
Xbox360 reviews
Previews & Videos
Here are some previews, hands-on articles and videos that might get you interested in this game.
First up are some Trailers.
For those that can't play the demo, here's a runthrough of it in it's entirety. It's basically the first fifteen to twenty minutes of the game. It's goes without saying that there are spoilers present.
Here's some gameplay videos showing off the dragonfly camera, distraction mechanics, a bit of combat and the climbing.
And here's a series of short Developer Diaries detailing some of what went on behind the scenes whilst this game was being made.
This is a 'Behind the Game' featuring some videos that are somewhat more in depth on what went on during the making of this game.
"Pigsy’s Perfect 10" DLC
This is out now. Want to know a bit more about it? Then check inside the spoiler for details.
Pigsy's Perfect 10 Trailer
Pigsy's Perfect 10 Gameplay Trailer
Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced details for the premium downloadable content (DLC) for ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West. The DLC will include “Pigsy’s Perfect 10,” a new side story where players take on the role of Pigsy, the unforgettable character who was a non-playable ally from the main game. In addition, players will have options to experience both the new side story and the original game in 3D.
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.
In addition, when a player downloads the new DLC, the core game will receive a TriOviz for Games Technology update, enabling all aspects of ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West to be experienced in eye-popping 3D. The lush environments and action packed fighting sequences will literally jump off the screen, providing players with an exciting, immersive experience. Fans that have a 3D-enabled television can play the DLC in 3D utilizing Stereo 3D Active Shutter Glasses.
For gamers that do not have a 3D-enabled television, Stereo 3D vision will be available on all 2D HDTV sets through the use of innovative TriOviz INFICOLOR 3D glasses. These glasses will be available for purchase via http://www.trioviz.com in fall 2010.
TriOviz for Games Technology adds incredible depth-of-field while maintaining the integrity of the original gameplay and visuals. Players can experience both the main game as well as the new Pigsy story in 3D. The retailer bonus alternate costumes for Monkey or Trip will also appear in 3D for those that have them already.
Developed by Ninja Theory Ltd., the post-apocalyptic action-adventure features influences and contributions from top music and film industry talent. ENSLAVED combines beautifully rendered graphics and captivating music with seamless animation and engrossing gameplay to deliver a premier entertainment experience.
ENSLAVED is available nationwide for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and carries an MSRP of $59.99. The “Pigsy’s Perfect 10” DLC add-on content will be released later this year for Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 for 800 Microsoft Points and on PlayStation Network for $9.99. Players must have the retail game in order to access the “Pigsy’s Perfect 10” DLC content. For more information about ENSLAVED, please visit http://www.enslaved-thegame.com or http://www.namcobandaigames.com.
Kitsuna on
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I really, really hate that character.
it was cool but I was like "I could just as well play PoP2k8 again"
so I did
and it was good.
The name Enslaved is a viking metal band, making it even worse for me.
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Remember Ico? It could work.
Could.
This is first thing I thought of when I saw the game. I am excited for the game, but then I like Ninja Theory. I actually bought a PS3 for Heavenly Sword and enjoyed it immensly. Kai is still one my favorite game characters, ever.
I still can't get over how they were too lazy to come up with another female character that didn't look exactly like whatshername.
That would be pretty cool. Make it a survival sim. It would have to be extremely hard with very few people ever getting a happy ending.
Also, Heavenly Sword was fucking boring.
*Stupid plot like Heavenly Sword!
*Choose the correct path or die/fight slightly more enemies.
*At this point and after a ton of games with stories written by "famous" writers, being written by a "famous" writer should obviously have little to do with the actual quality of the story.
*Exactly like Heavenly Sword.
However I'm down with the concept of a cyber punk Goku and PoP2k8 inspired gameplay. And those videos looked pretty good. I await seeing how the final product reviews.
And did you see that Life of Brian film? It's like they hadn't even read the book!
Nice try, but this isn't trying to be a faithful adaptation any more than Castlevania was an attempt at a faithful adaptation of Dracula.
That movie was silly, but fun. Also, the evil witch lady was :winky:.
I for one am excited. Why?
1) This is far enough from what I know about Journey to the West that I don't even give a fuck. Plus I never read it, so I don't care.
2) I liked PoP2k8. A lot.
3) The obvious romance plot is a forgone conclusion. I don't care. Actually I'm not afraid to admit that I might even enjoy it (Yeah, I said it)!
Graphically it reminds me of Darksiders, and I loved that game.
we built them sir
we brought them into this tainted world, and they despise us for it
Preach it! I replayed HS two nights ago (after having first played it through on release) and Kai is still without a doubt one of my top game chars of all time. The main reason I'm sad for no HS sequel is because I wanted more Kai.
And monkey should be an awesome intelligent cyborg monkey.
Zing!
Maybe it'll be more like ICO than, I dunno, every other escort quest in existence.
EDIT: And, uh, beaten'. Whatevah!
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Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Also "A third personal tactical action-adventure game" - What?
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
I love that movie, I know it's not an uber masterpiece, but it's one of the most enjoyable action movies I've seen lately. Even the mandatory American dude isn't too bad. Jackie Chan and Jet Lit are awesome in it and both chicks are hoooot.
Plus I love Dragon Ball and Journey to the West is cool, despite being incredibly repetitive, predictable and filled with annoying characters.
Can't say I'm too excited about this game, but could be fun, when I first saw it I didn't know that it was officially loosely based on Journey to the West, but managed to notice it, which is a good sign I guess. One thing that annoys me is that they're proud of the setting being colorful and lush even though it's post-apocalytpic. That's great, I like that... but it still has that vaseline/golden filter all over it! Agh!
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Actually Life of Brian is more historically accurate than most serious Biblical films.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Also I love the kotaku-level comments that are always found at the start of threads like this. :P
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Heavenly Sword was a neat little distraction. Combat felt rather weightless, but the story was nice, the characters were great and the graphics (particularly facial animations) were incredible.
Couscous we are posting bros
Also Heavenly Sword sucked balls. Because the female lead looks exactly like her, I'm not exactly excited for this
Although I like Monkey's VA, it's pretty good
You mean how everyone looked like they were constipated? Those facial animations?
Yeah, I did rather copy paste the middle bit of the OP. Starting working on it to make it a bit less official and then realised that I was running dangerously late for work. I've re-jigged it a bit so hopefully it's better now.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to this. I got an Uncharted/PoP2k8/Darksiders vibe off of the E3 stuff I saw and those are three games that I enjoyed playing. Maybe the story will be predictable, but so long as it's well told and fleshed out, I can't imagine I'll mind too much.
As regards Trip, Ninja Theory have said that they've worked on making sure that this won't be like Resident Evil 4 and it's ilk as regards companion AI. Since I haven't played RE4, I assume that this is a good thing.
*grumble*
Fixed.
Really? I'll have to take your word for it. Like I said, I've not actually played RE4. As to the preview where I read this...
Well, it was the site that cast aspersions on RE4's companion AI, not the developer. I can only presume the guy writing the preview was thinking of a different game. At least I hope that's the case.
Ashley was great in RE:4 because she stuck close to you and stayed out of the goddamn way. She alerted you to enemies coming up behind you, ducked when she was in your line of fire and otherwise pretty much stuck to your back and didn't get hung up on geometry or otherwise fuck about with path finding.
YES.