Get to Know Enslaved

March 31, 2010
by: Matt E.

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If you haven't been keeping up with Ninja Theory's new game Enslaved, you're missing out. The studio behind the PS3 adventure game Heavenly Sword is bringing something new to the table, and it looks pretty sweet.

Based loosely on the Chinese epic "Journey to the West", Enslaved takes place 150 years in the future. Nuclear warfare and mechanized assault robots have nearly obliterated human society. The remnants of our once proud civilization lay in ruins as the old epicenters of the world harbor less than 50,000 humans. Nature has reclaimed much of the land, and the robots that brought upon humanity's demise remain in endless battle.

Gamers are placed in the shoes of Monkey, a lone survivalist that keeps to himself. However the landscape of the future is riddled with danger, so one can assume that this loner has can take care of himself when it comes to robot smashing. Believe it or not he's pretty efficient, often times dismantling scouts with his bare hands and the help of an extend-able staff. However, even the best of us make mistakes and Monkey is no exception. After having the misfortune of being captured by one of the slaver ships that now scour Earth, searching and capturing surviving humans for some largely unknown purpose, he encounters a woman named Trip. A desperate escape ensues and the pair find themselves stranded in the remnants of New York. Monkey awakes to find a new piece of headgear conspicuously placed on his dome.

You see, Trip is somewhat of a machinist and she desperately needs to get back home. The problem is, she has a long road ahead of her and it's wrought with danger. After seeing Monkey in action, Trip decides he can benefit her and straps a crude explosive device to his head. With the bomb in place, Monkey is helpless but to heed Trips instruction. The result is a tense partnership through a robot infested world.

The game has a very action adventure feel, however battle is often times more tactical than releasing endless combo's on enemies. Monkey's a tough SOB, but taking on more than a few armed robots will often times end in his death. Instead, strategically taking advantage of the environment and derelict machinery is the key to victory. Taking cover behind walls or stones and slowly making your way to a turret, or ripping a cannon off a defeated foe will often be the best game plan. While Monkey acts as the wrecking ball, Trip can help by firing EMPs or distracting foes. Although you can't control her directly, Monkey is able to shout off commands which she will follow. Just make sure she doesn't die, because the moment she does that contraption on your head will plaster your teeth and brains across the city.

While the game won't be as combat focused as Heavenly Sword, the strategic elements are sure to make this a memorable action adventure title. In addtion Ninja Theory has brought on Alex Garland (28 Days Later) to handle the writing. All in all, Enslaved is shaping up to be a pretty interesting title. Let's just hope Ninja Theory doesn't make the same missteps they did with Heavenly Sword.