My Thoughts on Enslaved - Odyssey to the West [PC Version]

If Monkey King had Stockholm Syndrome

Enslaved – Odyssey to the West is an action-adventure game that involves two slaves of the land - Monkey and Trip – who escape from captivity and journey across the country to get Trip to her family. Obstructing their path are Mechs, intelligent robots working for Pyramid, a supposedly evil organization that is making slaves out of whatever humans it can find. It’s a post-apocalyptic take on the Chinese legend of Monkey King, aka Journey to the West, hence the game’s subtitle ‘Odyssey to the West’.

Inspired by a legend

While playing the game, I didn’t realize that it was based on the Chinese folk tale. Only when I visited the Extras section, did I find out that there’s an unlockable costume for Monkey that combines the original red and gold colours worn by the Monkey King in his legend. The in-game description of this costume mentions as much, and through further research, I came to know that the theme and characters of Enslaved have quite a few parallels with the Chinese tale of Monkey King.

To begin with, the main character is named Monkey, modelled after the primate, has a staff for a weapon and uses something he calls ‘Cloud’ to move around. He is part of a group travelling across the land and, much like the legend in which he is accompanied by a pig, the Monkey in Enslaved is joined by another character called Pigsy which, you guessed it, is based on a pig. These might just be some inspirations from the folktale and I’m sure if I read the complete story, I’ll find many others. The transition of the setting – from an ancient land to a barren, metallic, post-apocalyptic America – is done well and the game is written around it beautifully. It remains exciting, there’s never a dull chapter, although the shift in tone caused by Pigsy’s introduction might feel too sudden to some.

Departure from convention

I don’t know much about punk, but I’m sure that the design of the post-apocalyptic world in Enslaved is some type of punk. My best guess would be Steampunk. Whatever it is, it’s done well and looks fabulous. The giant structures such as ships, windmills and robots have a level of detail that satisfies the eyes. Even the background elements pitch in so that the overall scene gives an impression of cluttered but organised chaos. Everything just gels together and the player can stand there for quite a while, appreciating the little visual details. At least, I did, before being forced to move on by the story.

Unlike conventional action games, Enslaved does not highlight a main villain in its story. Although it does follow the enemy hierarchy of minions > sub-bosses > final boss, but the final boss here is not the villain. It’s just another mechanical war robot. Even the characters do not know whom they’re fighting against, except that their target is Pyramid, the slave-making organization. And when they do get to know, there’s no ultimate boss battle. Strangely though, it does not feel anti-climactic at all, because a big battle at the end, despite not being against any main villain, satiates the player’s appetite for a grand showdown.

Focus on what's best

The gameplay combines elements of fighting, map-traversing and puzzle-solving. The duo of Monkey and Trip, and later - with the addition of Pigsy – the trio, works together to make their way towards Pyramid, fighting through hordes of Mechs on the way. It’s fairly linear, and the game holds the player’s hand throughout. It is very difficult to make a mistake or get stuck in Enslaved; the path ahead is made crystal clear, which allows the player to focus on the story and the dynamics between the characters.

Like the story, the characters are also written well. We get to see different layers of their personalities unfold as we progress through the game. It also helps that two of these characters are playable – Monkey in the main game, and Pigsy in a DLC called ‘Pigsy’s top 10’. the latter is a more humorous side-story of sorts with the gameplay leaning towards strategy unlike the unadulterated action in the main story. The relationships between these characters, especially between Monkey and Trip, is given a steady and logical progression. Monkey’s reason of staying with Trip in her journey undergoes a change over the course of the story, and this change is supported by certain significant events, ensuring that the plausibility of his actions and thoughts is maintained.

Andy Serkis featuring as Monkey had me wanting to check this game out since a long time. I've been a fan of both his motion captures (The Hobbit, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and his acting (The Prestige, Avengers: Age of Ultron), and he didn't disappoint in this outing either. All the actors have done a great job in bringing the characters alive, but Andy's work just stands out in more ways. Enslaved has a pleasant surprise for the ones who are familiar with the artist.

Though it is just another rendition of the Chinese tale, the setting and characters of Enslaved are something fresh. It takes care to keep the player’s focus on the story, which is its MSP, followed by its visual design. Everything is quite simple in Enslaved, but also quite effective. I was able to complete the whole game over a weekend, but its experience will stay with me for a long time.