Game Informer: Enslaved review

GI: Enslaved lives up to its namesake both with its conceptual hook of robots enchaining mankind and through the unnecessary shackles tied to gameplay. Developer Ninja Theory spends far too much time holding the player’s hand, and in the process removes any sense of escapism to this intriguing tale of humanity’s last gasp for life.

[Simon_Brezhnev]

this seems like the most reasonable review

[Gago]

its cuz there owned by gamestop and want people to buy as many games

[pacosanchez88]

and yet this is the lowest review score ive seen for enslaved... your logic doesnt stack up in this situation.

[JakemanPS31994]

thats not tru... i see more journalism in this magazine then advertising. i think alot of times they underrate games like in the past 2 years they've only given 4 perfect scores and those wer GTA4 then uncharted 2, gow 3, and the lateist is starcraft 2

[Montrealien]

so one out of 10 or so reviews gives it a 7 instead of an 8 or nine and it is the only reasonable review? I just dont understand people on this site.

so if I get this straight, it is reasonable when it coinsides with your opnion?

[jc48573]

they also underrate

[MrAwesome]

Gsmeinformer isn't owned by Gamestop they just have partnership the mag advertises Gamestop and Gamestop sells the mag.

[paintsville]

do both versions ps3/360 get reviewed?

[RememberThe357]

It actually is owned by GameStop.

[mrcash]

GI is one of the few reviewers I actually pay close attention to,They are usually spot on imo when it comes to games.

[ico92]

i played the demo and the game felt like a weird cross between uncharted, god of war and Ico

[StanLee]

It's funny but GameInformer gave Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands a higher score. It may have been a different reviewer but that shouldn't matter. I think it's time for there to be set standard criterias for reviewing games.

[jetlian]

IS A GOOD GAME THOUGH AND THE JUMPING IS spot on

[FACTUAL evidence]

wouldja look at this. Same score as Heavenly Sword. *smh @ NT*

[Lyr1c]

Which is years old :/

[DeathGazer]

Actually pretty harsh compared to other reviews.

Very un-gameinformer-like.

[Shaka2K6]

.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

I complete Heavenly Sword a while back. I hope there is a sequel, but till then I still have high hopes for Enslaved. I'm interested in the world, story and characters. Although, I must remind myself how much I was in love with Damnation before that steamy pile of crap was released.

Hell I'm going to play it anyway. It'll be used.

[cervantes99]

After playing the demos on both system extensively, I would have to agree with the score from what I have played so far.

The auto-platforming kills this for me as a $60 purchase. I love the story and want to play for that reason alone, but the game plays itself. This is the Dragon's Lair of this generation.

[Montrealien]

it kinda reminds me more of Uncharted. Uncharted's platforming is just as easy, it plays istelf until there is shooting involved. And comparing Enslaved to Dragon's lair is retarded.

in the end, they are both very much alike, and great, so, win win.

[DasBunker]

thats not true.. in U you can actually miss the jumps... unlike in this game, which is boring...

also the clunky platforming makes sense in uncharted because hes suppose to be a "normal guy" meaning he struggles to make it.. but this monkey muscle guy should be more agile, but he isnt...

combat/enemies are boring in enslaved and found the nariko wannabe to be an annoying POS.. not to mention the disney-like plot/scenery of the game..

idk why the media was on a mission to overhype this game.. plus i hate NT now.. all the BS they talk makes them sound like butthurt lil' you know what.. and how they destroyed dantes image.

[ico92]

yeah they seem to be carrying a huge ego around them lately, im seriously NT your games aren't that great

[jetlian]

couldn't miss jumps in UC unless you jumped in the wrong direction. only thingg in this is its clunky

[yog-sothot]

a Disney-like plot ?

[cliffbo]

@cervantes99

i fully agree with you m8 + bubbles

[cervantes99]

Thanks, bubbles back at ya :)

[Montrealien]

why bother? his bubble vote is not worth much. And bubbling becuase you agree with someone defeats the purpose of the bubble system, there is an agree button just for that.

God forbid I would get debbubled because people dissagree with my opinion that Uncharted and Enslaved have a few things in common. NT clearly took a few queues from Naughty Dog, and that is a good thing.

[cervantes99]

Common courtesy I guess. I see your point though -> presses agree!

[Ether]

I wish some people would realize that a review are a compilation of pros and cons of a game, flavored with the opinion of the reviewer. So yes, one reviewer might like the game and give it a high score, and another might give it a low score. The written text is the part which matters, since the score is always distorted by the reviewer's opinion a LOT more than the text.

So sick of people going "bwah bwah bwah, this game is underrated/overrated" based off the score alone.

[Croash]

Apparently 7/10 because of this:
"Given the amount of hand holding, I’m surprised this game doesn’t play itself. The lack of immersion and knowledge that every jump – no matter how perilous it is – will land without fail saps Enslaved of its entertainment value."

"Enslaved also lacks a sense of exploration."

And:
"Ugly textures frequent most environments, the jump command is touchy, the framerate skips like a lopsided record in certain areas, combat controls lack responsiveness, and the camera often clips into the environment"

So that means Enslaved shouldn't be played for its (platforming) gameplay, but more for its story. Apparently gameplay isn't too bad itself, it's just not as fun as it should be. And there are annoying technical problems.

Well damn, the fact that you can never fail at a -->platforming<-- sequence I don't mind (there isn't only platforming in Enslaved...), but frame rate drops and camera problem can be annoying :/

At least the game itself is good and the story is great, it's just too bad they didn't make it perfect.

Oh and, at the bottom of the article, Second Opinion : 8/10

[R_aVe_N]

I think a 7 is were I would rate this one as well not to impressive, but it does have a solid story. The gameplay is were it falls flat.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

I can't wait to play this game. No review is going to deter me.

[cervantes99]

No review ever should :)

Demos are much better than any review ever could be.

[AKS]

Usually, but then there's that Dead Space demo...

[albel_nox]

The second opinion score was an 8. The streak continues.

[darkdoom3000]

Hows the combat in this game? NT are great at storyline but gameplay... not so much. Which is why im scared for dmc. considering it's a 60fps super fast, super stylish combat system. If this game has something resembling dmc3 then we should be fine.

[Game-ur]

Combat is like using the wrench from Ratchet and Clank.

Seriously it is.

[SeraphimBlade]

Combat was pretty decent in the demo, enough that I didn't groan when you have to fight like 10 enemies in a row. Keep in mind, that was only one type of enemy, and there is some skill development in the full game.

As for this review, some critics think good story + average gameplay = 8, and others think it's still just a 7. I've always hated numbers in reviews. This is why.

Who said it has a disney-like plot? What, 'cause the guy and girl don't like each other and have to work together? If you ask me there's a big difference between "not getting along" and "one of them is forcing the other, practically by gunpoint, to assist them because they're left with no choice." And boy, all those post-apocalyptic disney movies depicting a ravaged, yet strangely beautiful New York City! Don't get me started!

[oguzsasi]

As a MGS or Heavy Rain fan, single player only games needs solid storys to kept you playing till the end! So i will deffinently buy this game if its got 1/10 on reviews! I dont care! Those reviewers are not reviewers in my opinion! Their just employees who wrote what their bosses want!

[cervantes99]

I agree. I love single player only games and I will play this game, but not until a price drop.

My main problem is this: Part of the suspense in games like this is trying to make that impossible jump just before a checkpoint - knowing if you fail you have to start at the previous checkpoint and do it all over again. This games lacks that suspense because you can never fail at jumps or any platforming sequence.

Maybe Ninja Theory should do game story design and motion capture work and let more experienced devs handle the technical aspects of the gameplay engine.

Just a thought.

[crematory]

"Developer Ninja Theory spends far too much time holding the player’s hand, and in the process removes any sense of escapism to this intriguing tale of humanity’s last gasp for life."

"Given the amount of hand holding, I’m surprised this game doesn’t play itself. The lack of immersion and knowledge that every jump – no matter how perilous it is – will land without fail saps Enslaved of its entertainment value. You know a game is troubled when you find solace in its extensive orb collecting."

+100000000000000000

[Tikicobra]

I agree with the score based on the demo, but reviews like this are why people consider 7's to be bad scores. This review acted as if the game would receive a 5 or 6.

[ironcreed]

Yeah, well Assassin's Creed has gameplay that is about as automatic as it gets, but it does not stop that series from getting heaps of praise thrown on it. I love it myself, I am just making a point here. The platforming in Enslaved is nowhere near the likes of Assassin's Creed. At least you have to press the jump button, rather than hold down a button and a direction on the game pad while the game plays itself. So, let's not overstate it here.

[kevnb]

but its not nearly as linear, atleast you can explore and arent forced down a narrow path waiting for the next cutscene. This is typical current gen garbage, should be an animated film. Devs just don't get it.

[ironcreed]

Well, not all games have to be open world to be enjoyable. It is all about the story here and I plan to play and form my own opinion before calling it outright garbage. That said, I'll be picking it up Tuesday along with Lords of Shadow. To each their own, I guess.

[stuntman_mike]

im getting this and castlevania too.

people keep saying its got a good story so i pre-ordered at game and you get a Marvel comic detailing the back story of monkey and trip that wont be shown in game. I love a good story in games and this looks good.

http://www.game.co.uk/PS3/A...

[Holeran]

When I played the demo the jumping from perilous position to the next perilous position killed it for me because you can't mess up. That is a nail in the coffin for me. I don't want it superhard to where you have to be picture perfect but I want a challenge. I remember playing Infamous and in some spots you better be landing right on what you're aiming for or you're gonna fall. That's what I would of liked to see in this game.

[likedamaster]

Too late, this game is already on my radar.

[turgore]

yup...its mediocre. Devil MAy Cry is next to score a 7.

[crematory]

please dont say so :(

[memphis2]

wtf 7 out of 10. the second opinion is correct. who ever gave 7 does not know how to review a game! so far from various sources enslaved has gotten average of above average scores.

[RyuCloudStrife]

for real i played the demo and i am not impressed i didnt think it would have a gameplay like that.... at the end of the demo they showed clips which got me more exited but idk if I'll waste 60 bucks on this game.... I just hope Heavenly Sword 2 would come out already.....

[Graey]

I would give it a 7/10 as well. more so a 7.5/10. That being said I could realize it's flaws while at the same time enjoying the game. I was going to actually buy it before I played the demo. After I played the demo I decided to rent it on gamefly instead.

I think the story will be great, but I wasn't feeling the art, and the flow..felt a bit stiff. Still I'll play it and see how it flows on the retail version. If its still good then I'll buy it but after I'm done playing Castlevania.

On the issue of a Review: I personally thought his review was pretty good, but as one of the above posters stated, it was as if he was going to give it say a 5-6/10. It felt like he hated it or something, but still I would agree with the review. I can't say I would give it a Firm 8, but I can see myself giving it a tentative(soft) 8/10. But that would come after I had played the game to its entirety.

Make no mistake this is no Game of the Year Contender by any means. To many Great Games that Have come out to trumph this. Still great effort by The Ninja Theorists. They have a ways to go but I think they are getting there.

[Nugundam0079]

Im flipping starving right now ggeeezz

[Led-Zeppelin]

The climbing and puzzle scenes are so identical to Uncharted 2 its actually pretty sad. They said they were "influenced by Uncharted 2", But copying from it is not cool...

[Lyr1c]

Why are so many people reviewing a review of a game in which they hadn't played yet? You guys havn't played the damn game, so stop complaining. Just because a game looks good doesn't make it immune to fail.

[RaithenRahl]

I just bought this game and spent the last 9 or so hours playing straight through and was completely satisfied. The platforming is indeed simple and if you're looking for combat on par with God of War you're going to be disappointed. That said, the simple joy of seamlessly hopping around a strangely serene post-apocalyptic world combined with a story that develops at an engaging pace makes for an amazing game. The character development is nigh on perfect and even when you can guess what might come next in the plot you want to keep playing just to be sure. I also didn't find Trip to be an annoyance. Quite the opposite even, the way she fits into the gameplay by helping you slightly or needing a bit of help here and there just further develops the bond between the characters and puts you in the middle of it. It makes it very clear that you two are in it together without forcing you to babysit someone the whole time. I think in the case of Enslaved the simpler mechanics help keep the game smooth the whole way through and let you sincerely enjoy watching events unfold.