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This thread has been linked to the game 'Enslaved: Odyssey to the West'.
Who would have thought that in 150 years from now, New York would look like such a desirable place to visit? The buildings are ruined, the ground is littered with land mines, mechs will try and kill you at every turn and there is the risk of being captured into slavery. But those minor quibbles aside, from a distance the lush vegetation makes it look so inviting. it’s quite stunning really. On closer inspection it is anything but a place you would want to visit.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West starts off in spectacular fashion. You control Monkey (voiced by Andy Serkis), who finds himself locked in a secure capsule onboard a slave ship (of the flying variety). The announcer informs him that he has a 16 hour flight ahead to a better world. There are instructions on what to do if nature calls but sadly no mention of the in-flight entertainment. Better world or not, 16 hours is a long time to do nothing.
Slavery seldom sounds appealing but you almost believe the soft voice of the ‘saleswoman’. Monkey isn’t as sold as I was but there is little he can do about his predicament. Until, that is, he sees a female (Trip) on the loose. He watches Trip tinker with a computer and seconds later there is an explosion (insert your favourite women and technology joke), Monkey’s capsule is thrown from its fixtures and fittings and the big brute is on the loose.
The slave ship serves as the standard in-game tutorial. Monkey needs to leap, grab and climb his way past the destruction the explosion has caused. When he finds his luggage he adorns a fetching pair of red gloves and attaches a some sort of extending bashing stick and there are a few mechs onboard to practice the bashing moves.
The explosion has damaged the ship badly and it’s going down but there are escape pods and that’s where Trip is headed. But Trip seems a little reluctant to help Monkey. She closes a door, is startled by the noise behind her and finds a topless brute, with red gloves, spikey hair and red eye make-up battering on the window demanding she opens the door. She turns and runs but ask yourself, would you have opened the door?
Monkey has to take the scenic route to the escape pods via the outside of the ship. It’s at this point the game becomes a spectacle. The inside of the ship consisted of dark and gloomy corridors but outside, you realise the ship is surprisingly huge and New York looks surprisingly lush and green. The bright colours almost come as a shock after the dark and dreary ship interior. And then one of the wings hits the candle of the Statue of Liberty and is time to stop admiring. It’s time to disembark.
Needless to say both make it off the ship. It’s not the most conventional of escapes but escape they do. Monkey comes round to find that Trip has placed a slave band on his head. Trip can activate a pain mechanism in the headband if Monkey disobeys her. Trip is a slender female with little combat skills and she needs to get home, something she won’t be able to do without Monkey’s help. Rather than ask nicely for Monkey’s help, she opts for the slave band instead and gently mentions that if she dies then the headband will terminate Monkey. Monkey has little option but to be fair, he takes it well. Our reluctant companions head off on their odyssey to Trip’s homeland, which I’m going to guess is in a westerly direction.
It’s a little stereotypical. Big brute of a man and the defenceless but technical whiz, slender female. You let that pass, it was a spectacular and dramatic opening, graphically the game is lovely and the cut scenes and dialogue between the characters is good. You are all set to continue. But there is a niggling doubt at the back of your mind.
The climbing is all very Tomb Raider like and some of the acrobatic jumping is very Prince of Persia but not done as well as either and you feel quite detached from it all. The next ledge, pole, platform or grab point is always highlighted which removes the need to survey your surroundings. Performing your next point is almost point and click, push the relevant direction and press jump. There is never a “will I make it?” moment like Tomb Raider. If someone boasted you they could play the climbing sections with their eyes closed, you’d believe them. And some of the movements just don’t seem as realistic or as fluid as in Tomb Raider. When leaping from one pole to the next you can find Monkey does so in a straight line, there is no jumping arc. That is fine for short jumps but not for longer ones. It looks unrealistic and stands out. Some of the general swinging also suffers a little from a lack of realism and sometimes looks a little jerky. Another thing you can’t help but spot is that towards the end of the escape, Monkey is on the outside of the ship. The ship is moving fast and must present Monkey with a little issue with the wind force. But no, Monkey can venture along, leap from wing to wing and battle some mechs all without the slightest loss of balance.
Perhaps the combat will make up for the climbing. Monkey and Trip come face to face with many an unfriendly mech. Trip takes a back seat while Monkey goes bashing and by the end of chapter 2 you will have given the combat a good test drive. At your disposal are the traditional normal strike and hard strike. Joining them are the charge attack and the wide sweep. In defence we have the block and the dodge manoeuvre. It sounds a little shallow and it is. Monkey is no kung-fu master so he swings his stick like the brute he is. It is all basic hack ‘n’ slash (or bash ‘n’ bash in this case) and it quickly becomes repetitive with the lack of variety in moves and enemies.
And who ever was in charge of the camera needs bashed with Monkey’s bashing stick. All too often the camera is too close to Monkey which makes it awkward to use the dodge manoeuvre effectively, you can’t dodge what you can’t see coming. The camera does like to zoom in for a close up of a finishing move. That works well and you can see the rage in Monkey’s eyes as he delivers the final blow. You can move the camera with the right analog stick but you can feel the resistance, the camera doesn’t want to be moved. The game also suffers from switching view point at inconvenient times making Monkey change direction to the one you want.
2 chapters in and the combat is a little dull and repetitive, the climbing is simply functional and the camera annoys. But there is hope, the little red orbs you have been collecting can be used by Trip for upgrades. The usual selection of combat power ups and general health and movement perks are available to buy. There has also been a brief bit of explosive shooting to add some spice to the mix. And a decent boss battle against a highly destructive mech. There is definitely some hope.
And thankfully the game builds on that hope. The same issues are still there but many of the settings are stunning and best appreciated when you reach some dizzy heights. You can’t help but stop and gaze at times. The game throws in a few welcome extras to break up the repetitiveness and that, along with the impressive settings allows you to forgive the failings to an extent.
With simple, repetitive combat moves and a fairly basic climbing mechanism, it is refreshing that as the game progresses it wants you to think about your approach and also throws in some puzzles for you to conquer, nothing too taxing but it does awaken your brain from its slumber. It’s not all simplistic climbing and button bashing combat. At certain points within each chapter, Trip will launch her little robotic dragonfly for a flyby allowing you to scope the area, spot where the mechs are and identify your path to progress. You don’t need to dash in brandishing your big stick, stealth is always an option. A lot of the mechs are dormant until you cross their beams. Break the beam and they awake in a grumpy mood. But when you are carrying a big stick, do you really want to take the stealthy approach? If the combat was more interesting then the answer would be a definite no.
Trip isn’t just a pretty face with a dragonfly who is simply tagging along. Progressing though the levels is going to require some teamwork and whilst not in control of Trip at any time, you do have a couple of commands you can set her. Both characters have a decoy move. Some of the mechs stick to higher ground and rain bullets in your direction. Asking Trip to use a decoy will distract the mechs and allow you to move on to the next safe spot. You can then return the favour and use your own decoy before commanding Trip to run to where you are. On other occasions you will need to toss Trip to an area you can’t reach to get her to unlock a door or throw a lever to allow you to progress.
The repetition is broken up with some tense chase sequences but other tense, potential moments of peril are spoiled a little by the simplistic climbing. There is also some anti-gravity style surfing, it’s like the skateboards in Back to the Future 2 but this time the ‘board’ works on water. The surfing is restricted to certain times which is a shame but it used well.
Towards the end of the game you add another person to your party, an unusual character called Pigsy who knows Trip. He is a unique man but brings some humour with him and adds a lot to the dialogue between the characters. Monkey, Pigsy and a teenage girl set off to sort out the slavers. The slavers should be worried, the general sight of Pigsy with his belt buckle decoration with big red lips is enough to make anyone surrender.
On the whole it is a good game which could have been better. It feels like a game in 3 sections. The 1st 2 chapters are dull and it is tempting to leave it there. The next few chapters throws in some variety to break up some of the repetition and takes you to some stunning locations. The latter part of the game expands on the middle part and adds some humour into the mix. The game has its flaws but it is worth persevering to the more interesting 2nd and 3rd parts to the game which break up the repetition.
7
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West starts off in spectacular fashion. You control Monkey (voiced by Andy Serkis), who finds himself locked in a secure capsule onboard a slave ship (of the flying variety). The announcer informs him that he has a 16 hour flight ahead to a better world. There are instructions on what to do if nature calls but sadly no mention of the in-flight entertainment. Better world or not, 16 hours is a long time to do nothing.
Slavery seldom sounds appealing but you almost believe the soft voice of the ‘saleswoman’. Monkey isn’t as sold as I was but there is little he can do about his predicament. Until, that is, he sees a female (Trip) on the loose. He watches Trip tinker with a computer and seconds later there is an explosion (insert your favourite women and technology joke), Monkey’s capsule is thrown from its fixtures and fittings and the big brute is on the loose.
The slave ship serves as the standard in-game tutorial. Monkey needs to leap, grab and climb his way past the destruction the explosion has caused. When he finds his luggage he adorns a fetching pair of red gloves and attaches a some sort of extending bashing stick and there are a few mechs onboard to practice the bashing moves.
The explosion has damaged the ship badly and it’s going down but there are escape pods and that’s where Trip is headed. But Trip seems a little reluctant to help Monkey. She closes a door, is startled by the noise behind her and finds a topless brute, with red gloves, spikey hair and red eye make-up battering on the window demanding she opens the door. She turns and runs but ask yourself, would you have opened the door?
Monkey has to take the scenic route to the escape pods via the outside of the ship. It’s at this point the game becomes a spectacle. The inside of the ship consisted of dark and gloomy corridors but outside, you realise the ship is surprisingly huge and New York looks surprisingly lush and green. The bright colours almost come as a shock after the dark and dreary ship interior. And then one of the wings hits the candle of the Statue of Liberty and is time to stop admiring. It’s time to disembark.
Needless to say both make it off the ship. It’s not the most conventional of escapes but escape they do. Monkey comes round to find that Trip has placed a slave band on his head. Trip can activate a pain mechanism in the headband if Monkey disobeys her. Trip is a slender female with little combat skills and she needs to get home, something she won’t be able to do without Monkey’s help. Rather than ask nicely for Monkey’s help, she opts for the slave band instead and gently mentions that if she dies then the headband will terminate Monkey. Monkey has little option but to be fair, he takes it well. Our reluctant companions head off on their odyssey to Trip’s homeland, which I’m going to guess is in a westerly direction.
It’s a little stereotypical. Big brute of a man and the defenceless but technical whiz, slender female. You let that pass, it was a spectacular and dramatic opening, graphically the game is lovely and the cut scenes and dialogue between the characters is good. You are all set to continue. But there is a niggling doubt at the back of your mind.
The climbing is all very Tomb Raider like and some of the acrobatic jumping is very Prince of Persia but not done as well as either and you feel quite detached from it all. The next ledge, pole, platform or grab point is always highlighted which removes the need to survey your surroundings. Performing your next point is almost point and click, push the relevant direction and press jump. There is never a “will I make it?” moment like Tomb Raider. If someone boasted you they could play the climbing sections with their eyes closed, you’d believe them. And some of the movements just don’t seem as realistic or as fluid as in Tomb Raider. When leaping from one pole to the next you can find Monkey does so in a straight line, there is no jumping arc. That is fine for short jumps but not for longer ones. It looks unrealistic and stands out. Some of the general swinging also suffers a little from a lack of realism and sometimes looks a little jerky. Another thing you can’t help but spot is that towards the end of the escape, Monkey is on the outside of the ship. The ship is moving fast and must present Monkey with a little issue with the wind force. But no, Monkey can venture along, leap from wing to wing and battle some mechs all without the slightest loss of balance.
Perhaps the combat will make up for the climbing. Monkey and Trip come face to face with many an unfriendly mech. Trip takes a back seat while Monkey goes bashing and by the end of chapter 2 you will have given the combat a good test drive. At your disposal are the traditional normal strike and hard strike. Joining them are the charge attack and the wide sweep. In defence we have the block and the dodge manoeuvre. It sounds a little shallow and it is. Monkey is no kung-fu master so he swings his stick like the brute he is. It is all basic hack ‘n’ slash (or bash ‘n’ bash in this case) and it quickly becomes repetitive with the lack of variety in moves and enemies.
And who ever was in charge of the camera needs bashed with Monkey’s bashing stick. All too often the camera is too close to Monkey which makes it awkward to use the dodge manoeuvre effectively, you can’t dodge what you can’t see coming. The camera does like to zoom in for a close up of a finishing move. That works well and you can see the rage in Monkey’s eyes as he delivers the final blow. You can move the camera with the right analog stick but you can feel the resistance, the camera doesn’t want to be moved. The game also suffers from switching view point at inconvenient times making Monkey change direction to the one you want.
2 chapters in and the combat is a little dull and repetitive, the climbing is simply functional and the camera annoys. But there is hope, the little red orbs you have been collecting can be used by Trip for upgrades. The usual selection of combat power ups and general health and movement perks are available to buy. There has also been a brief bit of explosive shooting to add some spice to the mix. And a decent boss battle against a highly destructive mech. There is definitely some hope.
And thankfully the game builds on that hope. The same issues are still there but many of the settings are stunning and best appreciated when you reach some dizzy heights. You can’t help but stop and gaze at times. The game throws in a few welcome extras to break up the repetitiveness and that, along with the impressive settings allows you to forgive the failings to an extent.
With simple, repetitive combat moves and a fairly basic climbing mechanism, it is refreshing that as the game progresses it wants you to think about your approach and also throws in some puzzles for you to conquer, nothing too taxing but it does awaken your brain from its slumber. It’s not all simplistic climbing and button bashing combat. At certain points within each chapter, Trip will launch her little robotic dragonfly for a flyby allowing you to scope the area, spot where the mechs are and identify your path to progress. You don’t need to dash in brandishing your big stick, stealth is always an option. A lot of the mechs are dormant until you cross their beams. Break the beam and they awake in a grumpy mood. But when you are carrying a big stick, do you really want to take the stealthy approach? If the combat was more interesting then the answer would be a definite no.
Trip isn’t just a pretty face with a dragonfly who is simply tagging along. Progressing though the levels is going to require some teamwork and whilst not in control of Trip at any time, you do have a couple of commands you can set her. Both characters have a decoy move. Some of the mechs stick to higher ground and rain bullets in your direction. Asking Trip to use a decoy will distract the mechs and allow you to move on to the next safe spot. You can then return the favour and use your own decoy before commanding Trip to run to where you are. On other occasions you will need to toss Trip to an area you can’t reach to get her to unlock a door or throw a lever to allow you to progress.
The repetition is broken up with some tense chase sequences but other tense, potential moments of peril are spoiled a little by the simplistic climbing. There is also some anti-gravity style surfing, it’s like the skateboards in Back to the Future 2 but this time the ‘board’ works on water. The surfing is restricted to certain times which is a shame but it used well.
Towards the end of the game you add another person to your party, an unusual character called Pigsy who knows Trip. He is a unique man but brings some humour with him and adds a lot to the dialogue between the characters. Monkey, Pigsy and a teenage girl set off to sort out the slavers. The slavers should be worried, the general sight of Pigsy with his belt buckle decoration with big red lips is enough to make anyone surrender.
On the whole it is a good game which could have been better. It feels like a game in 3 sections. The 1st 2 chapters are dull and it is tempting to leave it there. The next few chapters throws in some variety to break up some of the repetition and takes you to some stunning locations. The latter part of the game expands on the middle part and adds some humour into the mix. The game has its flaws but it is worth persevering to the more interesting 2nd and 3rd parts to the game which break up the repetition.
7
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Who would have thought that in 150 years from now, New York would look like such a desirable place to visit? The buildings are ruined, the ground is littered with land mines, mechs will try and kill you at every turn and there is the risk of being captured into slavery. But those minor quibbles aside, from a distance the lush vegetation makes it look so inviting. it’s quite stunning really. On closer inspection it is anything but a place you would want to visit.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West starts off in spectacular fashion. You control Monkey (voiced by Andy Serkis), who finds himself locked in a secure capsule onboard a slave ship (of the flying variety). The announcer informs him that he has a 16 hour flight ahead to a better world. There are instructions on what to do if nature calls but sadly no mention of the in-flight entertainment. Better world or not, 16 hours is a long time to do nothing.
Slavery seldom sounds appealing but you almost believe the soft voice of the ‘saleswoman’. Monkey isn’t as sold as I was but there is little he can do about his predicament. Until, that is, he sees a female (Trip) on the loose. He watches Trip tinker with a computer and seconds later there is an explosion (insert your favourite women and technology joke), Monkey’s capsule is thrown from its fixtures and fittings and the big brute is on the loose.
The slave ship serves as the standard in-game tutorial. Monkey needs to leap, grab and climb his way past the destruction the explosion has caused. When he finds his luggage he adorns a fetching pair of red gloves and attaches a some sort of extending bashing stick and there are a few mechs onboard to practice the bashing moves.
The explosion has damaged the ship badly and it’s going down but there are escape pods and that’s where Trip is headed. But Trip seems a little reluctant to help Monkey. She closes a door, is startled by the noise behind her and finds a topless brute, with red gloves, spikey hair and red eye make-up battering on the window demanding she opens the door. She turns and runs but ask yourself, would you have opened the door?
Monkey has to take the scenic route to the escape pods via the outside of the ship. It’s at this point the game becomes a spectacle. The inside of the ship consisted of dark and gloomy corridors but outside, you realise the ship is surprisingly huge and New York looks surprisingly lush and green. The bright colours almost come as a shock after the dark and dreary ship interior. And then one of the wings hits the candle of the Statue of Liberty and is time to stop admiring. It’s time to disembark.
Needless to say both make it off the ship. It’s not the most conventional of escapes but escape they do. Monkey comes round to find that Trip has placed a slave band on his head. Trip can activate a pain mechanism in the headband if Monkey disobeys her. Trip is a slender female with little combat skills and she needs to get home, something she won’t be able to do without Monkey’s help. Rather than ask nicely for Monkey’s help, she opts for the slave band instead and gently mentions that if she dies then the headband will terminate Monkey. Monkey has little option but to be fair, he takes it well. Our reluctant companions head off on their odyssey to Trip’s homeland, which I’m going to guess is in a westerly direction.
It’s a little stereotypical. Big brute of a man and the defenceless but technical whiz, slender female. You let that pass, it was a spectacular and dramatic opening, graphically the game is lovely and the cut scenes and dialogue between the characters is good. You are all set to continue. But there is a niggling doubt at the back of your mind.
The climbing is all very Tomb Raider like and some of the acrobatic jumping is very Prince of Persia but not done as well as either and you feel quite detached from it all. The next ledge, pole, platform or grab point is always highlighted which removes the need to survey your surroundings. Performing your next point is almost point and click, push the relevant direction and press jump. There is never a “will I make it?” moment like Tomb Raider. If someone boasted you they could play the climbing sections with their eyes closed, you’d believe them. And some of the movements just don’t seem as realistic or as fluid as in Tomb Raider. When leaping from one pole to the next you can find Monkey does so in a straight line, there is no jumping arc. That is fine for short jumps but not for longer ones. It looks unrealistic and stands out. Some of the general swinging also suffers a little from a lack of realism and sometimes looks a little jerky. Another thing you can’t help but spot is that towards the end of the escape, Monkey is on the outside of the ship. The ship is moving fast and must present Monkey with a little issue with the wind force. But no, Monkey can venture along, leap from wing to wing and battle some mechs all without the slightest loss of balance.
Perhaps the combat will make up for the climbing. Monkey and Trip come face to face with many an unfriendly mech. Trip takes a back seat while Monkey goes bashing and by the end of chapter 2 you will have given the combat a good test drive. At your disposal are the traditional normal strike and hard strike. Joining them are the charge attack and the wide sweep. In defence we have the block and the dodge manoeuvre. It sounds a little shallow and it is. Monkey is no kung-fu master so he swings his stick like the brute he is. It is all basic hack ‘n’ slash (or bash ‘n’ bash in this case) and it quickly becomes repetitive with the lack of variety in moves and enemies.
And who ever was in charge of the camera needs bashed with Monkey’s bashing stick. All too often the camera is too close to Monkey which makes it awkward to use the dodge manoeuvre effectively, you can’t dodge what you can’t see coming. The camera does like to zoom in for a close up of a finishing move. That works well and you can see the rage in Monkey’s eyes as he delivers the final blow. You can move the camera with the right analog stick but you can feel the resistance, the camera doesn’t want to be moved. The game also suffers from switching view point at inconvenient times making Monkey change direction to the one you want.
2 chapters in and the combat is a little dull and repetitive, the climbing is simply functional and the camera annoys. But there is hope, the little red orbs you have been collecting can be used by Trip for upgrades. The usual selection of combat power ups and general health and movement perks are available to buy. There has also been a brief bit of explosive shooting to add some spice to the mix. And a decent boss battle against a highly destructive mech. There is definitely some hope.
And thankfully the game builds on that hope. The same issues are still there but many of the settings are stunning and best appreciated when you reach some dizzy heights. You can’t help but stop and gaze at times. The game throws in a few welcome extras to break up the repetitiveness and that, along with the impressive settings allows you to forgive the failings to an extent.
With simple, repetitive combat moves and a fairly basic climbing mechanism, it is refreshing that as the game progresses it wants you to think about your approach and also throws in some puzzles for you to conquer, nothing too taxing but it does awaken your brain from its slumber. It’s not all simplistic climbing and button bashing combat. At certain points within each chapter, Trip will launch her little robotic dragonfly for a flyby allowing you to scope the area, spot where the mechs are and identify your path to progress. You don’t need to dash in brandishing your big stick, stealth is always an option. A lot of the mechs are dormant until you cross their beams. Break the beam and they awake in a grumpy mood. But when you are carrying a big stick, do you really want to take the stealthy approach? If the combat was more interesting then the answer would be a definite no.
Trip isn’t just a pretty face with a dragonfly who is simply tagging along. Progressing though the levels is going to require some teamwork and whilst not in control of Trip at any time, you do have a couple of commands you can set her. Both characters have a decoy move. Some of the mechs stick to higher ground and rain bullets in your direction. Asking Trip to use a decoy will distract the mechs and allow you to move on to the next safe spot. You can then return the favour and use your own decoy before commanding Trip to run to where you are. On other occasions you will need to toss Trip to an area you can’t reach to get her to unlock a door or throw a lever to allow you to progress.
The repetition is broken up with some tense chase sequences but other tense, potential moments of peril are spoiled a little by the simplistic climbing. There is also some anti-gravity style surfing, it’s like the skateboards in Back to the Future 2 but this time the ‘board’ works on water. The surfing is restricted to certain times which is a shame but it used well.
Towards the end of the game you add another person to your party, an unusual character called Pigsy who knows Trip. He is a unique man but brings some humour with him and adds a lot to the dialogue between the characters. Monkey, Pigsy and a teenage girl set off to sort out the slavers. The slavers should be worried, the general sight of Pigsy with his belt buckle decoration with big red lips is enough to make anyone surrender.
On the whole it is a good game which could have been better. It feels like a game in 3 sections. The 1st 2 chapters are dull and it is tempting to leave it there. The next few chapters throws in some variety to break up some of the repetition and takes you to some stunning locations. The latter part of the game expands on the middle part and adds some humour into the mix. The game has its flaws but it is worth persevering to the more interesting 2nd and 3rd parts to the game which break up the repetition.
7
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West starts off in spectacular fashion. You control Monkey (voiced by Andy Serkis), who finds himself locked in a secure capsule onboard a slave ship (of the flying variety). The announcer informs him that he has a 16 hour flight ahead to a better world. There are instructions on what to do if nature calls but sadly no mention of the in-flight entertainment. Better world or not, 16 hours is a long time to do nothing.
Slavery seldom sounds appealing but you almost believe the soft voice of the ‘saleswoman’. Monkey isn’t as sold as I was but there is little he can do about his predicament. Until, that is, he sees a female (Trip) on the loose. He watches Trip tinker with a computer and seconds later there is an explosion (insert your favourite women and technology joke), Monkey’s capsule is thrown from its fixtures and fittings and the big brute is on the loose.
The slave ship serves as the standard in-game tutorial. Monkey needs to leap, grab and climb his way past the destruction the explosion has caused. When he finds his luggage he adorns a fetching pair of red gloves and attaches a some sort of extending bashing stick and there are a few mechs onboard to practice the bashing moves.
The explosion has damaged the ship badly and it’s going down but there are escape pods and that’s where Trip is headed. But Trip seems a little reluctant to help Monkey. She closes a door, is startled by the noise behind her and finds a topless brute, with red gloves, spikey hair and red eye make-up battering on the window demanding she opens the door. She turns and runs but ask yourself, would you have opened the door?
Monkey has to take the scenic route to the escape pods via the outside of the ship. It’s at this point the game becomes a spectacle. The inside of the ship consisted of dark and gloomy corridors but outside, you realise the ship is surprisingly huge and New York looks surprisingly lush and green. The bright colours almost come as a shock after the dark and dreary ship interior. And then one of the wings hits the candle of the Statue of Liberty and is time to stop admiring. It’s time to disembark.
Needless to say both make it off the ship. It’s not the most conventional of escapes but escape they do. Monkey comes round to find that Trip has placed a slave band on his head. Trip can activate a pain mechanism in the headband if Monkey disobeys her. Trip is a slender female with little combat skills and she needs to get home, something she won’t be able to do without Monkey’s help. Rather than ask nicely for Monkey’s help, she opts for the slave band instead and gently mentions that if she dies then the headband will terminate Monkey. Monkey has little option but to be fair, he takes it well. Our reluctant companions head off on their odyssey to Trip’s homeland, which I’m going to guess is in a westerly direction.
It’s a little stereotypical. Big brute of a man and the defenceless but technical whiz, slender female. You let that pass, it was a spectacular and dramatic opening, graphically the game is lovely and the cut scenes and dialogue between the characters is good. You are all set to continue. But there is a niggling doubt at the back of your mind.
The climbing is all very Tomb Raider like and some of the acrobatic jumping is very Prince of Persia but not done as well as either and you feel quite detached from it all. The next ledge, pole, platform or grab point is always highlighted which removes the need to survey your surroundings. Performing your next point is almost point and click, push the relevant direction and press jump. There is never a “will I make it?” moment like Tomb Raider. If someone boasted you they could play the climbing sections with their eyes closed, you’d believe them. And some of the movements just don’t seem as realistic or as fluid as in Tomb Raider. When leaping from one pole to the next you can find Monkey does so in a straight line, there is no jumping arc. That is fine for short jumps but not for longer ones. It looks unrealistic and stands out. Some of the general swinging also suffers a little from a lack of realism and sometimes looks a little jerky. Another thing you can’t help but spot is that towards the end of the escape, Monkey is on the outside of the ship. The ship is moving fast and must present Monkey with a little issue with the wind force. But no, Monkey can venture along, leap from wing to wing and battle some mechs all without the slightest loss of balance.
Perhaps the combat will make up for the climbing. Monkey and Trip come face to face with many an unfriendly mech. Trip takes a back seat while Monkey goes bashing and by the end of chapter 2 you will have given the combat a good test drive. At your disposal are the traditional normal strike and hard strike. Joining them are the charge attack and the wide sweep. In defence we have the block and the dodge manoeuvre. It sounds a little shallow and it is. Monkey is no kung-fu master so he swings his stick like the brute he is. It is all basic hack ‘n’ slash (or bash ‘n’ bash in this case) and it quickly becomes repetitive with the lack of variety in moves and enemies.
And who ever was in charge of the camera needs bashed with Monkey’s bashing stick. All too often the camera is too close to Monkey which makes it awkward to use the dodge manoeuvre effectively, you can’t dodge what you can’t see coming. The camera does like to zoom in for a close up of a finishing move. That works well and you can see the rage in Monkey’s eyes as he delivers the final blow. You can move the camera with the right analog stick but you can feel the resistance, the camera doesn’t want to be moved. The game also suffers from switching view point at inconvenient times making Monkey change direction to the one you want.
2 chapters in and the combat is a little dull and repetitive, the climbing is simply functional and the camera annoys. But there is hope, the little red orbs you have been collecting can be used by Trip for upgrades. The usual selection of combat power ups and general health and movement perks are available to buy. There has also been a brief bit of explosive shooting to add some spice to the mix. And a decent boss battle against a highly destructive mech. There is definitely some hope.
And thankfully the game builds on that hope. The same issues are still there but many of the settings are stunning and best appreciated when you reach some dizzy heights. You can’t help but stop and gaze at times. The game throws in a few welcome extras to break up the repetitiveness and that, along with the impressive settings allows you to forgive the failings to an extent.
With simple, repetitive combat moves and a fairly basic climbing mechanism, it is refreshing that as the game progresses it wants you to think about your approach and also throws in some puzzles for you to conquer, nothing too taxing but it does awaken your brain from its slumber. It’s not all simplistic climbing and button bashing combat. At certain points within each chapter, Trip will launch her little robotic dragonfly for a flyby allowing you to scope the area, spot where the mechs are and identify your path to progress. You don’t need to dash in brandishing your big stick, stealth is always an option. A lot of the mechs are dormant until you cross their beams. Break the beam and they awake in a grumpy mood. But when you are carrying a big stick, do you really want to take the stealthy approach? If the combat was more interesting then the answer would be a definite no.
Trip isn’t just a pretty face with a dragonfly who is simply tagging along. Progressing though the levels is going to require some teamwork and whilst not in control of Trip at any time, you do have a couple of commands you can set her. Both characters have a decoy move. Some of the mechs stick to higher ground and rain bullets in your direction. Asking Trip to use a decoy will distract the mechs and allow you to move on to the next safe spot. You can then return the favour and use your own decoy before commanding Trip to run to where you are. On other occasions you will need to toss Trip to an area you can’t reach to get her to unlock a door or throw a lever to allow you to progress.
The repetition is broken up with some tense chase sequences but other tense, potential moments of peril are spoiled a little by the simplistic climbing. There is also some anti-gravity style surfing, it’s like the skateboards in Back to the Future 2 but this time the ‘board’ works on water. The surfing is restricted to certain times which is a shame but it used well.
Towards the end of the game you add another person to your party, an unusual character called Pigsy who knows Trip. He is a unique man but brings some humour with him and adds a lot to the dialogue between the characters. Monkey, Pigsy and a teenage girl set off to sort out the slavers. The slavers should be worried, the general sight of Pigsy with his belt buckle decoration with big red lips is enough to make anyone surrender.
On the whole it is a good game which could have been better. It feels like a game in 3 sections. The 1st 2 chapters are dull and it is tempting to leave it there. The next few chapters throws in some variety to break up some of the repetition and takes you to some stunning locations. The latter part of the game expands on the middle part and adds some humour into the mix. The game has its flaws but it is worth persevering to the more interesting 2nd and 3rd parts to the game which break up the repetition.
7