Enslaved: Odyssey to the West | |
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![]() Cover art featuring protagonists Monkey and Trip | |
Developer(s) | Ninja Theory |
Publisher(s) | Namco Bandai Games |
Director(s) | Tameem Antoniades |
Producer(s) | Mat Hart |
Designer(s) | Mark Davies |
Artist(s) | Stuart Adcock Alessandro Taini |
Writer(s) | Alex Garland Tameem Antoniades |
Composer(s) | Nitin Sawhney |
Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
Platform(s) | |
Release | PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 Windows 25 October 2013 |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Ninja Theory and published by Namco Bandai Games. Announced in 2009 as Enslaved, it was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October 2010. As a loose adaptation of the novel Journey to the West, the game is set 150 years in a future post-apocalyptic world following a global war. Only remnants of humanity survive, along with the still active war machines left over from the conflict. The game's story follows Monkey who is forced to escort Trip home safely after they survive a ship crash. Players play as Monkey, who must combat enemies using his staff from a third-person perspective, engage in different platforming challenges and solve puzzles.
Initially pitched as a CGI film, Enslaved's development began after the teams had halted the development of a sequel to Heavenly Sword. TV series Life After People influenced world settings, while the video game Ico inspired the dynamics between the two protagonists. Alex Garland was invited to write the game's story, eventually becoming involved in the game's design to ensure it was consistent throughout. Andy Serkis and Lindsey Shaw provided performance capture for the game, and Nitin Sawhney composed the soundtrack. The team used the Unreal Engine 3 game engine to power Enslaved.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its graphics, world design, Serkis' performance and Garland's script, while the game drew criticisms for its gameplay and technical shortcomings. The game was a commercial failure and sales failed to meet Namco Bandai's expectations. A single-player downloadable content, titled Pigsy's Perfect 10, was released in November 2010. A complete version, featuring all downloadable content, was released for PlayStation 3 and Windows on 25 October 2013. A sequel was planned but cancelled due to the game's financial underperformance.