Slave to Convention

So, after Just Cause 2 became unplayable due to freezing issues, and attempting to construct levels in Little Big Planet reminded me why I gave up last time around (no patience or artistic ability) I needed something to get my teeth into. I went for a game I've mentioned wanting to play a couple of times - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

Robert Carlyle as Hitler. Obviously.

Enslaved is written by Alex Garland, whom I have a love/hate relationship with. Dredd, 28 Days Later, Sunshine - all pretty darn good (although on a second viewing, Sunshine made less sense than I remembered), The Beach - a fucking abomination. One of the few movies I have actually considered walking out of at the cinema. Even Robert Carlyle on top creepy drug dealer form couldn't save that movie. So... I was a little suspicious, but had seen and heard good things, so was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Enslaved has possibly the best opening sequence of any game I've played. I'm trying to think of one that betters it, and I can't. Thrown straight into the action, you're on a spaceship, it's crashing, and you need to not die. That's pretty much all the exposition you get, and it works. My heart was thumping as I leapt through burning debris and scrambled along collapsing pipework. After surviving that ordeal, I was able to get to know the character I was controlling; Monkey.

It says a lot about the state of modern games characters that I found myself thinking; "Oh, well, at least he isn't classically handsome."At first glance, Andy Serkis's everyday mug is the only thing that distinguishes Monkey from the obligatory tall, white, muscle-bound guy that takes the lead in every game since ever. But, as ever with Serkis's performances, Monkey proves to be a more interesting guy than expected, with greater depth and sensitivity than most stacked games lugs can offer. Opposite Monkey, is Jolie-alike Trip, a voluptuous, wide-eyed engineer, who makes up for her lack of combat skills (at first) with a wealth of technical abilities.

Enslaved is relatively well-known for being critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful. Many felt that the art style was outstanding and the storyline mature and nuanced. While I'd definitely agree about the art style - Enslaved looks unique and every scene pops with colour and definition, I have to call bullshit on the storyline stuff.

As I said, Trip is initially pretty resourceful. She traps Monkey in a slave headband, reprograms everything in sight and constructs a handy little dragonfly reconnaissance fella out of junk. But the use of her as a gameplay 'tool' (Monkey literally throws her about in some sections because she's apparently incapable of jumping or climbing on her own) made me uneasy, and later my uneasiness was confirmed when Pigsy announced: "You stay behind, Trip. This is man's work." I couldn't decide whether this was some kind of Garlandy attempt at postmodern irony, but the reality is Trip WAS left behind, and wasn't considered capable enough to do the incredibly manly work of climbing up a crane, even though she'd already climbed numerous similar structures in earlier sections of the game. Up until this point, Trip and Monkey were represented relatively equally: Trip's outfit is unnecessarily skimpy, but then Monkey doesn't wear a shirt and is about as close to being sexualised as I've seen in a male character. Trip's not that strong, but then Monkey isn't that bright. Trip has a silly hair accessory, but then Monkey has a stupid scarf-belt. But now, we're told that an obese, elderly, disabled man is the better choice for climbing a crane than Trip. Essentially, ANYONE but a girl.

"Stay here Trip, this guy's better suited to climbing."

I've played on, and while I find Monkey and Trip's burgeoning romance mildly diverting, I've fallen so far out of love with the game, it doesn't have the impact that would've been possible if I hadn't felt alienated. The relationship has been soured by Trip bleating "Help, help, Monkey, HELP!" as she clung to the back of a runaway mech. (Just let go, you stupid cow!) I'll get to the end out of a sense of duty, rather than a desire for discovery, which is a shame.