In 2010, Enslaved Odyssey to the West made its entrance onto the gaming scene. It wasn’t the most challenging game out there, nor did it bring with it a defining gameplay mechanic, but Enslaved had something that made it stand out: the heart showcased by its characters and engaging story. Just like the recent Black Myth: Wukong, it takes inspiration from Chinese tale Journey to the West, and it’s a story that explores the themes of fear, loss, cooperation, and the changing nature of relationships, which is made all the better as central characters Monkey, Trip, and Pigsy interact with each other so well.

Revisiting Enslaved Odyssey to the West 14 years after its release, and the last time I played it, made me consider whether I’d been seeing the game through rose-tinted glasses. If we really want to be reductive, Enslaved Odyssey to the West is an escort mission spread out over eight hours. At the start of the game, Monkey and Trip, who do not know each other, escape from a slaver’s airship, crashing down into the ruins of our civilisation. The name of Enslaved comes from the very literal enslaving of Monkey by Trip. While Monkey is out cold, Trip crowns him with a slaver headpiece, which allows her to give him commands. It also links the two, so if Trip dies, Monkey dies. Trip is out in the real wider world for the first time, and in her first interaction with Monkey, she saw a musclebound man chasing and shouting at her.

Trip doesn’t enslave Monkey to use him as a tool, but to guarantee her own safety as she finds herself in the company of a man who could quite easily cause her serious harm. She doesn’t know his intentions, and this is the only way she feels that she can be safe. Of course, Monkey is unhappy with the situation but soon accepts his fate and works with Trip to get her home. The story doesn’t follow a typical master and slave theme though. In most situations, Monkey is in charge and takes control, often having to order Trip around to move to places or carry out tasks. There are times Trip makes requests, but they are given as general instructions and not orders.

Despite, the name and the situation, both Monkey and Trip learn that the only way they can survive the world is through cooperation and partnership. The fall of our civilisation is not outright explained, as it happened a couple of hundred years ago, and neither of the two main characters are sure. What we can surmise from all of the mechs running around is that these robots were used in war and either turned on humans or were programmed to turn on them, which led to the majority of humanity being killed while some survivors created smaller enclaves or roamed alone, trying to survive in a world where danger lurked.

It is these dangers that the two navigate, Monkey through combat and Trip through her technical knowledge. She is the one Monkey relies on to operate controls and cause distractions, as well as upgrade his gear, while she relies on Monkey to keep her safe from the mechs that attack. They both later come to rely on Pigsy, who enjoyably looks like a pig and acts like a pig as well, to help them. Pigsy has his own goals but is happy to lend his services, though not without almost getting Monkey killed on purpose and hitting on Trip, who at this point has just found her father dead. Pigsy is portrayed as unlikeable, but at the end of the game he makes a big sacrifice for the others. In his standalone DLC, again Pigsy comes across as an idiot and braggart, but enjoys some character growth as he learns that he had what he needed by his side all that time.

Returning to the combat, and it is very basic compared to the games that have followed in the last 14 years. Enemies attack in small groups, with Monkey wielding a staff that can stun and destroy enemies through melee attacks, or firing plasma. There are a few enemy types and most are easy to take down, and the majority of the boss fights, while entertaining and set in interesting arenas, are quite repetitive as well. Even navigation is straightforward, with climbing points literally glowing and really not possible to miss at all taking away any challenge of finding your way. The camera is janky too at times, moving so focus on enemies is lost, letting them disappear off screen and attack from range. Yet, none of this takes away from the game’s charm. The world and the characters are in some way relatable, each going through their own development and growth. Monkey from a gruff loner to someone who stands up and fights for those by his side, Trip from a scared, lost, and unsure person to having more confidence in her abilities to be able to survive the world.

The final showdown at Pyramid also poses an ethical question: what is the nature of real life? We find that those who have been captured have not been enslaved but placed in a simulation to live lives from the old world, instead of having to survive in the harsh reality of its ruins. Monkey glimpses this world and calls it beautiful, but Trip destroys it all before asking if what she has done is right? We will never know as there is no sequel coming, but a big part of it would have been the fallout from Pyramid’s destruction. You suddenly have hundreds of people yanked from a reality where they had families and friends, and shoved back into the harsh fallen world. This could lead to mass mental trauma and PTSD as people grieve those they have lost, and may no longer be capable of surviving. However, it can also be argued that these people were enslaved to an idea that no longer existed and needed to be pulled out so they could build a new world.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is still worth a playthrough now, both for those who played it way back, and for those who have never experienced it. You will come away from the game having enjoyed yourself and a bit let down that plans for a sequel were cancelled.