Enslaved is a game about a relationship. There is a story here, and it twists and turns and the ending flips the entire experience on its ear, but that's secondary to what's really important: the way two characters are thrown together and how they deal with each other. And that is a very good thing, because the voice acting, the writing, and the humanity of both Monkey, the character you control, and Trip, his captor, are what you'll remember.

In this post-apocalyptic world the few remaining humans are slaves, and the lands are overrun by brutal mechanical beasts. It's a harsh, unforgiving version of our world, and you'll be forgiven for thinking you're on an alien planet until you see a quick glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. Trip, a young girl with a gift for computers, escapes her slave ship and, through some quick thinking, you follow. After being knocked out, she takes advantage of the situation and hacks a headpiece to give her control of your brain. If she says so, you feel pain. If her heart stops beating, so does yours.

She's going home, you see. And she needs an escort to keep her alive.

Hey, Monkey!

Enslaved xbox,ps3* Release Date: October 5, 2010

October 5, 2010 MSRP: $59.99 Official site * = platform reviewed

You play as Monkey, a rough and tumble man who has a motorcycle, a collapsible staff for fighting, and shielded gauntlets that allow you to take a beating with few ill effects. The melee fighting feels wonderful, although the combos and attacks are actually rather limited. It's just satisfying, and every so often you'll see a slow-motion kill that drives home the power and anger of this character. Monkey loses his breath after fights, and he often seems tired; this is a world with weight, and Monkey doesn't hold anything back. He's a survivor who gives himself completely to every fight, and that's exactly what Trip needs.

The girl can distract enemies and upgrade your equipment using red balls of energy you gain by killing enemies, but she needs to be protected. You sometimes carry her, and sometimes you throw her across long expanses, but it's your job to keep her alive and breathing. It's not just an escort mission—she has some limited ability to defend herself and knows when to run, but you'll always be aware of where she is. Stray too far, and you'll die.

You'll jump and climb in a way that feels very similar to Prince of Persia, and you're given a vehicle called a Cloud that allows you to surf a foot off the ground. You'll swing from great heights, and Trip can scout the area ahead of you using a mechanical dragonfly. You'll fight mechanical enemies of various shapes and sizes... but I'm boring myself talking about the game as if it's just another action title.

Enslaved was written by Alex Garland, who also penned 28 Days Later and the Beach. Andy Serkis stars as Monkey, and Lindsey Shaw was the actress behind Trip. These aren't just voices, as the actors also provided motion capture, and Andy Serkis helped with casting and co-directed the motion capture sequences. The voice acting, writing, and emotion of these characters is well above what we're used to in games. The script is funny, there is genuine warmth in places, and you'll tear up more than once. The plot may shift and turn in on itself in spots, but it never takes the easy way out.

As Trip and Monkey try to survive on their journey towards Trip's home, they fight all manner of mechanical beasts. But where did these monsters come from? The world has been torn apart by war and living humans seem to be a rare thing. These monstrosities seem to merely be left-overs, roaming a world looking for enemies that are long dead.

"Landmines currently maim or kill 10,000 people every year long after the wars that spawned them," Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades told Eurogamer. "In places like Afghanistan, where I originally come from, millions of colorful 'butterfly' landmines dropped by the Soviet forces continue to maim and kill children who mistake them for toys. Today we are witnessing the advent of drone warfare, the rise of despot nuclear nations and the possibilities of large-scale casualties in bio-terrorism. In the comfort of our privileged western world, post-apocalypse equates to fantasy. In places like Afghanistan, people are living day-to-day in a post-apocalyptic nightmare."