Enslaved Sequel Isn't Happening

[MitchyD]

Enslaved Sequel Isn't Happening

After failing to meet expectations at retail, the Enslaved series is finished before it could even start.

Developer Ninja Theory is on a bit of a bad streak. Its first game of this generation, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West [http://www.amazon.com/Heavenly-Sword-Playstation-3/dp/B000K9OP2A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316715118&sr=8-1] sold so poorly that a sequel is out of the question.

Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades believes "Enslaved should have done better. Right now we should have been doing a sequel and perfecting that sequel and doing what franchises do, which is get better over time." Instead of exploring a new Enslaved, the studio is currently working on the Devil May Cry [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110783-E3-Dante-Finally-Gets-White-Hair-in-New-DMC-Trailer] reboot with Capcom.

The game's failure at retail consequently kept Ninja Theory from achieving its goal of expanding the studio's size. Antoniades' intention was to split the developer into two smaller teams. "But now we get another chance with DMC," he said.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/319916/ninja-theory-confirms-no-work-on-enslaved-2/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS]


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[jurnag12]

Too bad, really loved Enslaved, would've liked to see more of it.

 

[Kmadden2004]

DAMN YOU CAPITALISM!!!

 

[Woodsey]

And this is why you don't write a fucking character-piece, and then switch your focus to some very crunkily handled themes that are pulled out of nowhere 3/4 of the way through, whilst failing to properly address the character arcs.

Anyway: game was alright, dialogue was well-written, acting was fantastic.

 

[manythings]

It's kind of rich saying the game "Should have done better" when they were the makers, if it really was that good it should've gotten around by now.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Eh, I say they deserve to close down for what they did to DMC. If it's western-made Japanese style games that they wanna make, they better damn make them actually Japanese-like.

This skin-deep level of signifying something as remotely Eastern and then going and making something completely different is simply unacceptable.


If you wanna re-imagine Journey to the West as a cyberpunk drama, you better damn well keep the Pig in the story! He's the soul of that story.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I quite liked the game, but didn't really feel like a sequel/franchise property. I enjoyed the game enough to buy it, though wasn't nearly as satisfied with Heavenly Sword.

 

[OtherSideofSky]

Good. I hated the "platforming" (if you can even really call it that), and I was bitterly disappointed at the complete and total absence of any character remotely resembling the monkey king (if you promise me a sci-fi Journey to the West, you need more than just the staff and the headband). The monk was always a bit rubbish though, so replacing him with an inconsistently written woman was probably an improvement. The combat was only okay, too, so it's not like it anything it did was particularly great.

 

[Susan Arendt]

This is incredibly disappointing. A sequel would've given us more of the superlative acting, and given the developers a chance to polish the gameplay into something less ordinary. I understand the dollars and cents of it, but it's still a letdown.

 

[mental_looney]

It's a letdown as I loved the game but it didn't seem like a sequel game can't see where they would have taken it. Shame they didn't get the sales they wanted but over here the game didn't have much expose or advertising, the demo drew me in.

 

[RoyalWelsh]

Ah that's a shame, I rather enjoyed Enslaved and was hoping for a sequel. If they refined the combat and story a bit I think it would of become a great franchise. We also would have seen more of the superb acting/voice acting and sexy visuals.

 

[No_Remainders]

...

To all of you who didn't buy Enslaved, I fucking hate you.

It was a fantastic game, and it should've done so much better.

 

[Rawne1980]

Maybe if Antoniades wasn't such a massive prick he'd spend more time looking at why his studio isn't selling as many games as it should and less time blaming those lack of sales on Devil May Cry fans for "sabotaging" his work.

His words, not mine.

http://thesilentchief.com/2011/02/03/are-devil-may-cry-fans-partially-to-blame-for-poor-enslaved-sales/

And his comments when asked if he thinks Bayonetta looked "cool"

?Personally, I don?t. I love the game. I think it?s awesome. It?s taken everything ? it?s just gone to a total extreme. But in terms of, ?Do I think it?s cool?? No, not at all. I think it?s caricatured and over-the-top and very ?Japanesey,? and for that absurd style it does that really well, but that?s not what I want.?

Particularly note the "thats not what I want" part and then look at what game they are making .... thats right folks, Devil May Cry. A series pretty well known for being caricatured and over the top and a tiny bit 'Japanesey'.

Hands up all those that believe the new DMC game will rocket his studios sales....

Not seeing many hands out there (and i'm watching you all .... seriously, check the bushes outside your house).

I can overlook the reboot of Dante and the whole lore behind the DMC 'universe' being taken behind a bus shelter and fucked over but just barely. What i'm not thrilled about is having an unproven studio with a moron of a co founder making it.

 

[Trishbot]

"Enslaved" was one of my favorite games of its year. It was beautiful, lush, original, character-driven, imaginative, charming, dramatic, well-paced, and incredibly fun (especially on the Cloud).

The quality of the game had nothing to do with its lackluster sales. It was just a bad, bad season for a new IP to debut, had bad marketing, and just wasn't able to generate enough interest outside of the over-saturated shooter market.

It was a brilliant game. It still is. If you haven't played it, track the game down and give it a shot. No, it's far from perfect, but you can't get an experience like it an practically any other game. That's what the industry needs, that's what gamers demand, and it's insanely sad that gamers didn't put their money where their mouths were and support the very content they demand while continuing to buy the same schlocky generic brown shooters they complain about every few months.

 

[The Shade of Time]

I'm happy about this, it's genuinely a good game in my opinion that really doesn't need a sequel.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Can't say I'm too saddened by this. While I appreciate and support the idea of videogame as storytelling device, that's no excuse for the gameplay itself being poor. If you're going to put the gameplay second, maybe you shouldn't be making a videogame at all.

 

[Sonicron]

This is as sad as it was predictable. For the record, I thought the game was fantastic, especially in regard to the writing and acting, and it actually got me to read the work it was based on (and subsequently even included it as a case study in my BA thesis).

Fortunately, they at least finished the game in a memorable way, and one I can live with despite its arguable status as a cliffhanger.

-EDIT-
Also, seeing how this is the only game I've ever played that featured a vibrantly colored post-apocalypse setting, I really hope its discontinuation won't serve to further cement the widespread belief among developers that all we want is grey-brown ruins and radioactive toilet water.

 

[Magicmad5511]

I was not expecting a sequel. The game was OK bt not a favorite anyway so doesn't effect me much.

 

[MitchyD]

This is incredibly disappointing. A sequel would've given us more of the superlative acting, and given the developers a chance to polish the gameplay into something less ordinary. I understand the dollars and cents of it, but it's still a letdown.

I'm really hoping this is going to be the strength of DMC, along with its combat, of course. These guys and gals get what makes a great cinematic game, and they have an opportunity to finally make a Devil May Cry game with characters and a story worth caring about.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Well that sucks. Enslaved was really good, but it had some problems, which they could have fixed in a sequel. I guess it was to be expected though, but it is a shame.