Ask any self-avowed “serious” gamers out there, and they’ll tell you that Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of the most criminally overlooked hidden gems of the last console generation — even if they haven’t actually played it for themselves.  It was with this reputation in mind that I started playing this game.  Perhaps, then, it’s a victim of heightened expectations on my part, but I can’t truly say that I enjoyed this.

On paper, it seems to be exactly the kind of game I would love: beautiful, brightly colored visuals; a focus on using conventional storytelling to drive the action; motion-capture performed by Andy Serkis; excellent voice acting; well rounded, engaging characters; and a script with believable dialogue, written by acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Alex Garland, who’s written such films as Sunshine, 28 Days Later, and Ex Machina.  It’s got a stellar pedigree, to be…