I just finished Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.  I love the setting of a post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed civilization.  The art direction is superb.  It's got great character animations, with the best facial animations I've seen in a game.  These things really enhance the simple, personal story.  The ending was well done, and contains a (sort of) twist that I wasn't expecting and really pushed it into the realm of introspection.

The game-play is definitely one of its weak points.  It's not bad, just rough around the edges.  All of the criticisms I've read about the game are valid, in my opinion, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  One thing in particular did annoy me though, and it's nothing new to console games.  But in a game with great characterizations and a very human, mature story, its presence is all the more jarring.

I refer to the collect-athon.  In this case you have to run around collecting "orbs" as a sort of currency to allow upgrades to weapons, health, and what-not.  Couldn't they come up with a better way?  One could simply ignore this aspect, but the upgrades are extremely useful.  I found myself running around like a klepto on speed looking for these things in every nook and cranny, instead of striding deliberately, confidently through this lush world like one would expect from the solemn protagonist.

Anyway, I suppose it's a minor gripe, but the game could have been so much more if it would have left out some of those less savory aspects.  Maybe that's just the old computer game snob in me talking.

It doesn't have much replay value, but I never consider than in judging a game's worth.  Anyone else have opinions about this one?