A seminal Hack and Slash for anyone who wants a fresh take on the genre.
I remember when Enclave was released; it was a title I ignored after reading reviews of it for the original Xbox. It was apparently marred with a horrible difficulty curve and the control system was a mess. I wasn't really impressed, so I let it go. I only found out later that there was a PC version of the game and at 58 pence in a bargain bucket I thought I might give it a go.
Enclave for me has become one of my top five hack and slash games of all time - where it fell down on the consol, on the PC the game works perfectly. Let me just point out that its up with the likes of the Xbox 360 Conan game, Severance and Diablo. When I played this, it was my first experience of a game developed by Starbreeze studios - who are behind the seminal Escape from Butcher bay and other excellent RPG titles.
The game itself has two distinct story lines, light and dark. Within them are different characters who range from outright fighters to magic users. This gives a terrific amount of replay and variation, as for each mission you don’t have to stick with the character you started the game with - you can switch to any of them to fit the purpose. For example, if there is a level with a lot of enemies who are at distance, you can use the Ranger character to deal with the distant targets. The same goes for cramped corridors and narrow battlements.
There is a lot of laugh out loud moments within Enclave as well, as a lot of enemies are not scripted after spawning and will sometimes fall into environmental traps meant for the player. Not to mention some other pretty amusing animations, but if you're generally laughing with the game and not at it.
The level design is what really shines in Enclave, there has been much time spent in making the maps fantastical, dark and clever. Literally, from dark labyrinths, ancient courtyards, rooftops, underwater chambers and spirallying stairs to airy platoes the game has a cavalcade of environments. Yes, you'll find yourself double-backing, but there is good reason for it.
Another facet to Enclave, other than its directional combat using the WASD keys, is a treasure hunt which enables you to buy new things but also intelligently explore the maps. Throughout the game there are bags of gold and gems which you are free to collect if you wish. If you do, they open up new equipment for you to buy, but also collecting every scrap within the game will unlock a pretty cool easter egg - I'll say no more.
One sad thing is how this game could have had some excellent online multiplayer - in fact the skirmish maps are present, you have to play through them. Look at the flow and imagine being able to play a death match, but with your character, earning gold to upgrade. When you play it you'll see what I mean; it is a missed opportunity which could have made Enclave something beyond what it is already.
For $5.99 you are buying a seminal piece of gaming, as good as the other titles I've mentioned. Don't be put off by what looks a simple concept done to death, Enclave is great, its music superb as well as everything it does to achieve its best within its own genre.
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