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Enslaved up for Ivor Novello Award

Hey, hey, it's the Monkey.

Enslaved could win a prestigious award for its music.

The Ninja Theory adventure has been nominated for Best Original Video Game Score at the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, which acknowledges excellence in British and Irish songwriting and composing.

Enslaved is one of three titles competing at the annual ceremony, alongside the late Bizarre Creations' James Bond 007: Blood Stone and The Creative Assembly's Napoleon: Total War.

The accolade would be another trophy in the cabinet for composer Nitin Sawhney, who also scored previous Ninja Theory game Heavenly Sword.

As Ellie wrote in Eurogamer's swinging 8/10 review: "Sawhney's impressive orchestral score truly enhances the gameplay experience, whether you're engaged in a tense bit of platforming accompanied by nervous strings or bowling around on a hoverboard to some jolly choral music."

The title's soundtrack was one of several standout elements in the game, alongside the performance capture of Andy "Gollum" Serkis and an intelligent script by Hollywood writer Alex Garland. Together, these elements combined to create a frequently hilarious, often heartfelt story, which acted as a driving force to get gamers through some of the slightly more repetitive mech-bashing moments.

But while its overgrown post-apocalyptic setting and well-rounded characters enjoyed a generally positive critical reception, the title failed to set cash registers ringing. In February, publisher Namco Bandai reported only 460,000 copies had been sold, dimming hopes for a sequel and a resolution to the adventure's game-changing cliffhanger.

Perhaps the game will have more luck next month? Judged by the songwriting and composing community, the Ivors are set to be announced on 19th May.