The brilliance of the original Oddworld, and even the sequels, doesn't really lie in the puzzles or gameplay. It's the world they're inside. It's one of the games that really created an entirely new place to visit, something more games seem to be doing as hardware power can match up with a creator's vision. Lorne Lanning and his team completely redesigned the series in Stranger's Wrath, and created the best game in the series (and one of the best showcases of true video game art in the process).
Deciding to take the series elsewhere, platform and puzzle solving are still present, all be it in completely different form. This is a wilder action game, featuring ideas that are new not just new additions to the series, but to the video game world as a whole. Replacing Abe and Munch is the Stranger, a bounty hunter desperate for work to pay for a necessary surgery. Unlike the hopeless creatures of past games, Stranger is fully capable of defending himself with his double-sided crossbow.
On that bow is live ammo. Not like a grenade after a pin is pulled mind you. These are voracious little animals, willing to be shot at anything you aim for. You need to knock them out just to sit them down, which means yes, you need to collect it alive. Unlike a typical first person shooter where ammo remains relatively the same between weapons, these creatures have strategic value, and each is needed at some point in the game. These are not situations created by the developers (though the first use of each weapon is done like this to give players an idea of what the ammo is capable of), but understanding to the wants and needs of the player.
Outside of the first person viewpoint (with a quick press of the analog stick), it becomes a flawlessly crafted platforming title. There is a reliance on crate breaking to find cash and necessary double jumps are abundant, yet this never once seems to be derivative. That's a credit to the art design crew who could never receive the credit they deserve for this. This is pushing the console as far as it can go, showcasing environments and original characters to populate it. Lighting and shadows could not have been used more effectively than this either.
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Why buy anything more while we wait for November?
I've noticed massively dropping sales for ALL console games across stores.
Great game, though - the old Oddworld was fun too
2 - Noodle of Death
This is one of my favorite Xbox games- and sadly, it didn't seem to get the sales that it deserved.
The switch from first to third person was great, the weapons were good, and it looked fantastic.
And what about the plot twist? One of the best things I have seen in a video game.
I just wish they would make another one...