The original Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey for PlayStation 1 was, at the time, a tour de force in graphics and gameplay innovation.

Oddworld Soulstorm is a direct sequel to 2014’s Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty!, (and technically a reboot of Oddworld: Abe’s Exodus) but is welcoming enough to people new to the series, like me, to get to grips with it’s systems.

Oddworld Soulstorm was released last year for PC (via the Epic Games Store), and PlayStation 4 and 5, but with this new Enhanced Edition it now comes to Xbox consoles as well.

The Enhanced Edition adds new patches and platform-exclusive content, and is generally a more polished experience than the original release. For the many who picked it up as the first PlayStation 5 PlayStation Plus title, you’ll be pleased to see it has been updated automatically to this new version for no additional cost.

If you haven’t played it before, Oddworld is a 2D puzzle platformer where you play a weak, 1960’s inspired alien-like lifeform called Abe as he makes his way across dangerous environments, hiding from his overlords who previously enslaved him. Through a combination of potions, mysterious chanting abilities, and sneaking, Abe, a reluctant leader, shows his followers the path to freedom.

And make no mistake, this is a difficult game. You can’t just tank damage from enemies and hope to move on. Mistakes are punished, death is usually instant and Abe time and again shows that he is fragile. While it is usually clear what to do, there is still a strong element of trial and error before you can progress in any level. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you, I liked the strong puzzle focus, and it’s unique combination with platforming elements. Still, I would have preferred a quick save system in place of the checkpoints, which induce a large amount of stutter as you pass them by, but this is a minor complaint and I can see that it is a creative design decision not to include them.

I was also impressed with the extensive use of background elements in what the developers call a “2.9D” system. There are lots of interactions with background elements, with a hugely dynamic camera that moves in and out, and alongside Abe in a way that is innovative for a 2D platformer.

Levels are massive, and what may be a remote background element at one point can eventually become your play space later as the level progresses.

Both Xbox and PlayStation have exclusive content for their platforms in this new Enhanced Edition.

Vykkers Labs will be available to the Xbox versions of the game, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to test that version to see what it’s like.

Toby’s Escape instead is available for PlayStation players, and focuses on a slightly different set of platformer puzzles set in the basement of Rupture Farms as he makes his way out after Abe destroys the joint. It’s a neat addition, and totally separate from the main game.

Platform exclusive content is always frustrating to see, and despite the overall console exclusivity coming to an end it is disappointing to see elements of this remaining in the release program.

Hopefully Vykkers Labs appears on PlayStation and Toby’s Escape makes its way to Xbox consoles after the briefest of time windows.

A solid, updated release of an excellent 2020 game, Oddworld Soulstorm: Enhanced Edition is a worthwhile update that provides new reasons to come back for new and old players.

Even after all this time, the Oddworld series is still unique in the gaming space, and I hope to see more of Abe and his adventures in the future.

The post Oddworld Soulstorm: Enhanced Edition (PS5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Oddworld: Soulstorm, the bigger, badder, bolder action adventure platforming sequel is coming in spring 2021. You can pre-purchase the PC version right now at Epic Games Store. PlayStation pre-orders will be announced later.

Oddworld: Soulstorm is the second game in a quintology. We first met our reluctant hero, Abe the Mudokon, in Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty.

Abe was born in a system that relegated his kind to the bottom of the food chain. He and others quietly slaved away at RuptureFarms, the world’s biggest meat processing plant run by Molluck the Glukkon (part of the Magog Cartel). That changed in an instant after he accidently overhears a sinister plan to increase profits at RuptureFarms by turning Mudokons into food.

Abe, like any of us would after hearing we were going to become food, tries to quietly escape but along the way something inside of him awakens. He just can’t leave behind his fellow Mudokons. His actions create a spark that ignites a movement and maybe a revolution.

Oddworld: Soulstorm continues Abe’s evolutionary story. You will learn that revolutions start small, but real and lasting change requires the power of many and the power of hope. And that opposing forces will use every means at their well-funded disposal, from propaganda to brute force, to beat back even the smallest uprising.

And here is a list of gameplay features just released today:

Action Adventure Platforming: Evolving the platforming genre by adding RPG-lite elements with player agency to play as they like, whether aggressively or passively.

Narrative: A dark storyline with a twisted sense of humor that shines a light on the ironies that exist in the human condition.

2.9D: Epic environments with massive scale to explore by going into the world, rather than being limited to the traditional side scrolling platformer sense.

Quarma (think Karma): Quarma is a real time feedback feature that reflects your actions in the game and will influence Abe, his followers, his abilities, and your score throughout the game.

Scavenger’s Economy: Pickpocket enemies, loot lockers, sift through trash cans to acquire resources. Exchange them at vending machines to get products that give you more agency in how you chose to conquer the game’s many challenges.

Crafting: Use scavenged resources and vending machine products to craft items to use as weapons or tools against characters and obstacles.

Strength in Numbers: The more followers you save, the stronger the uprising becomes. Gift crafted items to followers. It’s up to you to decide whether they will be aggressive or passive.

Gameplay: A 2.9D action adventure platformer. Expected first time playthrough is estimated at 15 hours. Achievement hunters and perfectionists can easily play for dozens of hours.

Leaderboards: All levels offer a tallying system, leaderboards, achievements, and badges.

Stay tuned as we get more info on a release date real soon.

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The post Oddworld: Soulstorm is Coming Spring 2021 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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The French publisher Microids and Oddworld Inhabitants are delighted to announce a co-publishing deal for three classic Oddworld titles, all coming to Nintendo Switch in 2020. 

The first game is Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD and it will release digitally on January 23, 2020. It will retail both with a standard and a limited edition, in the first quarter 2020. The limited edition will include some nice exclusive collectibles.

“We are very happy about this new collaboration with Oddworld Inhabitants regarding the publishing of these three classic titles! We are going to help as much as we can to ensure these masterpieces get the spotlight they deserve. These three games will fit quite nicely in our catalog where retro gaming has a prominent place. These games captivated an entire generation of gamers and some Microids employees, formerly working with the GT Interactive team, got to work on the original launch of the first Oddworld games more than 20 years ago,” said Stéphane Longeard – CEO of Microids.

“Microids champions the Oddworld brand and our goal to create entertainment properties that balance beauty, empathy, creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship. They understand the classic games and indie space. This partnership is a great fit for us, and we are excited to have them onboard as we bring three classic Oddworld games to the Nintendo Switch in 2020,” said Sherry McKenna, co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants.  

Oddworld Inhabitants is an independent video game developer and publisher, co-founded by special effects and computer animation veterans Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning. The award-winning team of storytellers and artists at Oddworld are known for creating indelible entertainment properties that speak to millions of fans worldwide. The team will release four games in 2020 including the highly anticipated Oddworld: Soulstorm, which is scheduled for a 2020 release on Epic Game Store and consoles.

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