Back To Reviews Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus Review
Rating: Awesome Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a thinking person's game if there ever was one. As the first game in what is sure to be a long and prosperous Oddworld series from the new development company Oddworld Inhabitants, Abe had a lot riding on his shoulders. If Abe's Oddysee had sucked and/or failed to sell as well as it has (it has sold over one million copies and counting), then the future of the Oddworld series would have been in serious doubt. Fortunately, this is not the case. Abe's Oddysee is a masterpiece which I strongly recommend to every single gamer on this planet. First of all, I don't care that the graphics are "just" 2D sprites, they look as beautiful as some of the most advanced polygonal games on the market. Besides the rendered cut scenes between each level (which are often hilarious and deeply philosophical at the same time), the in-game graphics are also sweet. The characters are detailed, and it's very clear that the artists spent a lot of time on the backgrounds as well. The game doesn't have much music to speak of, but this is acceptable because music probably would have just distracted players from thinking about what they're going to do next. The sound effects are very well done, and sometimes funny (like when Abe says "Oops!" after accidentally killing a fellow Mudokon). I would tell you the great story line now, but chances are you've already heard it. And even if you haven't heard it, it would probably be better for you to learn it in the game's awesome intro. The GameSpeak system in the game is highly innovative, with multiple things you can say to each and every character in the game. In later levels, you often have to whistle and fart in patterns to prove to the native Mudokons that you're not an imposter and get them to open a door, lower a lift, etc. "Hello, hello, follow me, ok" isn't the most advanced conversation you've ever heard, but it's a start and it builds my anticipation about where the geniuses at Oddworld Inhabitants are going with GameSpeak in future Oddworld games. Some people call Abe's Oddysee an action/platform game, which is odd (pun intended) because it's not an action/platform game. There are occasional jumping segments in the game, but they don't happen that often, and even when they do happen it's always is short spurts. Abe's Oddysee is more of an adventure game than anything else. The game gives you unlimited lives; when you die you simply regenerate at the last invisible save point. Because of this, progressing in the game is based not on how many lives you have left, but how much patience you have left. Those who are easily frustrated will have to change their way of thinking when playing Abe's Oddysee. As a side note, the game's marketing campaign was brilliant in its own right. I really did walk around for weeks telling all my friends "Sound Odd? Welcome To Oddworld" after I saw those clever ads. The basic gameplay structure is that you're faced with a set of obstacles, you have to figure out how to overcome them, and you repeat this. It's not repetivie at all because the obstacles you face are different each time and the game stays fresh even after you've played it for hours and hours and hours like I have. Abe has no weapons; his only means of attacking enemies is to chant and possess them, and even this can only be done to one species of creature (and even then it can't be done if there's a non-lethal zapper in the room that prevents you from chanting). With no weapons, you have to out-smart and/or out-run your enemy. Running recklessly around the levels without thinking about what you're doing will kill you within ten seconds. It's a different kind of game for a different kind of gamer. Those with the skill and patience to handle it will find Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee to be one of the most satisfying video games in existence.
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Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus Review
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