Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

"Ingenious. And of course, incredibly odd."

Hands up who's heard of Oddworld Inhabitants! Eh, me neither. But they're the folks who designed this crazy game, and I have to say, hats off to them. They've managed to create something unique, addictive, and seriously fun.

You are Abe, a little furry green Mudokon, and this is your Oddysee. Your planet is Oddworld, and the company you work for (are a slave for) is the RuptureFarms meat-processing plant. One day Abe, just doing his job and all, stumbles across a Glukkon general meeting (Glukkons are the guys that run RuptureFarms) and discovers their new plan to put a stop to the dwindling profits... a new product! Mudokon meat! We've all heard the term "Soylent Green is people", but in Abe's case it just might be reality!

Well, what now? Abe's gotta get out of there! He's public enemy number one because of what he knows, so you have to guide him firstly into escaping from RuptureFarms. And, unselfishly, you can aid your fellow Mudokons into escaping the place too. You can be as kind or as mean as you want. You can even kill your co-workers yourself. But, I digress.

In terms of graphics, this is a nice 2D side-scroller. You'll be navigating Abe through levels, and up down and around platforms. As all games of the time were, the backgrounds are pre-rendered, and done well too. The game has aged well, which is good to say. All of the areas you'll travel through are unique, from RuptureFarms, a dark factory; to Paramonia, a forest; to Scrabania, a desert temple; as well as many more. They're beautifully crafted.

I love the sound in this game. Not so much the music, as the special effects. The music itself gets a bit repetitive, as each level has only one music track looping in the background - lucky it's mild and non-irritating, otherwise you'd have another reason to throw the controller at your Playstation. But the special effects are hilarious, and part of what makes the game appeal to young and old - Abe has a limited repetoire of speech, and he can communicate with other creatures in his surroundings. If he approaches another Mudokon, he can say hello to them, and they will reply in kind if they are friendly. He can, also, make fart noises (amongst other things), which my five year old nephew just LOVES.

So how does this all tie together in the gameplay? Well Abe, being a simple little slave, carries no weapons, no armour. He's gotta rely on his miniscule intellect to outwit, outplay and outlast his foes all through Oddworld. Navigating across the screen, map by map, he has the ability to sneak, run, roll, duck, throw rocks, hide in shadows, ride his friend Elum, chant to possess enemies (cmon, everyone's done the trick of possessing a Slig and then making it blow itself up) and much more.

And what happens if all your skills fail you? More than being just a puzzle game, this is stealth at its absolute finest - if Abe is spotted and can't escape quickly, he's dead. Simple as that. Whether he's eaten by a Paramite, shot by a rampaging Slig, or vaporized by a forcefield, he's dead as a doornail. Luckily, the game designers weren't TOTALLY cruel and sadistic - there's no concept of running out of lives, just play and play until you win or give up :P That being said, this game is an extreme test of patience, and test of your own skills.

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee also includes extra tough challenges, such as guiding all 99 of your fellow Mudokons found around Oddworld to safety via special escape portals. If you're up to the task, it'll keep any gamer amused for hours upon hours, and makes Oddworld a game not to be missed. Buy it if you can, you won't regret it, it's an absolute classic.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/06