Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus

"Really difficult the first time, but really addicting..."

This is the second Oddworld game, and the sequel to Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey. It is quite long, but although the game may seem long the playtime is actually quite short. I think my shortest run through was around four to six hours. Well, let's get to the review.

Story - 9/10
So this is a sequel to the first game. So obviously, we can expect a continued story from the last one. Conveniently, it allows you to view the story from Abe's Odyssey before you start a new game. In the last game, we found out that Abe worked for a meat factory called Rupture Farms. But they were going to chop up his friends so he decided to shut them down. Depending on how well you did rescuing your friends, the mudokons, you would get a good or bad ending. The good ending was that Abe shut down Rupture Farms. The bad ending... well... he gets killed. It's basically the same thing here. I won't say the details about the ending, though. But just like Odyssey, Glukkons and Sligs run the place, and will kill you on sight. Your friends, the mudokons, are the people you must save. There are also spirits involved, because the Glukkons are digging up their bones. There is quite a lot of story, but basically it's about Abe being a hero (or villain), saving (or killing) his friends, and shutting down the Glukkons' evil plan. (or dying because he decided to kill some mudokons) The story is very good, and will keep you interested.

Graphics - 9/10
First things first, the game is in 2D. Now you're probably thinking, "how can a 2D game get a 9/10?" But, the game would be TERRIBLE if it was in 3D. (as shown in Munch's Odyssey, the next one in the series) The 2D allows more difficult puzzles and a greater challenge. Also, they pull off the graphics quite well. Everything looks good, and they make the game 3D in a 2D sort of perspective. There is a foreground and a background, and you will travel through both throughout your adventure. The two cannot interact, except for Sligs shooting at Abe from the background. In other words, you can't talk to mudokons in the background if you are in the foreground, and vice versa. But the game makes you really feel like you're in a 3D world, not caught in a flat area. And the cutscenes look great as well. The ideas for the creatures in Oddworld are really creative, and odd... like they should be!

Gameplay - 9/10
This game... is difficult. Well, if it's your first time playing it. However, it's not like your usual action game. Every puzzle, every challenging area, will allow you to have a moment to think before you dive into the action. So you won't be going through a door only to find that you're getting shot instantly. But the game is still difficult. Abe is very frail. One shot, and he's dead. One mine explosion, and he's dead. If you fall for more than one screen onto a flat surface... Abe is dead. There are plenty of ways to die in this game. But that doesn't mean Abe has to just sneak the entire game. You also get bombs, exploding farts, and even a mine car to mow down your enemies. Also, you can possess enemies to shoot and give commands to people. However, much of the game does involve lurking in the dark, trying to not be seen. Another giant part of the game is trying to rescue your mudokon allies. You have eight voice commands that Abe can do: Hello, Follow Me, Wait, Work, All o' ya, (Apology), (Anger/Slap), and Stop it!. These are done by holding either the L1 or L2 buttons, then pressing Triangle, Circle, Square, and X. Every different enemy has different voice commands. For example, Glukkons can call for help, and Sligs can command dogs to go and kill things. However, there are several "security" beacons around Oddworld, which will not allow Abe to chant or possess things. Also, if a Slig sees you chanting, he will shoot you if he can.

So, this makes the game very complicated, in a good way. There are all kinds of different puzzles, traps, mudokons, etc... The game is pretty big. You will often go through a big set of numbered doors, and finally be done with them... Only to find another set even bigger, followed by another. But the game is really addicting. One puzzle will lead you to another, making you want to keep trying to see how you can beat it. When you finally do get past a hard part, it's a big accomplishment. It's difficult, but in your frustration you will want to keep trying. There are many different gameplay aspects in Oddworld, so you would really have to just try it for yourself.

Sound/Music - 8/10
The music is pretty good. It's not terrific, but it will keep you going. It also matches the theme. For example, the wilderness has a sort of "nature" music theme. The barracks has a kind of "danger" theme. You will hear these throughout the game.

The sound is terrific. The vocabulary for each creature is a lot different, and each creature sounds unique. Even different mudokons sound different, having different voice pitches. There are plenty of explosions, mine drillings, shootings, and vocabulary sounds in the game, all of which fit perfectly. You won't hear something and say "That didn't sound right..." because everything seems to sound like it should.

Controls - 8.5/10
The controls will take some getting used to... Sometimes you have to use vocabulary in a pinch, so it's necessary to memorize how to say everything. But the controls handle well, and Abe responds quickly to what you're doing. You can run, jump, chant, hoist, crouch, roll, run-jump, run-roll, etc... All of which are easy to do with the press of a button. Once you get used to the controls, the game becomes very fluid and easy to handle. It never really feels like Abe is unresponsive.

Re-playability - 7/10
Oddworld is a great game, and there are two endings, as well as a special ending if you rescue all 300 mudokons. However, that's the only thing that will make you want to play it again, other than the enjoyment of the game. There's no special feature you get after you beat the game. However, once you beat the game, you will probably come back to it from time to time, just for the memories. It is a great game, and it's very fun to play again.

Rent/Buy
I would say that Oddworld is not for everyone. Some people say it's immature, too hard, etc... So I would definitely recommend you rent it first if you haven't played it before. If you like it, you should buy it and keep it as long as you can. Oddworld is a fun game, but when it comes to the gameplay it's pretty much defined that you will like it or you will hate it. So you should rent it and see where you stand.

Summary

+Pros+
Fun, challenging, addicting gameplay
Good sounds, everything sounds like it should
Pretty easy controls
An interesting and amusing storyline
Amazing graphics for a 2D game

-Cons-
You have to memorize the vocabulary to be able to use it effectively
Sometimes the music is hard to hear or isn't that great
It's not for everyone

I hope you enjoyed this review, and thanks for reading.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/09

Game Release: Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus (US, 10/31/98)