Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

"An game that's fun as it is odd."

I was walking around at my local rental store and saw this game on the shelf. I looked around more and couldn't find anything I haven't played. This was the only game I hadn't tried yet. I rented it and ran home. I was literally blown away and flipped off of my chair when I played this game. I really mean that.

Story 10/10

Very original and awesome. If you are one of the people tired of saving a damsel in distress or saving the world from some guy with too much free time on his hands. Here's the story:

In a distant galaxy, there's a planet called Oddworld. There was a meat processing factory called Rupture Farms. Rupture Farms and all other refineries and factories are run by a ruthless race called Glukkons. Glukkons enslaved a race of native creatures called Mudokons. There was a certain Mudokon named Abe who worked in Rupture Farms and never knew freedom. He thought he had a good job. But one day, Abe saw a flyer that read:

"Coming soon from Rupture Farms, something New and Tasty!''

and since there was a board meeting of Glukkon directors at the same moment, he decided to eavesdrop. He saw the Glukkon directors standing on the platforms around a circular platform with the CEO standing on it looking at the TV in front of him. The flat screen TV had graphs of how much money Rupture Farms was making. The profits looked very grim since Scarabs and Paramites (examples of wildlife on Oddworld) were becoming scarce. The president CEO of Rupture Farms had a plan to make their profits soar off the charts. He then reminded all the Glukkon directors of New and Tasty and revealed what it was. New and Tasty was a Mudokon head coated in candy and on a stick. Abe panicked and tried to escape the factory. After a narrow escape, Abe looked at the moon and saw an imprint of a Mudokon hand on it. Abe reached out to the moon and fell off a cliff. He was found the next morning by a Mudokon tribesman called "Big Face" who took Abe under his wing and predicted he would save Oddworld from Rupture Farms. Before poison gas was released into the Mudokons in the factory, Abe pulled a switch that killed the factory power and rescued all the Mudokons in the factory. Abe became known as a legend among the Mudokons.

Later on, there was a place called Necrum. Necrum was a place the Mudokons bought their dead. But one day, the Glukkons started digging up the Mudokon bones there for no known reason. They used Mudokons with their eyes stitched shut to dig up the bones. Meanwhile, Abe was with a group of free Mudokons that found a vending machine labeled "Soulstorm Brew" with a Glukkon head icon close to it. The Mudokons started ordering the brew, until Abe spoke up. "Don't drink that!" Abe cried to the Mudokons. "Why not?" a Mudokon asked. "Well, that brew is made by Glukkons and is probably bad for you!" The Mudokons ignored him and ordered anyway. The Mudokons forgot their past and it was costing them their future. It didn't take too long for the Mudokons to get addicted to the brew. The Glukkons quickly noticed this and took advantage of their addiction by letting the Mudokons have as much brew as they wanted if they were willing to work for them. They fell for it. The only work the Mudokons had to do was get tortured and get their tears extracted. Abe soon learned that the brew was made of Mudokon bones that were being taken from Necrum and had Mudokon tears added to the brew to increase the taste and make it more addicting. Abe then sneaked into the brew boiler and messed around with the controls. After Abe was long gone and out of the brew factory, the boiler overheated and exploded. Abe also helped cure the addiction of brew for the Mudokons. Now Abe was convinced that there were still some Mudokons out there that had to be rescued. Abe set out to rescue them.

Meanwhile, there was Munch. Munch was the last of his race, the Gabbits. Munch was all alone and constantly searching for other Gabbits. While he was looking for the tenth time, he was caught in a trap set up by Vykkers Labs and had sonar implanted into his head. Munch then befriended some creatures called Fuzzles that helped set him free. Munch and Abe then met each other and figured out that they needed to team up and cooperate to save their respectable species' from extinction.
Story 10/10
Of all the plots from the games I've played, this undoubtedly has the best one I've ever seen. I really mean a lot when I say that.

Gameplay 10/10

The game engine is surprisingly odd (Okay, that might not be a surprise). Instead of the usual games where you constantly fight, you need to have a brain to win at this game. That's right, strategy is everything in this game. You use the revolutionary Gamespeak game engine to communicate with others (Fuzzles, Mudokon natives and Scrubs) and gain their help to beat levels (pulling switches, fighting off enemies, ect.). You have to be on your toes to win at this game. The game is still real fun, though.
Gameplay 10/10
This is truly what all games should be like.

Music and sound 9/10

The voices are well done. Everyone from Abe and Munch all the way down to the Meeps and Fuzzles have have voices. The music is good, but only comes on in battle and sometimes, for no reason at all. Probably to scare you or caused by some kind of glitch that couldn't be ironed out. There's also the fact that there are only two or three different songs that have minor differences between them.

Graphics 10/10

The graphics are beautiful and well detailed. Oddworld Inhabitants sure took advantage of what the X Box can really do. They make the game look like real life. There's not much to say about the graphics on the game except that they are exceptionally good.
Graphics 10/10
[Insert praise about graphics here].

Replay Value 10/10
There are alternate endings in this game. Each depends on how many rescues you made or how many things you let die. You should really rescue as many Mudokon Scrubs, Fuzzles, and Egg Crates as you can for the best ending the game can let you get. Can you get them all?

Buy or rent?
You shouldn't be asking me that! You should go steal it (like I did) or buy it as soon as you spot it at the store. It's really that good of a game. Anyone who doesn't own this game and owns an XBox doesn't seem to want to be taken seriously.

My Grand Total 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/09/03, Updated 06/29/04