Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

"As good as it gets!"

By and far, I've played my fair share of Xbox games. This one definitely ranks among the top: Up in the ranks of elite games like Halo and GTA. Well lets get into the thick of things.

Story: 9.5/10
This is a well-written story with a unique concept. You are Stranger, a cat-looking creature with Western clothing on (for half of the game, anyway... more on that later) and a thick, deep Western accent. He is a bounty hunter, and being hunted at the same time. See, Stranger is a Steef, a rare creature whose head is worth thousands because of the rarity. Stranger is trying to get an operation to remove his back legs (he has 4 and wants only 2). However, the doc (the ony one in the land) ends up dying and Stranger's identity as a Steef is revealed. You're thrown into this game hidden from outlaws and collecting bounties to pay for this vague operation. There is a degree of difficulty in this game, especially against the big boys. After a while, you complete all bounties and, after you're identity is revealed, the Western theme goes away to be replaced with a forest-type/wintry theme--it actually doesn't take anything away from the game. From there you get taken in by Grubbs (little Gecko-type creatures) and look to kill the man who has the bounty on your head--Sekto and his crew.

Graphics: 10/10
To be blunt, the graphics are superb. Stranger looks fantastic as well as the chickens and geckos that are the townspeople in this game. The scenery is good looking, and is seldom grainy. The cutscenes look like they could be of next-gen caliber. 'Nuff said...

Sound: 8.5/10
The sound isn't bad by any means. The voices can get a little repetitive, especially the chicken townsfolk. Strangers voice is fine however. By far the worst thing sound-wise has to be the Grubbs' voices-- they are virtually indescribable, like nothing I've heard before. In a sense, it's almost impossible to figure out what they are saying.

Controls: 9/10
The controls are simple for a game like this. It's easy to switch from 3rd to 1st person and vice versa, plus you get around quickly. This game is very fast-paced, so the controls adjust accordingly. Basically, the only type of artillery Stranger has is a crossbow, which is a dual-wield weapon. Each side (L and R triggers fire the left and right side, respectively) can hold one creature each and it's enough to get the job done.

Miscellaneous: 10/10
By miscellaneous, I mean everything else that's in the game other than graphics, controls, sound and story. Lets start with ammo. The ammo is ingenious-- it consists of little creatures that you knock-out and gather as ammo. They have varying degrees of strength and technique, for example, the Chippunk (once fired) attracts an enemy over to it and distracts him, while Boombats are grenade-type creatures that blow up once they hit a solid surface. The main part of this game is the combat. At least half of the time you'll find yourself fighting the enemy. This is where the game shines, as it's incredibly fun to mix up your ammo to find that perfect combo to take down a specific enemy. Whether your using your Zappfly to kill a sniper, or your dual-wielding a Stingbee and Fuzzle to incapacitate an Outlaw Semi-Auto, strategy is key if you wish to survive.

Rent or Buy?
Well, since there is little replayability, I'd say rent. That DOESN'T mean this game is bad! It just means you can beat it if you rent it for about a week. All in all, it gave me about 12 hours of gameplay. Please do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/14/05