![]() ![]() It became once again possible for developers to get their games out to a massive audience without having to fork over their IP or gamble insane budgets to compete in the AAA space. What was becoming an increasingly unsustainable business based on risk-averse and all-too-often exploitative publishing arrangements broke open, just a little, with the wide acceptance of digital distribution. With that, one of the quirkiest underdogs of the PlayStation generation walked off into the sunset.Ī funny thing happened in the video game industry in the near-decade that has passed since then. Naturally, it was the studio’s biggest commercial failure because these things happen sometimes and, seriously, where is that scary organ music coming from? I can take a guess at the feeling of the studio as their most critically-acclaimed title went on to underperform in the market, because soon after, the Oddworld Inhabitants announced they were exiting the video game business. This is without question the developer’s best game, and it reflects the sort of maturity and experience that are perhaps most quickly taught by harsh lessons. ![]() It’s an exceptionally well-designed game from top to bottom, and it manages that while offering up some innovative mechanics and the usual top-shelf Oddworld production values. I infer that because Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath ($2.99) is an incredible game in all respects. I’m not saying this stuff to be mean, but rather because the reception to Munch clearly led to a bit of soul-searching for the developer. The entire series up to and including Munch unquestionably had a big fanbase, but I genuinely believe Oddworld got by on its personality more than anything else. Abe’s Exoddus was better in some ways, worse in others, and Munch’s Oddysee, while irresistibly charming, is the sort of decent-yet-forgettable 3D platfomer effort that flooded the early-to-mid period of the sixth-generation consoles. I’ll talk more about this should the game ever come to iOS, but I want to set that down immediately. The Oddworld Inhabitants were new to the craft and while the game was an amazing effort in that context, the lack of experience showed. I love Abe as a character, and I think the game has a beautiful and unique presentation, but I don’t think it’s terribly well-designed. Hey, where’s that grim organ music coming from all of a sudden?Īt this point, I’m going to step aside from the history lesson to inject some personal feelings into all of this. Microsoft’s lofty expectations for the series were too high for little Munch to live up to, and a seeming pivot in strategy for the company had Oddworld changing publishers again, this time to Electronic Arts. ![]() ![]() It seemed like the Oddworld Inhabitants were having a bit of trouble getting the swing of a fully 3D game, and as a result, Munch’s Oddysee was perhaps not the game fans were hoping for, and is considered the series lowpoint by many. The big step to 3D would happen with Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee, which ended up at least as famous for being a major Xbox-exclusive launch title as it did for any of its inherent qualities. They had gorgeous graphics, but they were almost entirely pre-rendered, and the gameplay was, at best, 2.5D. The Abe games were 2D puzzle platformers in the vein of games like Another World or Prince of Persia. It was followed by an initially unplanned direct sequel, Abe’s Exoddus, which was meant to help fill the gap while everyone waited for the next chapter of the quintology. The game was a massive hit, and the lead character Abe become something of a cult icon in the 32-bit era. A new team planning for that many games before they’ve even finished one is the game development equivalent of a rookie stepping up to the plate and pointing at the stands, but when Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee released, it seemed like the Oddworld Inhabitants weren’t bluffing. Founded by Hollywood veterans to take advantage of the correctly-predicted boom that 3D graphics would bring, the company had a clear, ambitious plan for a series of five games that took place in their Oddworld universe. The story of the Oddworld Inhabitants themselves is almost as interesting as that of any of their games. ![]()
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