Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee: Difference between revisions

From Oddworld Library
(Added information about Enhanced Edition, Vykkers Labs and Toby's Escape, added pre-orders to timeline, removed times from references, added datetimes to references, made display title italic)
Tag: Reverted
m (Undo revision 2471 by Wil (talk) || Somehow update to Oddworld: Soulstorm changed this article)
Tag: Undo
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite>}}
<b><cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite></b> is the latest videogame developed by [[Oddworld Inhabitants]], released on [[PlayStation]], [[Xbox]] and [[PC]] in <time>2021</time>. It is the sixth [[Oddworld videogames|videogame released by Oddworld Inhabitants]] and is primarily a retelling of events previously portrayed in <cite>[[Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus]]</cite>, although with hugely significant changes to the story, gameplay and levels. It is the second installment in the [[Oddworld 2.0]] [[Oddworld Quintology|Quintology]] and so can also be considered a replacement of <cite>[[Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee]]</cite>, although it contains only small references to the lore of that game and does not feature [[Munch]].
'''<cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite>''' is the first videogame by [[Oddworld Inhabitants]]. Released in September 1997, it introduced audiences to [[Oddworld]] and [[Abe]], a slave who escapes his former workplace after discovering his [[Molluck|boss]] had plans to turn him and his fellow [[Mudokon]]s into a new meat snack product. It was planned as the first in a series of five titles called the [[Oddworld Quintology]], and through its critical and commercial achievements, succeeded in making a name for Oddworld Inhabitants.


== Story ==
== Story ==
The narrative of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> diverges from the events of <cite>[[Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus]]</cite>, although it focuses on many of the same characters, locations and themes as well as introducing new ones. For instance, in <cite>Exoddus</cite>, [[Necrum Mines]] is the first playable location [[Abe]] visits, but in <cite>Soulstorm</cite> it is one of the last places Abe travels to.
Abe is a naïve and content meat factory worker until he discovers his boss’s secret plan and the forgotten culture of his race. He then needs to employ all his bravery, cunning, determination and compassion to overcome his laziness, rescue his brothers, shut down the twisted slaughterhouse and become the saviour of his people.


=== Synopsis ===
=== Synopsis ===
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/plot|label 1 = Plot of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>}}
{{Main|Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/Plot|label 1 = Plot of <cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite>}}
Abe is working late one night at [[RuptureFarms 1029|RuptureFarms]] when he passes the boardroom and eavesdrops the factory’s annual board meeting. He sees the plans of his boss, [[Molluck]] the [[Glukkon]], to turn the factory’s Mudokons (including Abe) into [[Mudokon Pop]]s, a meat snack. Abe escapes RuptureFarms and finds a [[Abe’s Moon|moon]] whose face resembled his hand, only to fall off a cliff to his death.


== Gameplay ==
His body is found and resurrected by a Mudokon shaman called [[Big Face]], who tells Abe about the conflict between Mudokons and Glukkons, and how Glukkons have destroyed the native lands and sacred creatures of the Mudokons. He also tells Abe his fate is to rescue the other Mudokons using the power of [[Shrykull]], a Mudokon god, that is given to he who is initiated into the [[Paramonian Temple|Paramonian]] and [[Scrabanian Temple]]s.
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/gameplay|label 1 = <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> gameplay|Oddworld: Soulstorm/Levels|label 2 = Levels in <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>}}
=== Movement ===
=== Chanting ===
=== Crafting ===
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/crafting|label 1 = Crafting in <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>}}
=== Achievements ===
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/cchievements|label 1 = Achievements in <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>|Oddworld: Soulstorm/Badges|label 2 = Badges in <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>}}


== History ==
Upon completing the Temple Trails and fighting his way back into RuptureFarms, Abe sets about rescuing the entire slave labour force. Molluck responds by releasing a gas deadly to the Mudokons, but Abe reaches the shutdown lever in the board room in time to prevent it. However, Abe is then captured and taken to a cell. When Molluck arrives to have Abe dropped into a meat grinder, grateful Mudokons knock Molluck and his assistant unconscious with a bolt of lightning and Big Face teleports Abe to a celebration of his heroism.
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/credits|label 1 = <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> credits}}


=== Release ===
== Gameplay ==
After the Epic Spring Showcase, on <time datetime="2021-02-11">11 February 2021</time>, the Oddworld Inhabitants Twitter account shared a message from Oddworld creative director [[Lorne Lanning]] addressing Oddworld fans regarding the release date of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>.<ref name="ReleaseDateLorne1"/> In the final part of the four-tweet message, Lanning assured fans that the game's release date would be revealed before <time datetime="2021-02-28T24:00">the end of February 2021</time>.<ref name="ReleaseDateLorne4"/>
{{Main|Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/Gameplay|label 1 = <cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite> gameplay}}
<cite>Abe’s Oddysee</cite> is a 2D flip-screen cinematic platformer, a rarity in the time it was released, when 3D gaming was being embraced almost universally by developers and gamers. This was seen as a bold decision by Oddworld Inhabitants, and is considered to have been pulled off triumphantly. [[Lorne Lanning]] and [[Sherry McKenna]] have subsequently explained that 3D games were always their amongst their intentions, but that they believed they could create more high-end, artistic visuals with pre-rendered sprites and matte backgrounds than current 3D technology could achieve.


On <time datetime="2021-02-25">25 February 2021</time>, Lanning hosted a 3-minute presentation during Sony's State of Play digital promotional event during which he announced that the [[PlayStation]] 5 version of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> would be free to play for PlayStation Plus members from <time datetime="2021-04-06">6 April</time> to <time datetime="2021-05-03">3 May 2021</time>. The endslate of the video gave a <time datetime="2021-04-06">6 April</time> release date for <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and on Epic Games Store for PC.<ref name="StateofPlayYTOW"/> This was backed up by a post on [[Oddworld.com]] and a guest post by Lanning on the PlayStation.Blog.<ref name="ReleaseDateOddcom"/><ref name="ReleaseDatePSBlog"/>
The gameplay of <cite>Abe’s Oddysee</cite> is considered to be highly innovative and engaging, as well as retro, even in its time. To make the game accessible and approachable by as broad a demographic as possible, it features a bare minimum of heads-up display (at most, floating numbers signify how many grenades/rocks Abe is carrying, or how many Mudokons need to be rescued simultaneously for the player to receive a power-up. In the PC port, a floating diamond appears when Abe reaches a checkpoint) and graphical user interfaces (Abe can read directories and story stones, which freezes gameplay and replaces it with an informational screen).


During the lawsuit of <cite>Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple Inc.</cite> held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, one document submitted as evidence revealed that Epic Games Store had ‘lifetime exclusivity’ on <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite>, at least on PC, at least in the words Epic Games used internally, and at least at the time the document was used internally (<time datetime="2019-10-25">25 October 2019</time>).<ref name="DX4361"/>
The player controls Abe in a two-dimensional plane, moving him along the ground to the left or right by walking, running, sneaking, rolling, or hopping. The player can also move vertically by hoisting up or down to reach different levels, or by riding a manual elevator called a platform. When Abe moves beyond the confines of the current screen, the camera switches to a new view, and Abe emerges from the opposite side of the screen, creating a continuous virtual environment.


In <time datetime="2001-06">June 2021</time>, <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> received an ESRB rating for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S,<ref name="Gematsu ESRB Xbox"/> which was shortly thereafter removed from the ESRB website. On <time datetime="2021-08-11T21:56:35.000Z">11 August</time>,<ref name="Lorne photo Xbox blackboard"/> Oddworld Inhabitants tweeted a photo of Lorne Lanning that prominently showed a gantt chart on a blackboard labelled with ‘Xbox’, with the date of <time datetime="2021-08-23">23 August</time> circled for a Release Candidate. On <time datetime="2021-08-18T15:01:27.000Z">18 August</time>, Oddworld Inhabitants tweeted a video that many interpreted as a teaser for an Xbox release.<ref name="OWI Soulstorm Xbox teaser"/><ref name="NME interprets Xbox release"/> On <time datetime="2021-10-18">18 October</cite>, Oddworld Inhabitants announced that <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition</cite> would release on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on <time datetime="2021-11-30">30 November</time>.<ref name="Enhanced Edition announced by Microids"/>
Abe has to navigate and progress through the environment to reach subsequent levels, evading traps and enemy non-player characters (NPCs). However, there is also an emphasis on rescuing Mudokons from slavery by leading them to bird portals, through which they can travel and escape. Although this is possible from the very start of the game, it is not taught to the player explicitly until the third act, and its importance to the successful completion of the game isn’t made apparent until the very end.


==== Pre-orders ====
There are dangers that Abe must be careful of as he moves through each level, such as meat saws, land mines, trap doors, falling objects, and electric walls. Some of these can be turned on or off remotely by levers, ring pulls, or foot switches, while UXBs and order bombs can be activated or deactivated only directly by Abe. Explosive devices can set off by luring NPCs onto them.
Because <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> was free on PlayStation 5 for PlayStation Plus members at its launch, Oddworld Inhabitants was unable to offer pre-orders on digital copies of the game for both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.<ref name="PreorderPlayStation"/> However, pre-orders for Microids' physical editions were available from <time datetime="2021-03-25">25 March 2021</time> (for PlayStation versions) and <time datetime="2021-10-18">18 October 2021</time> (for Xbox versions).


==== Cross Buy ====
Abe is characteristically unable to directly attack enemy characters with weapons or mêlée attacks, exception for throwing grenades dispensed by occasional Boom machines. Instead, he must avoid being killed by evading enemies, by remaining undetected by them or keeping out of their line of fire. He can kill them by luring them into such dangers as described above, or occasionally by transforming in Shrykull and electrocuting them.
Customers who purchased the digital PlayStation 4 version of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> would be able to own the digital PlayStation 5 version of the game as well for free. However, because the digital PlayStation 5 version of <cite>Soulstorm</cite> would be free for PlayStation Plus members at the game's launch, the reverse would not be true, and customers buying the digital PlayStation 5 version of the game would <em>not</em> be able to also own the digital PlayStation 4 version of the game for free.<ref name="FreePath"/>
Fortunately, Abe can have other influences on the environment and characters around him, by two rather unique gameplay mechanisms: GameSpeak, and possession.


==== Physical ====
=== GameSpeak ===
On <time datetime="2021-03-25">25 March 2021</time>, [[Microids]] announced that it was publishing physical editions of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, to be released by retailers on <time datetime="2021-07-06">6 July</time>, with participating retailers offering pre-orders immediately.<ref name="MicroidsPhysical"/> On <time datetime="2021-10-18">18 October 2021</time>, Microids announced that it was publishing physical editions of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition</cite> for Xbox One and Xbox X|S, to be released by retailers on <time datetime="2021-11-30">30 November</time>, with participating retailers offering pre-orders immediately.<ref name="Enhanced Edition announced by Microids"/>
{{Main|Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/GameSpeak|label 1 = GameSpeak in <cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite>|GameSpeak}}
GameSpeak is an ability of Abe’s designed and implemented to demonstrate the awareness of characters in the Oddworld universe. Abe can utter any of a number of set phrases at any time he is standing still, but only certain characters will react. [[Slig]]s will respond to certain GameSpeak, but Mudokons will follow orders from Abe. This allows him to lead them through the level to [[bird portal]]s. [[Elum]] will also obey instruction from Abe.


On both occasions, two physical versions were made available, the ‘<b>Day One Oddition</b>’ and the ‘<b>Collector's Oddition</b>’.
=== Chanting and possession ===
{{Main|Possession}}
One of the verbal sounds Abe can GameSpeak is his chant, a continuous noise Abe makes with a bowed head and palms pressed together. When he does this, lights sparkle around him. The sound of chanting causes discomfort to [[Scrab]]s, [[Paramite]]s, Sligs and the Elum. Sligs will run around in a panic shouting ‘Help!, but if they stay on the same screen as Abe for long enough, the lights will reach for the Slig, and Abe will possess it. From then on, the player will be able to control the Slig directly.


The Day One Oddition features the game in a collectible embossed metal case featuring [[Abe]]'s scarred left hand on the front and his tattooed chest on the rear. The Collector's Oddition includes the metal case and also comes with
Sligs can walk and run like Abe, but they can’t crouch, jump, sneak, or hoist. They can use their gun to shoot enemies on behalf of Abe, and can GameSpeak to [[Slog]]s, ordering them to attack enemies sheltered from Slig gunfire, such as when they’re on the other side of a partition. Sligs do not follow orders given to them by possessed Sligs, and will often shoot at possessed Sligs, meaning they are not invincible.
* unique collector's box
* <cite>[[Oddworld: Soulstorm — The art of the videogame]]</cite>, a 160-page artbook made by Pix'n Love
* exclusive 22 cm (9 inch) Abe figurine
* exclusive [[SoulStorm Mining Company]] key fob
* 3 art prints: [[SoulStorm Brewery]], [[FeeCo Depot]] and [[Molluck]]
* stickers of [[Mudokon]] tribal art and Abe's [[Scrab]] tattoo


Pre-orders from participating retailers of Microids' physical editions also come with
Abe’s chant also activates bird portals, through which Mudokons can jump to escape the factory, and stuns Scrabs and Paramites: a well-timed chant can give Abe enough time to run past a traumatized enemy.
* 50-page digital artbook by Pix'n Love
* digital game soundtrack


==== Timeline ====
== History ==
; <time datetime="2021-03-25">25 March 2021</time>
{{Main|Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/credits|label 1 = <cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite> credits}}
: Collector's Oddition and Day One Oddition for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (pre-order)
=== Release ===
; <time datetime="2021-04-06">6 April 2021</time>
; 19 September 1997
: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (digital)
: Sony PlayStation (North American and PAL regions)
: Windows (Epic Games Store)
; 31 October 1997
; <time datetime="2021-07-06">6 July 2021</time>
: Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS (North American and PAL regions)
: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (physical)
; 11 December 1997
: <cite>[[Oddworld: Soulstorm — The art of the videogame]]</cite>
: Sony PlayStation (Japan)
; <time datetime="2021-10-18">18 October 2021</time>
; 23 February 2001
: Collector's Oddition and Day One Oddition for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S (pre-order)
: Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS (Japan)
; <time datetime="2021-11-30">30 November 2021</time>
; 29 August 2008
: <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition</cite> for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store (digital)
: Microsoft Windows (Steam)
: <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition</cite> for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S (physical and digital)
; 16 December 2008
: <cite>[[Toby's Escape]]</cite> for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store (digital)
: Microsoft Windows (GOG.com)
: <cite>[[Oddworld: Soulstorm/Vykkers Labs|Vykkers Labs]]</cite> for Xbox Series X|S (physical and digital)
; 22 October 2009
: PS3 & PSP (via PSN, North American regions)
; 15 April 2010
: PS3 & PSP (via PSN, PAL regions)


=== Updates ===
== Appendices ==
==== Patches ====
=== Characters ===
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/patches|label 1 = <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> patches}}
* [[Abe]]
; <time datetime="2021-04-07">7 April 2021</time>
* [[Molluck]]
: 1.05
* [[Big Face]]
; <time datetime="2021-04-09">9 April 2021</time>
* [[Elum]]
: 1.06
* [[Shrykull]]
; <time datetime="2021-04-14">14 April 2021</time>
: 1.07
; <time datetime="2021-04-28">28 April 2021</time>
: 1.08
; <time datetime="2021-05-14">14 May 2021</time>
: 1.11/1.10001
; <time datetime="2021-06-04">4 June 2021</time>
: 1.13
 
==== <cite>Enhanced Edition</cite> ====
On <time datetime="2021-10-18">18 October 2021</cite>, Oddworld Inhabitants announced that <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition</cite> would be released on <time datetime="2021-11-30">30 November 2021</time>. This version of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> would feature ‘<q>improved gameplay mechanics and motion code, audio balance improvements, seven additional months of polish, improved Slig and follower <abbr title="artificial intelligence">AI</abbr> (more intelligent and responsive),</q>,’<ref name="Enhanced Edition announced on Gematsu"/> as well as including all previously released patches to the original game. The <cite>Enhanced Edition</cite> will be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The press release stated that the <cite>Enhanced Edition</cite> would also ‘<q>be available</q>’ on the platforms that <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm</cite> was originally released on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store;<ref name="Enhanced Edition announced by Microids"/> Oddworld Inhabitants quickly confirmed that it would be a free update for anyone who already owned the game on these platforms.<ref name="OWI confirms Enhanced free update"/>


==== <cite>Vykkers Labs</cite> and <cite>Toby's Escape</cite> ====
=== Species ===
{{Main|Oddworld: Soulstorm/Vykkers Labs|label 1 = <cite>Vykkers Labs</cite>|Toby's Escape|label 2 = <cite>Toby's Escape</cite>}}
* [[Mudokon]]s
As part of <cite>Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition</cite>, a new challenge game mode will be added to the game, accessible from the main menu. The levels added will vary by platform, with <cite>Vykkers Labs</cite> being available in Xbox versions of the game, and <cite>Toby's Escape</cite> being added to PlayStation and Epic Game Store versions. Both <cite>Vykkers Labs</cite> and <cite>Toby's Escape</cite> will comprise ‘<q>short puzzle-filled levels</q>’ that are ‘<q>a throwback to classic Oddworld 2.5D gameplay</q>’, with leaderboards for speedrunning times.<ref name="Microids announces Soulstorm challenges"/>
* [[Glukkon]]s
* [[Slig]]s
* [[Slog]]s
* [[Scrab]]s
* [[Paramite]]s
* [[Meeches]]
* [[Elum]]s
* Bats
* Bees
* Birds
* Hint Flies


== References ==
=== Levels ===
<references>
These are the levels as listed in the game’s level select menu (see [[Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/Cheats|<cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite> cheats]]).
<ref name="ReleaseDateLorne1"><b>Lanning, Lorne (<time datetime="2021-02-11T20:16:16.000Z">11 February 2021</time>)</b>. ‘<q>A message from @lorne_lanning: // To Our Fans, // Thank you for your support. Today we released a new teaser trailer, courtesy of our friends at Epic. If you haven’t seen it yet, click here to check it out:</q>’. [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1359959458181509125 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
* RuptureFarms
<ref name="ReleaseDateLorne4"><b>Lanning, Lorne (<time datetime="2021-02-11T20:16:17.000Z">11 February 2021</time>)</b>. ‘<q>So, with Abe as my witness, before the sun sets on <time datetime="2021-02-28">the last day of February 2021</time>, you will know the official simultaneous release date for Oddworld: Soulstorm’s on <abbr title="PlayStation 5">PS5</abbr>, <abbr title="PlayStation 4">PS4</abbr>, and Epic Games Store. // Until then, stay safe. Stay odd! // Lorne Lanning</q>’. [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1359959464359694342 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
* Stockyard Escape
<ref name="StateofPlayYTOW"><b>Lanning, Lorne (<time datetime="2021-02-25">25 February 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tngcQ9nkHxc Oddworld: Soulstorm at Sony State of Play!]’. Oddworld Inhabitants. YouTube. Google.</ref>
* Monsaic Lines
<ref name="ReleaseDateOddcom"><b>Oddworld Staff (<time datetime="2021-02-25">25 February 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[http://www.oddworld.com/2021/02/oddworld-soulstorm-coming-april-6/ Oddworld: Soulstorm Coming to PC, PS4, and PS5 on April 6]’. Community News. Oddworld.com. Oddworld Inhabitants.</ref>
* Paramonia
<ref name="ReleaseDatePSBlog"><b>Lanning, Lorne (<time datetime="2021-02-25">25 February 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://blog.playstation.com/2021/02/25/oddworld-soulstorm-arrives-on-ps4-and-ps5-april-6/ Oddworld: Soulstorm arrives on PS4 and PS5 April 6]’. PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation.com. Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited.</ref>
* Paramonian Temple
<ref name="DX4361"><b>Epic Games (<time datetime="2019-10-25">25 October 2019</time>)</b>. ‘Lifetime exclusivity on select titles (Oddworld: Soulstorm, Auto Chess, 10 Crowns, Ooblets, World War Z)’. ‘2nd Half <time>2019</time> + MG risk mitigated by evolved deal structure’, ‘Epic Games Store 12 Month Exclusive - Deal Structures’, slide 61. ‘Epic Games Store Review of Performance and Strategy’. Exhibit DX-4361. <cite>Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple, Inc.</cite>, 4:20-cv-05640-YGR (<time>2021</time>). United States District Court for the Northern District of California.</ref>
* Paramonian Nests
<ref name="PreorderPlayStation"><b>Oddworld Inhabitants (<time datetime="2021-03-23T17:24Z">5·24 pm, 23 March 2021</time>)</b>. ‘<q>@QuinnMi96388106 @StanGe205 Hi Quinn, don't worry we received your "lovely" email. Because Soulstorm is April’s free game of the month for <abbr title="PlayStation 5">PS5</abbr> <abbr title="PlayStation Plus">PS+</abbr> members, we are not allowed to offer pre-orders for the <abbr title="PlayStation">PS</abbr> digital versions of the game. But, PC players can pre-order right now at Epic Games Store.</q>’. [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1374426726713892868 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
* Scrabania
<ref name="FreePath"><b>Oddworld Inhabitants (<time datetime="2021-04-02T16:16:48.000Z">4·16 pm, 2 April 2021</time>)</b>. ‘<q>If you purchase the digital <abbr title="PlayStation 4">PS4</abbr> version, we are offering a FREE PATH to the <abbr title="PlayStation 5">PS5</abbr> digital version. But, because the game is free for <abbr title="PlayStation 5">PS5</abbr> <abbr title="PlayStation Plus">PS+</abbr> owners in <time datetime="2021-04">April</time>, we will not be offering a free backward path from <time datetime="PlayStation 5">PS5</time> to <time datetime="PlayStation 4">PS4</time>.</q>’. [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1378018589991653382 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
* Scrabanian Temple
<ref name="MicroidsPhysical"><b>Team Microids (<time datetime="2021-03-25T16:30">4·30 pm, 25 March 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://www.microids.com/us/microids-and-oddworld-inhabitants-announce-oddworld-soulstorms-retail-odditions-now-available-in-pre-order-us/ Microids and Oddworld Inhabitants announce Oddworld: Soulstorm’s retail “Odditions”, now available in pre-order]’. News. Microids.</ref>
* Scrabanian Nests
<ref name="Gematsu ESRB Xbox">Romano, Sal (<time datetime="2021-06-06">6 June 2021</time>). ‘[https://www.gematsu.com/2021/06/esrb-rates-oddworld-soulstorm-for-xbox-series-xbox-one ESRB rates Oddworld: Soulstorm for Xbox Series, Xbox One]’. Gematsu.</ref>
* Stockyards
<ref name="Enhanced Edition announced on Gematsu"><b>Romano, Sal (<time datetime="2021-10-18T11:04-05:00">18 October 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://www.gematsu.com/2021/10/oddworld-soulstorm-enhanced-edition-launches-in-late-november Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition launches in late November]’. Gematsu.</ref>
* Rescue Zulag 1
<ref name="Enhanced Edition announced by Microids"><b>Team Microids(<time datetime="2021-10-18T17:00+01:00">18 October 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://www.microids.com/oddworld-soulstorm-enhanced-edition-coming-of-november/ Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition coming of November]’. News. Microids.</ref>
* Rescue Zulag 2
<ref name="OWI confirms Enhanced free update"><b>Oddworld Inhabitants (<time datetime="2021-10-19T19:39:37.000Z"></time>)</b>. ‘<q>Hey Inhabitants! Enhanced Edition WILL be a FREE update for all of our PlayStation and PC players. Thanks for supporting us from the start!</q>’. [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1450547200077959170 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
* Rescue Zulag 3
<ref name="Microids announces Soulstorm challenges"><b>Team Microids(<time datetime="2021-11-15T14:00+01:00">15 November 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://www.microids.com/oddworld-soulstorm-enhanced-edition-coming-november-30/ Vykkers Lab for Xbox & Toby’s Escape for PlayStation and Epic Games Store]’. News. Microids.</ref>
* Rescue Zulag 4
<ref name="Lorne photo Xbox blackboard"><b>Oddworld Inhabitants (<time datetime="2021-08-11T21:56:35.000Z">11 August 2021</time>)</b>. ‘Nerds love to nerd! Shoutout to @Microids_off for making @Lorne_Lanning a very happy man with a complete set of the “Black Moon Chronicles” by Francois Marcela-Froideval. What works inspire you to create Inhabitants?’. [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1425576909585457160 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
* The Boardroom
<ref name="OWI Soulstorm Xbox teaser"><b>Oddworld Inhabitants (<time datetime="2021-08-18T15:01:27.000Z">18 August 2021</time>)</b>. ‘Abe looks good in green.’ [https://twitter.com/OddworldInc/status/1428009149691015179 Tweet]. @OddworldInc. Twitter.</ref>
<ref name="NME interprets Xbox release"><b>Allen, Jen (<time datetime="2021-08-19">19 August 2021</time>)</b>. ‘[https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/oddworld-soulstorm-is-coming-to-xbox-series-xs-and-xbox-one-soon-3023310 ‘Oddworld: Soulstorm’ is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One soon]’. Gaming News. News. NME.</ref>
</references>


== Appendices ==
=== FMVs ===
{{Oddworld: Soulstorm}}
These are the FMVs as listed in the game’s FMV select menu (see [[Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/Cheats|<cite>Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee</cite> cheats]]) along with additional FMVs—marked with an asterisk (*)—not on that list. In addition, there are a large number of transitional sequences that blend almost seamlessly with gameplay. The FMV ‘Guardian Angel’ does not appear on the PC game disc.
* [[Oddworld Intro]]
* [[This is RuptureFarms]]
* [[Barrel Ride]]
* [[Abe's Moon|Abe’s Moon]]
* [[Paramite Vision]]*
* [[Paramite Scar]]
* [[Scrab Vision]]*
* [[Scrab Scar]]
* [[Shrykull Revealed]]
* [[Molluck Watches]]
* [[The Factory Halts]]
* [[What A Drag]]
* [[Bad Ending]]
* [[Good Ending]]
* [[Guardian Angel]]
* [[Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee/Credits|Credits]]


[[Category:Oddworld videogames]]
[[Category:Oddworld videogames]]
[[Category:Oddworld Quintology]]
[[Category:Oddworld Quintology]]

Latest revision as of 10:42, 30 November 2021

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee is the first videogame by Oddworld Inhabitants. Released in September 1997, it introduced audiences to Oddworld and Abe, a slave who escapes his former workplace after discovering his boss had plans to turn him and his fellow Mudokons into a new meat snack product. It was planned as the first in a series of five titles called the Oddworld Quintology, and through its critical and commercial achievements, succeeded in making a name for Oddworld Inhabitants.

Story

Abe is a naïve and content meat factory worker until he discovers his boss’s secret plan and the forgotten culture of his race. He then needs to employ all his bravery, cunning, determination and compassion to overcome his laziness, rescue his brothers, shut down the twisted slaughterhouse and become the saviour of his people.

Synopsis

Abe is working late one night at RuptureFarms when he passes the boardroom and eavesdrops the factory’s annual board meeting. He sees the plans of his boss, Molluck the Glukkon, to turn the factory’s Mudokons (including Abe) into Mudokon Pops, a meat snack. Abe escapes RuptureFarms and finds a moon whose face resembled his hand, only to fall off a cliff to his death.

His body is found and resurrected by a Mudokon shaman called Big Face, who tells Abe about the conflict between Mudokons and Glukkons, and how Glukkons have destroyed the native lands and sacred creatures of the Mudokons. He also tells Abe his fate is to rescue the other Mudokons using the power of Shrykull, a Mudokon god, that is given to he who is initiated into the Paramonian and Scrabanian Temples.

Upon completing the Temple Trails and fighting his way back into RuptureFarms, Abe sets about rescuing the entire slave labour force. Molluck responds by releasing a gas deadly to the Mudokons, but Abe reaches the shutdown lever in the board room in time to prevent it. However, Abe is then captured and taken to a cell. When Molluck arrives to have Abe dropped into a meat grinder, grateful Mudokons knock Molluck and his assistant unconscious with a bolt of lightning and Big Face teleports Abe to a celebration of his heroism.

Gameplay

Abe’s Oddysee is a 2D flip-screen cinematic platformer, a rarity in the time it was released, when 3D gaming was being embraced almost universally by developers and gamers. This was seen as a bold decision by Oddworld Inhabitants, and is considered to have been pulled off triumphantly. Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna have subsequently explained that 3D games were always their amongst their intentions, but that they believed they could create more high-end, artistic visuals with pre-rendered sprites and matte backgrounds than current 3D technology could achieve.

The gameplay of Abe’s Oddysee is considered to be highly innovative and engaging, as well as retro, even in its time. To make the game accessible and approachable by as broad a demographic as possible, it features a bare minimum of heads-up display (at most, floating numbers signify how many grenades/rocks Abe is carrying, or how many Mudokons need to be rescued simultaneously for the player to receive a power-up. In the PC port, a floating diamond appears when Abe reaches a checkpoint) and graphical user interfaces (Abe can read directories and story stones, which freezes gameplay and replaces it with an informational screen).

The player controls Abe in a two-dimensional plane, moving him along the ground to the left or right by walking, running, sneaking, rolling, or hopping. The player can also move vertically by hoisting up or down to reach different levels, or by riding a manual elevator called a platform. When Abe moves beyond the confines of the current screen, the camera switches to a new view, and Abe emerges from the opposite side of the screen, creating a continuous virtual environment.

Abe has to navigate and progress through the environment to reach subsequent levels, evading traps and enemy non-player characters (NPCs). However, there is also an emphasis on rescuing Mudokons from slavery by leading them to bird portals, through which they can travel and escape. Although this is possible from the very start of the game, it is not taught to the player explicitly until the third act, and its importance to the successful completion of the game isn’t made apparent until the very end.

There are dangers that Abe must be careful of as he moves through each level, such as meat saws, land mines, trap doors, falling objects, and electric walls. Some of these can be turned on or off remotely by levers, ring pulls, or foot switches, while UXBs and order bombs can be activated or deactivated only directly by Abe. Explosive devices can set off by luring NPCs onto them.

Abe is characteristically unable to directly attack enemy characters with weapons or mêlée attacks, exception for throwing grenades dispensed by occasional Boom machines. Instead, he must avoid being killed by evading enemies, by remaining undetected by them or keeping out of their line of fire. He can kill them by luring them into such dangers as described above, or occasionally by transforming in Shrykull and electrocuting them. Fortunately, Abe can have other influences on the environment and characters around him, by two rather unique gameplay mechanisms: GameSpeak, and possession.

GameSpeak

GameSpeak is an ability of Abe’s designed and implemented to demonstrate the awareness of characters in the Oddworld universe. Abe can utter any of a number of set phrases at any time he is standing still, but only certain characters will react. Sligs will respond to certain GameSpeak, but Mudokons will follow orders from Abe. This allows him to lead them through the level to bird portals. Elum will also obey instruction from Abe.

Chanting and possession

One of the verbal sounds Abe can GameSpeak is his chant, a continuous noise Abe makes with a bowed head and palms pressed together. When he does this, lights sparkle around him. The sound of chanting causes discomfort to Scrabs, Paramites, Sligs and the Elum. Sligs will run around in a panic shouting ‘Help!’, but if they stay on the same screen as Abe for long enough, the lights will reach for the Slig, and Abe will possess it. From then on, the player will be able to control the Slig directly.

Sligs can walk and run like Abe, but they can’t crouch, jump, sneak, or hoist. They can use their gun to shoot enemies on behalf of Abe, and can GameSpeak to Slogs, ordering them to attack enemies sheltered from Slig gunfire, such as when they’re on the other side of a partition. Sligs do not follow orders given to them by possessed Sligs, and will often shoot at possessed Sligs, meaning they are not invincible.

Abe’s chant also activates bird portals, through which Mudokons can jump to escape the factory, and stuns Scrabs and Paramites: a well-timed chant can give Abe enough time to run past a traumatized enemy.

History

Release

19 September 1997
Sony PlayStation (North American and PAL regions)
31 October 1997
Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS (North American and PAL regions)
11 December 1997
Sony PlayStation (Japan)
23 February 2001
Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS (Japan)
29 August 2008
Microsoft Windows (Steam)
16 December 2008
Microsoft Windows (GOG.com)
22 October 2009
PS3 & PSP (via PSN, North American regions)
15 April 2010
PS3 & PSP (via PSN, PAL regions)

Appendices

Characters

Species

Levels

These are the levels as listed in the game’s level select menu (see Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee cheats).

  • RuptureFarms
  • Stockyard Escape
  • Monsaic Lines
  • Paramonia
  • Paramonian Temple
  • Paramonian Nests
  • Scrabania
  • Scrabanian Temple
  • Scrabanian Nests
  • Stockyards
  • Rescue Zulag 1
  • Rescue Zulag 2
  • Rescue Zulag 3
  • Rescue Zulag 4
  • The Boardroom

FMVs

These are the FMVs as listed in the game’s FMV select menu (see Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee cheats) along with additional FMVs—marked with an asterisk (*)—not on that list. In addition, there are a large number of transitional sequences that blend almost seamlessly with gameplay. The FMV ‘Guardian Angel’ does not appear on the PC game disc.