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DEVELOPER
Oddworld Inhabitants
PUBLISHER
GT Interactive
AVAILABLE
Now
MEDIUM
CD Rom
PLAYERS
Two
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 emember
Flashback? Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning do, in fact, it's the only
game Sherry even likes! These two and the rest of the talented crew at
Oddworld Inhabitants have taken Flashback's basic premise, refined the
gameplay, added a killer story and come up with the superb Abe's Oddysee.
Abe, a Mudokan and former slave, recounts his adventures as he escapes
from RuptureFarms and his former "employers", the Glukons. Yes,
this is in fact a flashback. Coincidence? I think not. It's up to you to
guide Abe through the perils that await him in Oddworld on his way to fulfilling
his destiny.
Abe's Oddysee is refreshing for a number of reasons. Not only are we
revisiting a long neglected genre, but Abe has absolutely no weapons at
his disposal. That's right, boys and girls, only your wits will save you
in Oddworld.
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Abe's most powerful ability is his talent to possess
the Sligs through chanting.
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Perhaps the coolest feature of Abe's is the A.L.I.V.E. system. Using
a few simple speech commands, other inhabitants will react to Abe in unique
ways. Every creature has a discernible personality. For instance, Paramites
are passive unless grouped or cornered, whereas Scrabs will focus their
attention on you unless another Scrab invades thier territory. Bats and
Sligs, on the other hand, are just generally nasty.
Oddworld has introduced perhaps one of the coolest characters to hit
a console to date. Abe's mannerisms and voice really make you want to help
the little guy. He can interact with others by using phrases such as "hello",
"follow me", and laughing. He can also whistle and fart at his
fellow Mudokans and his enemies. Quite versatile for a video game character.
He's not alone, however, as the Sligs also have an equally impressive vocabulary.
As I stated before, the gameplay resembles Flashback and Prince of Persia
heavily. Everything is 2D, and consists of multiple platforms and switches.
The puzzles are difficult, but not impossible, which is part of this game's
claim to fame. It relieves many to know that you have unlimited lives,
so in the event of your untimely demise, you need only go back a couple
of screens, not the entire level. Nightmares of Out of this World.
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Elum is almost more trouble than he's worth, don't
feel bad about setting a swarm of bees on him.
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The graphics are breathtaking. All the locales are very atmospheric;
RuptureFarms is appropriately very industrial looking with a lot of machinery
present. The temples consist of stone outcroppings, various architecture,
and torch light flickering in the background. Scenes are tied together
with short video clips, a la Final Fantasy VII, and everything's rendered
to perfection. Animation is obviously a top priority at Oddworld, as it
rivals that of Castlevania. I especially like when Abe mounts his trusty
steed, Elum. The animation for this sequence is so well done that you actually
feel as sick as I'm sure Abe does.
The music and sound round out this fine product nicely. Abe and the
Mudokans have really cute voices, and the Sligs actually sound cybernetic.
All the other sound effects are crisp, clear and amusing. The sound of
the Scrabs and Paramites chewing on your carcass when they kill you is
a nice touch. The music present is basically ambient, but it's dynamic.
Much like Out of this World and Flashback, as the situation changes, the
music changes accordingly.
Abe's Oddysee represents one of the first successful meetings of Hollywood
and Silicon Valley. It's basically a collection of puzzles combined flawlessly
to form a cohesive and interesting story line. Abe also manages to remain
challenging while never becoming irritating. Words cannot express how important
this is. Oddworld Inhabitants is here to stay, and considering Abe's is
only the first of a five game series, they've got a loyal customer in me
for quite a while. Do not miss Abe's Oddysee.
[ed's note: Be sure to check out our Oddworld
Interview.]
-- Greg Sewart
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