Abe’s back! 1997 was the last time we saw him starring in a major role in the much-loved puzzle platformer, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee. At E3, I had an opportunity to go hands-on with the completely revamped edition. Let’s just say, I had a big smile on my face the entire time, even though I died quite frequently, most likely annoying those behind me. I could practically feel their eyes rolling around in their skulls.
Considering it was rebuilt using the Unity engine, there’s a glorious fresh coat of paint and a 2.5D style to the graphics, with some foreground and background action sprinkled here and there. It performs well, looks great, and sounds lovely and quirky as ever. Keep in mind, however, that it is Unity after all, so don’t expect anything groundbreaking, even on the PS4. That point set aside, it’s a decent looker and the game controls well, making the transition to 2.5D successfully. There were minor bugs and hiccups, but that’s to be expected from a beta build (this build at E3 is from June 8th, according to Oddworld Inhabitants); it’s nothing that can’t be ironed out, nor did it worry me in the slightest.
Oh, and there’s nothing entirely new about the story , although there’s a bit more dialogue and back and forth.
If you’ve been looking forward to this refresh as much as I have, I think you’ll be quite happy when the game releases for PS4 soon. It’s been worth the wait to step back into the pool of nostalgia. Except this pool has fresh chemicals in it and some cool new floaty toys.
