Those of you who are fortunate enough to have had the cult classic Oddworld series blip on your radar at one time or another will know it as a rather dark, side-scrolling, dystopian platformer. So I was suitably perplexed to discover that Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was a fully three-dimensional action game. One that seemingly took inspiration from classic Clint Eastwood Westerns.
I might not own an original Xbox but I do have a Nintendo Switch in my gaming stable. This week, as Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath got its physical release, I began ponder as to whether I would review this game solely as a remaster or judge it based on the quality of the original title. My conclusion: I would endeavour to do both.
So put on your Stetsons as we decide whether or not this is an entertaining departure for the series as it was released on Xbox in 2005. And equally, if this HD-ified 3D Oddworld is worth yet another visit…
Accepting the Assignment
In many ways the remastered edition of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is a very attractive package. Many of the textures render at a higher resolution without losing that dusty Western look. The mostly smooth 60 frames-per-second presentation definitely helps.
Unfortunately, the early portions of the game are plagued with a mundane, mud brown and sickly green colour scheme. To my unbridled delight, however, additional colours broaden the palette a little as players progress through the game and new locations are revealed.
Alas, the inclusion of more vivid greens, sandy golds and chilling blues fail to create a colour spectrum that dazzles due to the lack of saturation, but it is perfectly serviceable.
And if that lacking colour-scheme of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath fails to impress, you can always tint the screen. Nestled alongside the gamma adjustment is the option to smear your favourite colour across the game.
Aside from the option to alter the UI to match that of the 2015 remaster, there are few significant methods of adjusting the game’s visuals. This lack of attention to aesthetic detail is disappointing in a modern retread.
Furthermore, the FMV cutscenes have seemingly received no visual overhaul. Instead, they are plagued with copious quantities of motion blur and stained with a hazy tint. In fact, the only attempt to bring the cutscenes up to modern specifications is outputting them at 16:9.
Enquiring with the Locals
Perhaps, you may be wondering, the sonic sensations these cutscenes provide will somewhat remedy the subpar visuals? Oh, my dear reader, I am afraid these very sensations of which you speak are so much worse.
As a matter of fact, the best phrasing I can use to describe the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds of the FMV cutscenes is that they sound as though they were recorded in a tin can, while the sound engineer covered the microphone with their hand. Now, I am a reasonable man and know full well that it is difficult to effectively remaster FMV files as they are pre-recorded assets. On the other hand, however, I refuse to believe that these same cutscenes in the original product resembled this poor quality of audio.
Further auditory issues include minor glitches with audio programming, and the sound level contrasts between the aforementioned FMV cutscenes and the moment-to-moment gameplay. Additionally, I could not help but notice that the same three or four voice actors – excluding the major players – were recycled for almost all of the game’s NPCs. Though I will count this only as a minor fault since Oddworld has always been an independent franchise, masquerading as AAA blockbusters. That is where most of its charm emanates from.
Hunting the Target…
During the opening hours of Stranger’s Wrath, I was having my behind gifted to me on a silver platter so frequently that I was quickly becoming irritated. I then took a moment to compose myself and really pay careful attention to what ammo I was using and how I tackled each combat encounter. Soon enough, I fell into a rather comfortable rhythm and eventually discovered myself fully embodying the persona of a badass bounty hunter.
Having your ammo consist of various critters, and the subsequent need to hunt for them so as to remain stocked, is a unique concept I thoroughly enjoyed as it contributed to immersion without feeling cumbersome.
Furthermore, Stranger’s Wrath outright refuses to hold your hand and lead you to your next objective by way of an obnoxiously large arrow, or breadcrumb trail. Instead, you are required to converse with the locals to gain clues that will aid you in reaching the mission destination. Persistent enquiries, coupled with curious exploration, will also direct you to secret locations and loot, all while you praise yourself for discovering it off your own back.
With each bounty you show up to, with the intention of collecting, you will be met with a new challenge as each outlaw has a distinct look, and behavioural trait to match. This forces you to adapt to every new threat and prevents the gameplay from becoming stale.
Side Bounty
As a pleasant bonus – independent from the fact that the aforementioned outlaws have adopted monikers that would make any Spaghetti Western villain blush – is that players can unlock extras throughout the game. These include animatics for cutscenes, and concept art that dates the game’s production back to 2001. For me, this was endlessly fascinating. Though, for some, it may simply serve as a fun little extra, and that is perfectly fine.
Earlier, I spoke of the need to hunt for ammo. These disparate ammo types are locked into an arm-mounted crossbow and must be mixed-and-matched in accordance with the situation in which you find yourself.
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath swaps in and out of first and third-person view each time the cross bow is used. While I would have preferred a consistent third-person combat system, this never hindered my gameplay experience. Other players may find this little anachronism jarring.
Rounding Up the Bad Guys
All that I can say for the game’s opening hours are that they are nothing more than a succession of bounty missions with occasional cutscenes weaved in-between to tie each mission together.
That is, until Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath promptly hops from a Clint Eastwood Western to a Tolkien-esque fantasy epic with Steampunk undertones. Needless to say, it’s jarring at first.
But once I had become accustomed to the switch, I found that the narrative opens up. And with it, the game offers a greater variety of gameplay mechanics, such as manning a Nordic rowboat equipped with an automatic turret.
In light of this, the experience of playing through Stranger’s Wrath is akin to playing through two completely separate titles consecutively. While I grew partial to the metaphorical second title that dominated the latter half of Stranger’s Wrath, others may not share my thoughts and, subsequently, cease their gameplay upon reaching this mid-point revelation.
Collecting the Bounty
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is a visually splendid remaster. Although not every aspect of the remastering process is without flaw, the developers behind the project should take pride in their work. Furthermore, the game itself could easily contend for the status of ‘Hidden Gem’ in, arguably, gaming’s finest era.
However, players may either find themselves tiring of the title’s early narrative beats or too perplexed by its sudden and generic transition to lay their very own eyes on the closing credits.
At the very least, I recommend that you try Stranger’s Wrath and see just how far the adventure takes you.
