Weird Wild West
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath, is a unique game with a breath of fresh air to the FPS genre adding a mixture of puzzles and platforming to its formula. Developed by Oddworld Inhabitants in the distant past of 2005. The game became a cult classic letting you live the bounty hunter experience of the wild west. As a game that I played on release and have a ton of fond memories of. After a 20-year hiatus, is it worth coming back for one more playthrough?
Hunting for moolah
The game is set in the lands of Oddworld, a land filled with perils and dangers clearly reaping the benefits of a recent Industrial Revolution. You take control of: Stranger, a mysterious bounty hunter who has his trusty crossbow by his side. Utilizing many different live ammo, that ranges from a loudmouthed squirrel to wasps that function as a minigun. As you progress through towns and bounties you start to uncover more about Stranger and his relation to a dark plot that threatens the world.
When it comes to gameplay what really made Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath what made it standout was the innovation to gameplay especially for its era. First in the FPS area you had the standard view come to be expected from the genre. This quickly changed once you switched it on for the first time as it had an assortment of ammo. The important part of this ammo? It’s alive! Some of these critters that you utilize as bullets talk, crawl or have different idle animations all while staying on your crossbow.
The second innovation comes in the form of a 3rd person point of view. You traverse, solve puzzles and interact with the world mostly in this camera angle. You fully utilize Stranger’s limbs to get around, meaning that even though you may start running on two legs, he eventually utilizes his forearms to make him faster. There is the possibility of combat in the point of view, as you have access to a tackle from the full on run, a spinning attack and headbutt.
Cue the Spaghetti Western
The sound design compliments the game perfectly. Its soundtrack ranges from music straight out of a western all the way to some folk undertones. The way it perfectly defines the type of area you are in by utilizing notes that relate to the town, forest, mine etc. is incredible. As a cherry on top you have the presence of a great voice actor in Lorne Lanning adding a great depth to our main character.
On the visual side of things we have a 20 year old game that holds up surprisingly well. The graphics have been enhanced for the newer generations therefore adding the “HD” tag to its title. The art style is something you wouldn’t expect to see in gaming nowadays. Going for quirky and brutal designs, from the eyes, teeth and even fur you can feel a very uniqueness not only to the main character but every critter that lives in Oddworld.
I need it to survive
So the game does a lot of things right yet, for a game this old there has to be some areas of opportunity to its game design. Well the games main strengths are the blend of two very different gameplay styles into a seamless transition between these two. Traversal, which is usually boring in games, takes a whole new aspect as you fully sprint through deserts and forests in the hunt for the next bounty. Once you find enemies it takes no time to ready the crossbow , if you want to switch ammo the game even pauses while you choose , this takes a load off the player.
The game also manages to make the game great and fresh with every bounty. Not only do you have to face the boss in some form or capacity. They have minions at their disposal to utilize against you. In a true “dead or alive” bounty scenario you can strategize for each encounter or fight your way through guns blazing. If the ammo just starts becoming too bland for you, re-skinned and enhanced versions of them are available for you to hunt better.
Yet, not all is great, the gameplay can feel clunky at times and playing on mouse and keyboard is a whole ordeal in itself which is why its recommended playing on a controller. If you get past this hurdle the story makes up for it as it weaves carefully a great plot twist.
Hey there, Stranger!
Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath is an underappreciated cult game that shines its best on its gameplay taking two concepts and blending them so well the game feels like its own genre. A 20 year old game still reflects what was great about the 2000’s era of gaming a fast , single player, full game. It gives you an eerie soundtrack that makes you believe something is never just as simple as it seems. A character that makes you want to root for. An epic reveal and more importantly a fast paced gameplay that puts you in 1 v many scenarios never fails to make it fun thanks to its own sense of humor and comedic timing.It’s an experience that you shouldn’t miss. Although the game may be old, the price of admission is more than fair for a full game.
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