I know this game is old news by now but the video game reviewer inside of me demanded that I write something today. Well, I submitted to the voice in my head and just started typing but then I realized, "Hey, 2O2P has never had a review of this game and I bet there's a lot of old farts that haven't checked it out and would love to play it". So here it is
Oddworld Stranger's Wrath is and eclectic mix (go figure) of eccentric characters and crazy critters mixed in a big first person shooter kettle and spiced up with some cool wild wild west bounty hunter mojo. The guys responsible for the oddworld games are nothing short of mad geniuses. They have always delivered fun and completely unique experiences in every game they bring to the table and Stranger's Wrath continues that tradition.
Your character, Stranger, plays the part of a lone Bounty Hunter struggling with his past and trying to come to terms with his sense of identity. I know, sounds pretty heavy right? Well, the story is paced perfectly and the action ramps up at an appropriately nice even pace so that by the end of the game I found myself glued to the game just wanting to finish that next level and see what was going to happen next. Without spoiling anything I'll just say that the few surprises the game has in store for you are pretty cool and keep you interested in the story as well as the gameplay throughout.
The gameplay is a nice blend of first person shooter and third person action/platformer. Skimming it down to just those descriptors however, is not doing justice to what is really a great new innovative style of gameplay, which I'm hoping more games pick up on in the future. I know what some of you are probably thinking because I thought the very same thing. "I don't like platformers, I like shooters". Well, Stranger's Wrath integrates the two types of gameplay so seamlessly that you would never have known the styles were supposed to be different if you'd never played anything else. For what its worth the game's a shooter at heart.
The gameplay mostly revolves around you being a bounty hunter for hire and always seeking your next big score. The catch is, this being an oddworld game and all, your source of ammunition are all the little critters that populate the game world. Once you've caught some ammo you put 'em on your crossbow where they sit until you fire 'em off at the baddies. The best part about all of this is it really opens up the door for some comedy with all these funky little critter dudes just sitting there and staring at you with their crazy little faces while you run around bagging bounties. On top of that, every type of creature has it's own unique benefits such as shocking badguys or wrapping them up in a web. One of the more graphic effects is from the little stinkers called Stunks, which have characters spewing their guts out giving you ample time to do with them as you please. My personal favorite is the Thudslug which Stranger's Wrath's answer to the shotgun and they really pack a wallop. All of this makes for some interesting weapon combinations and provides a unique means of collecting your bounties. Just remember they're worth more alive than dead :wink: . After an intuitive training mission your quickly released into the wild to experience everything the game has to offer and each new level typically introduces you to a new type of "ammunition".
As I said before this game really has a nice flow and good pacing to it's story which climaxes nicely comes to a nice tidy little conclusion. It comes it at right about ten hours worth of gameplay and I'll tell you it feels just right. I usually like my games long but Stranger's Wrath knows that sometimes there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Any less and the gameplay would not have been fully realized, any more and it would have gotten stale. In the end it felt just right to me and I really didn't feel cheated nor did I have the desire to play any more (a sequel would be good though). So in my opinion, when talking about length this game is just right and ends leaving you feeling satisfied and ultimately glad you played it. If you've never played it or never even heard of Oddworld Stranger's Wrath go and rent it today, you won't be disappointed.
Overall:
Your character, Stranger, plays the part of a lone Bounty Hunter struggling with his past and trying to come to terms with his sense of identity. I know, sounds pretty heavy right? Well, the story is paced perfectly and the action ramps up at an appropriately nice even pace so that by the end of the game I found myself glued to the game just wanting to finish that next level and see what was going to happen next. Without spoiling anything I'll just say that the few surprises the game has in store for you are pretty cool and keep you interested in the story as well as the gameplay throughout.
The gameplay is a nice blend of first person shooter and third person action/platformer. Skimming it down to just those descriptors however, is not doing justice to what is really a great new innovative style of gameplay, which I'm hoping more games pick up on in the future. I know what some of you are probably thinking because I thought the very same thing. "I don't like platformers, I like shooters". Well, Stranger's Wrath integrates the two types of gameplay so seamlessly that you would never have known the styles were supposed to be different if you'd never played anything else. For what its worth the game's a shooter at heart.
The gameplay mostly revolves around you being a bounty hunter for hire and always seeking your next big score. The catch is, this being an oddworld game and all, your source of ammunition are all the little critters that populate the game world. Once you've caught some ammo you put 'em on your crossbow where they sit until you fire 'em off at the baddies. The best part about all of this is it really opens up the door for some comedy with all these funky little critter dudes just sitting there and staring at you with their crazy little faces while you run around bagging bounties. On top of that, every type of creature has it's own unique benefits such as shocking badguys or wrapping them up in a web. One of the more graphic effects is from the little stinkers called Stunks, which have characters spewing their guts out giving you ample time to do with them as you please. My personal favorite is the Thudslug which Stranger's Wrath's answer to the shotgun and they really pack a wallop. All of this makes for some interesting weapon combinations and provides a unique means of collecting your bounties. Just remember they're worth more alive than dead :wink: . After an intuitive training mission your quickly released into the wild to experience everything the game has to offer and each new level typically introduces you to a new type of "ammunition".
As I said before this game really has a nice flow and good pacing to it's story which climaxes nicely comes to a nice tidy little conclusion. It comes it at right about ten hours worth of gameplay and I'll tell you it feels just right. I usually like my games long but Stranger's Wrath knows that sometimes there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Any less and the gameplay would not have been fully realized, any more and it would have gotten stale. In the end it felt just right to me and I really didn't feel cheated nor did I have the desire to play any more (a sequel would be good though). So in my opinion, when talking about length this game is just right and ends leaving you feeling satisfied and ultimately glad you played it. If you've never played it or never even heard of Oddworld Stranger's Wrath go and rent it today, you won't be disappointed.
Overall:
85%
