![]() He's a rough-and-tumble sort, even a bit of an antihero he's a bounty hunter who, it seems, is mostly just in it for the money. Stranger's Wrath takes place in an entirely different part of Oddworld than we've seen before, and Stranger himself is a totally new kind of protagonist for the series, too. This game is much more action-oriented than previous Oddworld titles, with serious shooting and melee combat elements in addition to some good, old-fashioned platforming. And from our initial experience, it does seem that Stranger is indeed a wrathful character. ![]() Oddworld (the company) has since decided to rechristen its new baby as Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, first to avoid any pesky copyright conflicts, and more importantly to bring it in line with previous games' titles, such as Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee. To be clear, this is indeed the game you've heard of previously as Oddworld Stranger. But don't worry, Oddworld fans-that endearingly crazy sense of humor is still intact. In that light, Oddworld's newest game, Stranger's Wrath, is heading in an action-oriented direction that the developer hasn't previously explored. Mechanically, the previous three Oddworld games have focused on thoughtful puzzle-solving with only light action elements, but the leaders of the company will be the first to admit that the industry is changing as a reflection of audiences' maturing tastes. Since 1997, the quirky developer has used its Oddworld games to establish a particular tone-a particularly wacky tone-while managing to portray serious issues, such as oppression and the defilement of the environment, in a humorous but thoughtful light. That said, "Stranger's Wrath" is just as humorous and entertaining, and ultimately, it's a more gratifying adventure than its predecessors because of the live ammo gimmick that remains fresh until the game's conclusion.The folks at Oddworld Inhabitants have a reputation to maintain. Retailing for $49.99, "Oddworld Stranger's Wrath" includes a lot more action and violence than past "Oddworld" titles that relied on puzzle-solving (1997's "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee") or cooperative teamwork (2001's "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee"). ![]() The game is called "Oddworld" for a reason. To earn your bounty, you must walk up to the stunned (or deceased) outlaw and press the X button on the Xbox controller, which sucks him into a bag with a kind of portable vacuum cleaner. Live ammunition is a cute concept that doesn't grow tiresome because you need to strategize about which critters work best in different bounty-hunting situations.įugitives are worth more alive than dead, but they are harder to capture than kill. Zappflies are your only unlimited ammo, and they're ideal for collecting and retrieving other live ammo, which grazes in the game's outdoor environments.Īmmo upgrades include Riot Slugs that explode in midair and spray shrapnel and foul-mouthed Howler Punks that lure enemies into traps. The game's ammo includes Stunkz that emit a poisonous gas to choke enemies and Stingbees that can be fired machine-gun style before they swarm the outlaws. "Stranger's Wrath" is played from a third-person perspective when climbing ropes, jumping across chasms or engaging in fistfights, but you'll need to toggle to a first-person view to look through binoculars, target enemies with a double-barrel crossbow or activate a faraway switch with a projectile. Over time, the Stranger's bounties become more difficult to catch - as well as more lucrative. If you bag a baddie, you collect a cash reward you can use to buy better weapons, brass knuckles, clip extenders or stamina boosters. Consider this scenario a cross between "Star Wars" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," an odd mix of science fiction and spaghetti Westerns.Īs the Stranger, you accept missions from the Bounty Store and follow a map to track down fugitives, such as Filthy Hands Floyd or The Looten Duke. You begin "Stranger's Wrath" by assuming the role of the Stranger, a bounty hunter commissioned to track down a host of bizarre outlaws. And they help to make this "Oddworld," the eighth in the franchise, the best yet. They are alien critters, such as exploding Boombats or piranha-like Fuzzles that attack the closest enemy when fired into a crowd. The weapons don't fire bullets or lasers. ![]() The gimmick in EA Games' new "Oddworld Stranger's Wrath" is its weapons system, which isn't like any you might expect. Some video games rely on gimmicks to stand out.Ĭonsider EA Games' "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent," which lets you play a bad guy in the James Bond universe or Ubisoft's "Prince of Persia" titles, in which your character can manipulate time by pausing or rewinding the game.
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