Video Game Classics - Part III

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

Release date: September 19, 1997
Genre: Platform
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants

With the appearance of Super Mario 64 in 1996, the first great 3D platform game was born. It became the prototype for an entire generation of games, including Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro the Dragon. In some cases, however, many franchises which had their roots in 2D platforming remained in that genre: Mega Man and Castlevania, for example. New platform franchises sprouted up also, eschewing 3D polygons in favor of 2D sprites: Rayman, Yoshi's Story and Oddworld. Of the new breed, the first installment of Oddworld, Abe's Oddysee, was the most unique, challenging and cinematic.

Abe's Oddysee was developed by Oddworld Inhabitants to be the first part of a quintology, which would follow the adventures of denizens on Oddworld, an alien planet. Somewhere along the way, that plan fell apart; only 2 installments of the quintology have been released, along with several "bonus" titles.

In Abe's Oddysee, players control Abe, a naive Mudokon working in RuptureFarms meat processing facility on Oddworld. Mudokons have been enslaved by the evil corporate entity controlling RuptureFarms, personified by Molluck the Glukon, the fatcat running the facility.

It turns out that Molluck has overfarmed the animal populations on Oddworld and has sent at least one species into extinction. His solution: raise profits by turning the Mudokon employees into the next big snack item. When Abe overhears the grim news, he decides to escape. Along the way he attempts to rescue his fellow employees, outwit pursuing security forces and discover his part in a much larger plan for Oddworld.

When it was released, Abe's Oddysee was unfairly critized for its level of difficulty and shortage of save locations. The game can be frustrating at times, but most great games dish out healthy doses of frustration to sweeten the eventual reward of success.

Apart from a steep learning curve, Abe's Oddysee infuses traditional platform elements (running, jumping, crawling) with new and creative options. One of the most unique additions is "Game Speak," the ability to communicate with enemies, friends and animals with everything from words and whistles to growls and flatulence.

In addition to excellent gameplay, Abe's Oddysee boasts several first-rate full-motion animation cut-scenes throughout the adventure. Graphics, sound and play control are all superb.

Score: 96/100