Oddworld strangers wrath hd horde update#
Oddworld strangers wrath hd horde series#
Oddworld strangers wrath hd horde download#

Oddworld strangers wrath hd horde series#

When it arrived most FPS games were very linear, but Stranger’s Wrath mixes and matches its approaches, giving you a series of towns that act like hubs from which you can take on various bounty-hunter missions, but often not giving you any real choice over which mission to accept next, and towards the end transforming into a more straightforward, narrative-led adventure. Nor does Stranger’s Wrath have the most orthodox structure. All the Oddworld games were odd, but this one is probably the oddest of the lot. Your only weapon is a sort of double-barrelled crossbow, but you can vary your offensive capabilities by using different types of ammo, each one a peculiar furry or insectoid critter that, when shot at an enemy, will have a particular effect. It’s a game that’s styled like a third-person platformer, but that’s mostly played as a first-person shooter and – strangest of all – it’s a shooter where you only have one gun. Yet it’s also a weird fantasy western, starring an inhuman bounty hunter and a cast of lunatic outlaws.

Stranger’s Wrath is very much an Oddworld game, featuring the kind of narrative values, weird creatures and oddball gameplay that built the studio its reputation in its Playstation heyday.

Oddworld strangers wrath hd horde download#

It is a classic, held dear by a slightly cultish fanbase and worthy of its new HD trimmings, yet it’s also a game that was misunderstood (and arguably mismarketed) at its original 2005 launch, where it floundered on the first Xbox and PC.Įven now, playing the game in its new PSN download incarnation, it’s not hard to see why.

In the case of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD you could argue that both reasons hold up. The second is perhaps more compelling: that the original game, for one reason or another, never reached the kind of audience it should have, and that it deserves another shot at the spotlight. One is that the game in question is such a classic, and so beloved of its fans, that it deserves to be recreated with remastered HD visuals and enjoyed by a new generation of gamers.

Oddworld strangers wrath hd horde update#

At the very least, its simple, clear level designs are easy to read even on the Switch's small screen.There are only two good reasons to give a game an HD update – ignoring the cash, of course. The game does not benefit much from being portable, and might as well be played on any other console. Unfortunately, most first person shooters do not feel very good on the small handheld controllers for the Switch, and Stranger's Wrath falls into this camp. Some titles seem perfect for the Switch, benefiting immensely from being portable, while still having a depth that merits being put up on a big screen when possible. The other major issue with the game is that it does not benefit from being on the Switch. RELATED: Dragon Quest I, II, and III Switch Ports Review This is not just a remaster of a fifteen-year-old game, it is a re-release of a nine-year-old remaster of a fifteen-year-old game. The lack of attention to updating Stranger's Wrath instantly ages the game beyond what most players outside of nostalgic fans will be able to tolerate. Acceptable remasters will settle for making just a few quality of life updates. Great remasters like Link's Awakening completely overhaul everything in the game to make it new again. There was simply not enough effort put into updating the controls to a modern standard. Tilt controls can also be used to aim more finely in first person, but in practice it does not help much. Even the more mundane mechanics for sprinting, shaking off damage, and platforming feel satisfying and polished. Ammo collection and varying ammo types are pretty fun and interesting mechanics, especially considering how long ago they were introduced. This rewards creativity, as capturing enemies alive (by stunning them then sucking them up ghostbusters style) results in a bigger payoff upon return to the bounty office. Players can load two types of critter into their crossbow at a time, and use them to strategic effect to clear each area of enemies. Each type of 'ammo' has its own use, from a rabid furball proximity mine to a skunk smoke bomb. To dispatch foes, players must collect different small creatures within the environment around them, then save them for later use. Areas usually consist of some traversal puzzles, light obstacles, and arrays of enemies that must be taken out with a bit of planning and ingenuity.

Meanwhile, subtle touches like red flowers placed in the foliage near important parts of each level display the attention payed to each stage. There is a good amount of variety in the dusty desert, from crumbling temples to barren gulches and dark caverns. Thanks to the HD PSN release from 2011, the game still looks pretty good for what it is.

That being said, every level is very polished, with purposeful design and great pacing.