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ABE IS BACK, IN part 2 of Oddworld Inhabitants "Oddysee" series - only this time, he's not the focus of the tale. Instead, our hero is a little chap (with an odd walk) who goes by the unassuming name "Munch" - and he's not very happy. It does, however, seem that his indignation is justified, as he is the last of his kind and he currently has a dotted line drawn around his skull with the ominous words "cut here" written neatly along side it. And he's on a medical gurney. And he's being wheeled unceremoniously towards an operating theatre.
It doesn't look all that hygenic in there...
Such is the beginning of chapter two in a series which has always intended to be made up of 5 equal parts. Expect there to be lots in common with the earlier games (there was a sort of side-sequel to the first part called Exodus), as the story line expands to more than just Abe and his little agenda.
While Munch's Oddysee shares a lot in common with Abe's, there are also some huge differences - the most obvious of which is the shift to a 3rd person, 3D perspective. This is largely just an engine shift however, as the game plays much the same as the earlier titles - something that will relieve a lot of fans of the series, who have been anxiously awaiting this title for a few years now and will be glad that it is familiar!
Oddworld Inhabitants made quite a fuss after their first game was released, talking about how current consoles (then in-vogue PSX & N64) were unable to realise their vision of where the series would go next. They swore not to make another title in the series until console hardware was capable of rendering their vision, so extraordinary was it meant to be. If it wasn't for the publishers insistance (and talks of millions of fans, gagging for another game - dollars in hand), Munch's Oddysee would have been the second game Oddworld Inhabitants released. Fast forward to a year or so ago, Microsoft stepped in with some bags of folding stuff. Suddenly Munch is to be Xbox exclusive and we hear Oddworld saying things like "only the Xbox is capable of doing Munch justice" etc. Switch forward to today. We have Xbox, we have Munch. Is it up to the hype?
In a word, no. If you want more words, read on...
As already mentioned, Munch has made the jump from side-scroller to 3rd person 3D. Unfortunately, it's only a perspective change - the gameplay (for better or worse) is completely unchanged. It's still super charming, with lots of unique and funky "oddworld-ness" to help you identify with the plight of the characters - but it's several years old! We played this game on the Playstation all those years ago!
Munch may be prettier but it's hardly the giant leap the egos at Oddworld Inhabitants had you salivating for. A prime example is in the very first level when, with a sweeping shot, you are introduced to the grand scale and huge size of the map you are about to adventure across - only to find out that it is seperated into tiny little sub-areas, each with a "collect x amount of y" type objective to complete before you can progress to the next level. Not only does it cast aside the promise of the huge level you were just introduced to, but it pulls back to one of the earliest styles of gameplay ever seen - Oddworld seem to want you to forget this as they woo you with graphical and audio prowess. Yes, there are some differences (vehicles add a nifty spin on things), but they are largely cosmetic - the basic gameplay is generic and you have likely played this game before.
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