Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (1997)

Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Publisher: GT Interactive Software, Sony Computer Entertainment, Oddworld Inhabitants
Platforms: OnLive Game System, PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), DOS, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable
Genres: Platform, Puzzle, Adventure
Rating: 4.1 of 5, 251 player ratings
Completionist: about 15 hours
Where to get it: Steam

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How it feels

A darkly funny and brutally unforgiving puzzle-platformer where every step through a hostile industrial hellscape demands careful thinking, since one wrong move means instant, often grotesque death for the hapless Abe.

darkly comedictensepunishingatmosphericmethodicalgrimstealthychallenging

About

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is the first game set in the fictional Oddworld universe. It is a platformer with puzzle-solving elements, focusing on the portrayal of a weak, underpowered character in a grim and hostile world, who has to rely on his cunning to outwit enemies and overcome hazards. The game has pre-rendered background graphics and uses CG movies of similar style to advance the story between the levels. The main character Abe is almost completely helpless: he cannot use weapons and is usually instantly killed by his brutal enemies if he confronts them directly. For this reason, most of the game involves careful exploration, timed movement, sneaking, and outsmarting the foes through various means: throwing stones to confuse them, luring them into traps, etc. Abe can run, jump, climb, tiptoe, crouch, and roll; in most areas these actions are essential to his survival. A few stages involve Abe riding a large animal known as Elum. Abe's only special power is chanting, which he can use to stun certain enemies for a while or possess them. When Abe possess an enemy he gains his abilities: for example, possessing the body or a ferocious Slig allows the player to shoot from his machine gun, communicate with other creatures of his kind, and even commit suicide, clearing the way for Abe.

What players say

A grim, surreal puzzle-platformer whose polluted dystopia and dark humor leave a haunting, contemplative impression. Players remember it fondly but warn of its punishing checkpoint deaths and steep difficulty.

Screenshots

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