Oddworld Stranger

GamePro (http://www.gamepro.com)
December 2004

Compared to its predecessors, Oddworld Stranger is shaping up to be, well, an oddity. First off, it's an action game with a unique Western slant - a far cry from the mix of puzzle solving and adventure found in previous entries. Second, unlike its disappointing predecessor, Munch's Oddysee, Stranger looks like it will make a serious splash on the Xbox.

You'll star as the Stranger, a mysterious bounty hunter in the "Man With No Name" tradition. Judging by the preview version, the series hasn't lost its quirky sense of humor - it was possible to nudge and pester the townsfolk, triggering a barrage of hilarious insults. The GameSpeak button, a staple of Oddworld games, should allow for an even more interaction with the game's eccentric cast.

Oddworld : l'Etranger se présente

XboxGen (http://www.xboxgen.net/viewpreviewv2.php?id=105)
23rd December 2004

Là je vous arrête immédiatement. "La série Oddworld"? Non, enfin si, mais pas vraiment. En réalité, mis à part quelques éléments récurrents propres au monde de Oddworld, comme l'humour si particulier et les créatures bizarres (seuls les Fuzzles sont de retour ici, adieu les mudokons et les glukkons), ce nouvel épisode ne présentera aucun lien avec les anciens épisodes, dans le sens où son gameplay a été complètement repensé à partir de zéro. Donc, commençons par le commencement : le projet Stranger a commencé il y a presque trois ans dans les studios de Oddworld Inhabitants, à Red Rock City en Californie. Jusque là, nous ne savions pas grand chose du jeu, autant dire que le mystère était encore entier lorsque je découvris la vidéo d'introduction. Comme dans tout Oddworld qui se respecte, des séquences vidéos en images de synthèse viendront interrompre la progression régulièrement pour illustrer le déroulement du scénario. Stranger, c'est un personnage bien étrange, et c'est le premier qui n'aura pas pour but de sauver ses comparses, objectif auquel nous avait habitué la série jusque là. Stranger est en fait un chasseur de primes issu d'une étrange espèce ; caché sous son grand chapeau, il devra traverser des environnements qui ne sont pas sans rappeler les Westerns, le Far-West, et les cowboys.

Si le contexte est différent, les villageois (appelés rednecks à cause de leur bosse rouge qui ressort sous leur cou), les personnages principaux, l'humour omniprésent et les thèmes de fond abordés (l'écologie, les inégalités provoquées par les firmes multinationales, etc...) nous rappellent qu'on est bel et bien face à un Oddworld. Le début du jeu aura pour but de nous apprendre les mouvements ainsi que toutes les nouvelles possibilités. Si les aspirations de Stranger peuvent sembler assez vagues dans le premier tiers du jeu, l'intrigue semblerait devenir plus intéressante dans la seconde et troisième partie du jeu. En quelques mots, le héros devra lutter face à un méchant personnage qui a décidé de mener la vie dure aux habitants de la région en mettant un barrage sur le fleuve. Au fur et à mesure du jeu, vous amasserez de l'argent en tuant les ennemis. Cet argent vous permettra d'acheter des objets, mais ce n'est pas son intérêt principal : il semblerait que Stranger doive s'enrichir pour pouvoir subir une opération...

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

1UP (http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3137505&did=1)
23rd December 2004

It's no big mystery how Oddworld Stranger's Wrath plays. EA had the game available in playable form on the first day they showed anything beyond art for it, so if you've followed our previous coverage, you'll know all about the concept of Live Ammo, the stealthy first and third-person gameplay, the bounties you have to collect, and the main character named Stranger. If any of that doesn't sound familiar, head over to our previous article for a refresher course and come back.

Okay, so now that we've had a few hours with a close to final version of the game, the most impressive aspect is how well the standard gameplay works. When you enter a level, you rarely come across one enemy at a time. Instead, you get to an area and see groups of enemies working together. In a standard one-on-one fight, Stranger has good odds -- he can ram an enemy, use a melee attack, or fire off a charged up shot with ease. When there are four or five enemies all standing nearby each other, it becomes extremely difficult to run into a battle and survive based on your reflexes, as other enemies will shoot at you while you are trying to take out their friends.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath Updated Hands-On

GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/adventure/oddworldtentativetitle/preview_6115479.html)
22nd December 2004

Oddworld Inhabitants' latest and arguably strangest trip back to its own bizarre realm of Oddworld is nearing completion, and we were lucky enough to spend a few hours with a recent build of Stranger's Wrath to get a feel for the way the final product will turn out. We can now say we're quite looking forward to late January, which is when the game will ship, because the Inhabitants have crafted a compelling and unique action offering that's big on gameplay variety and that trademark Oddworld charm.

We've taken a number of looks at Stranger's Wrath in the past and examined all the basics that make this quirky new game tick. If you're too lazy to click, here's a primer: You're Stranger, a mysterious figure from the wilds of Oddworld who brings in the unlawful for fun and profit. You can play the game both as a first-person shooter, with Halo-style controls, and as a third-person platformer, with the standard array of spin punches, double jumps, and other moves that have defined the genre. The first-person mode is especially amusing because you'll load your double crossbow with "live ammo" rather than with bolts. This "live ammo" consists of projectiles that are actually living critters, all of whom inflict different amounts and kinds of damage. You'll make your living by bringing in bad guys, and you'll get even more money for doing so if you manage to bag them alive, which adds an interesting strategic layer to the game's combat.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=57433)
16th December 2004

"I don't like guns," drawls the gravely-voiced Stranger as he snaps his enemy's favourite rifle in two. We're never sure exactly why, but it's a fact we have to take on board right from the start of Stranger's Wrath, Oddworld Inhabitant's three-year-in-the-making fusion of first-person combat and third-person action adventure. Maybe he's just pissed off with being shot all the time. Maybe his malformed hands just can't quite get on with the trigger mechanism. Maybe Oddworld was just really bored with the idea of making another game with traditional guns in it.

Whatever the thinking, Stranger has his ways and means for survival. He's a mysterious loner, a Bounty Hunter by profession, ever-prepared to put himself firmly in the firing line to bring in wrongdoers dead or alive - for Moolah, of course. Stranger prefers his crossbow to dish out pain, but bolts evidently don't quite do it for him. Instead, the grizzly, lizard-featured, behatted loner attaches compliant, but aggressive fuzzy wildlife to his crossbow, and uses them in a variety of combinations to get the job done. It's a two way deal; Stranger gets to hunt (literally) live ammo while his patient, doting 'pets' sit on his crossbow waiting for their turn to mete out justice on those who deserve to be hurt anyway.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

gamesradar (http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/previews/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=33399&subsectionid=1596)
15th December 2004

Oddworld's back, but not as you might remember it. No longer are you playing as a gawky, flatulent Mudokon or cute little Gabbit. Now you're a properly cool character. An outlaw who goes by the name Stranger, a dude with a voice deep enough to threaten Michael 'voice of Sam Fisher' Ironside's masculinity.

Set in the wild west, Stranger's Wrath doesn't only feature a new lead character, it also strays away from the puzzly platforming gameplay of the previous games. Third-person jumping bits are still in there, but now you can switch to a first-person view, allowing you to shoot enemies using a crossbow. This is just as effective as in any first-person shooter.

Oddworld Stranger

GameKult (http://www.gamekult.com/tout/actus/articles/A0000038160.html)
15th December 2004

Depuis fin 2001, à la sortie de L'Odyssée de Munch sur le territoire américain, le fameux studio Oddworld faisait le mort. Jusqu'à il y a quelques mois à peine, où les premiers éléments de Oddworld : Stranger sont apparus. Oddworld : la Fureur de l'Etranger, en français, est venu nous faire des ronds de jambe à Paris la semaine dernière, grâce à son plus habile démonstrateur : Lorne Lanning. Toujours aussi doué pour séduire un parterre de journalistes impressionnables, le créateur du monde d'Oddworld a su, une fois de plus, soulever l'enthousiasme et susciter l'attente autour de son nouveau bébé.

Il faut bien reconnaître que ce nouveau titre fait montre de bien beaux atours. Techniquement à la pointe, et doté d'une formule de gameplay sortant un peu de l'ordinaire, le tout enveloppé dans un design une fois de plus très réussi, Oddworld : Stranger mérite probablement l'enthousiasme général. Il s'agit pourtant du titre étiqueté "Oddworld" le plus en marge de ce que nous avons l'habitude de jouer depuis que le tout premier épisode de cette série, la fameuse L'Odyssée d'Abe datant déjà de 1997, nous y a initiés. Il ne s'agit d'ailleurs que d'un "spin-off" pour reprendre un terme connu des amateurs de comics et de séries télé : un titre qui ne fait pas partie de la fameuse quintalogie des Odyssées, dont nous n'avons connu pour l'instant que deux volets véritables : celui d'Abe et celui de Munch. Mais plus encore, ce nouveau titre fait sécession avec les autres, puisqu'il ne s'agit plus ni de Mudokons ou de Glukkons et de sauvetage, mais bel et bien d'un jeu orienté action, dont le héros, s'il nous réserve bien entendu des surprises, n'est pas animé par les mêmes motivations que les précédents.

Oddworld : La Fureur de l’Etranger

europe2 (http://europe2.jeuxactu.com/article-7196-page-99-pos0.html)
13th December 2004

Passée de la PlayStation à la Xbox, puis de Microsoft à Electronic Arts, la série Oddworld aura connu bien des changements. Après un premier passage en 3D controversée, le quatrième volet a enfin pu nous être dévoilé lors d’une rencontre avec Lorne Lanning. Au programme, de nouveaux personnages, un changement d’orientation, des prouesses techniques et surtout beaucoup d’humour.

C’est en se rendant dans un grand hôtel de Paris que nous avons enfin pu poser nos mains sur Oddworld : La Fureur de l’Etranger. Si, dès les premières minutes on a accroché au nouvel univers du jeu, qui d’autre que son créateur pouvait le mieux nous en parler ? C’est donc le paddle en main que Lorne Lanning nous a parlé de sa dernière œuvre et dévoilé les subtilités du gameplay.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

Xbox Attitude (http://www.xbox-attitude.com/article_affichage-94-Zoom_Oddworld_Stranger_s_Wrath.html)
10th December 2004

C’est au prestigieux hôtel Hyatt Vendôme, situé à deux pas de la place Vendôme, mondialement connue pour ses joailleries, qu’Electronic Arts et Oddworld Inhabitants sont venus nous présenter leur dernier bijou (Il est pas terrible mon jeu de mot là ???), en développement depuis trois ans maintenant : Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath.

Décor luxueux, hôtesses charmantes, petits fours exquis (bien que je me sois refusé à goûter le sandwich aux moules), plusieurs bornes pour s’essayer au jeu, tout était parfait pour être dans de bonnes dispositions avant de passer à la conférence de presse.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath Update

GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/adventure/oddworldtentativetitle/preview_6114669.html)
8th December 2004

We've gotten some good, long looks at Oddworld Inhabitants' Oddworld Stranger's Wrath over the past few months since its debut earlier this year. While the promising third-person action game has been shown off to good effect at various press events, we've only seen a small piece of the unique puzzle that is Oddworld Stranger's Wrath. Today's demo of the title showed that underneath the unusual brand of personality-heavy gameplay elements that are an Oddworld staple along with an obviously impressive action-oriented skew, beats the heart of a wicked shooter. Oddworld mastermind Lorne Lanning gave us a peek at some of the later levels in the game that revealed a surprisingly intense, and ultimately satisfying, shooter that manages to maintain the signature Oddworld humor.

Following the plot twist in the game's rich story, which has been previously hinted at in our other looks at Oddworld Stranger's Wrath, is a significant ramp up in the gameplay. All the mechanics that you've been familiarizing yourself with over the course of the game, such as the stealth, melee, and the hilarious live ammo that's made up of a small zoo's worth of local fauna, are suddenly intensified a few times over.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

IGN (http://xbox.ign.com/articles/571/571926p1.html)
8th December 2004

December 8, 2004 - While the first two Oddworld games made an impressive splash on the 32-bit systems, there is no doubt that Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was one big disappointment on Xbox. What's surprising is that President Lorne Lanning agrees. And it's one of the reasons he's so excited about Oddworld Stranger's Wrath. Lanning and his team have been brutally honest with themselves and their game, they've learned a lot from the Munch experience, and the result is another kooky game, but one far, far away from the exploits of a dweeby creature and his even weirder friends.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath (previously known as Oddworld Stranger) is a hybrid game of first- and third-person shooting. Oddworld has nailed just the right feel for switching the camera from the first- to the third-person perspective by quickly zooming the camera backward, without actually moving the character or jostling the gamer a bit. It's one of those things that is so well done, you won't even notice it, but to get it just right was a technical backflip.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath Preview

GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/adventure/oddworldtentativetitle/preview_6113198.html)
16th November 2004

The folks at Oddworld Inhabitants have a reputation to maintain. 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. 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. In that light, Oddworld's newest game, Stranger's Wrath, is heading in an action-oriented direction that the developer hasn't previously explored. But don't worry, Oddworld fans--that endearingly crazy sense of humor is still intact.

To be clear, this is indeed the game you've heard of previously as Oddworld Stranger. 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. And from our initial experience, it does seem that Stranger is indeed a wrathful character. 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.

Oddworld Stranger

Edge Australia (http://www.derwenthoward.com.au/magazine.asp?mag=19)
October 2004

Oddworld Inhabitants, partly because it's a nice pun, wants you to believe that Oddworld Just Got Stranger. It's a valid gag, since Stranger's titular hero is a departure for the series: mean, graceful and self-assured. But it's also a bit of a con because, in many ways, Oddworld just got normaller. Stranger takes the series into the realms of far more conventional gameplay, namely a thirdperson/firstperson adventure with guns, puzzles and fistfights.

However, Stranger is far from being a conventional game hero. Part bear, part Aslan and part Ron Perlman, he strides through the game's lavish western pastiche like he owns it. Pick up a new bounty from the office in town and then stalk off into the sunset, looking to even some scores and earn some readies. If you should forget where you're headed, you can talk to yourself, causing Stranger to growl out some reminders about what you've signed up for. You are free to toggle between thirdperson and firstperson modes at any time, but the games does impose some rules. Approach say, a rope that needs to be climbed - and the game will slide you automatically into thirdperson so you can see more clearly what you're doing. In thirdperson, however, your offence is limited to fists. Firstperson is where your guns come out.

Oddworld Stranger

XBM (http://www.paragon.co.uk/mags/xbm.html)
October 2004

This game has been in development since Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee shipped way back in 2002 with the launch of the Xbox. A lot of gamers were (quite understandably) disappointed by what the game had to offer, including us. Its predecessors were stunning examples of innovation while Munch felt like a quirky platformer - therefore we some had reservations about Stranger. Reservations that dissipated, oh, let's see now, around half a second into seeing this game in action.

Forget everything you saw and did in Munch, just put that on the back shelf of your brain for now. This is an entirely new (non-Oddysee) title that is being built from the ground up on an entirely new game engine, to support the split first- and third-person gameplay. For starters you'll notice that the game isn't broken down into a strict level-by-level structure, as Munch was. Instead it feels and looks like what we imagined the original Munch would be when it was announced - a much more open and free-roaming adventure, which allows you to explore all the weird and wonderful aspects of Oddworld.

Oddworld Stranger

gamesTM (http://www.paragon.co.uk/mags/gamestm.html)
October 2004

Odd: (adj) Unusual or unexpected; strange. It's as though the dictionary knew what to expect of Stranger even before the gaming press got a glimpse of Oddworld Inhabitants' fourth title. New settings, new characters and a factory-sized chunk of new ideas (as well as sizeable helpings of animal and humour) await those willing to disobey their parents and play with Stranger. Those in search of Mudokons to rescue or platforming thrills, on the other hand, need not apply...

At a glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking the headline on this page was perhaps a misprint - Stranger distances itself from its heritage visually as much as it does with a distinct lack of Mudokons. A shame, perhaps, but but only so many times you can hear the little guys mutter 'follow me' or 'wait' without thinking that maybe there's more to Oddworld than Simon Says. "What we wanted was a break," says Lorne Lanning, creator of the franchise, co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants and a man far more down to earth than his twisted visions may suggest. "We wanted a fresh start to pioneer some other territory on the planet of Oddworld."

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

Electronic Gaming Monthly (http://egm.1up.com)
8th October 2004

Your last encounter with the bizarre realm of Oddworld came in 2001, when Munch's Oddysee delivered a double dose of strangeness to the Xbox launch. The game earned high scores in EGM and performed well at retail, but Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning doesn't look back on it fondly. "Munch was a big lesson for us," he admits. "The technology drove the story, and going forward, I refuse to water down the Oddworld epics for the sake of this hardware cycle's limitations."

So Lanning's new title, Stranger (due in spring 2005), isn't a proper Oddworld game (he has a quintology of five games planned; Munch was the second), but rather a side story. Seemingly freed from the constraints of the past titles, Stranger marks a decidedly new direction for the Oddworld universe. Lovable protagonists Abe and Munch are notably absent. Also, the series now shifts from platforming adventures emphasizing stealth and brains to a more action-oriented first- and third-person run-and-gun experience.

Oddworld: Stranger

BonusStage (http://www.bonusstage.com/article.php?artid=1768)
23rd September 2004

For years, fans have congregated around a series of rather intriguing games that bring forth an entire world of kooky and zany hilarity and strategy. The Oddworld games can easily be considered the most original titles released in the past decade. Its often-ugly characters exude a level of cuteness that only a mother and a gamer could love. During the heyday of the first PlayStation, Abe’s Odyssee and Abe’s Exoddus brought forth a world of imagination and puzzle-strategy unlike anything before or after it. With the Xbox launch title, Munch’s Odyssee, many people were turned off due to its somewhat difficult gameplay and highly unusual concept. Aside from those two problems, the over-advertising and hype of the game doomed it almost from the start. While hardcore gamers still like the game, Oddworld Inhabitants realized that they had really taken a major blow, so it was time to jump back in a grand way. Coming next year, we will be introduced to the newest character in Oddworld with Oddworld: Stranger.

For diehard fans of the series, you may be disappointed to here that Stranger strays away from the pre-planned Oddworld quintology, as advertised in many of the game’s manuals. Instead, we travel to the other side of the planet for a whole new action-based shooter experience. Our main character, Stranger, is a bad-ass looking bounty hunter that could’ve walked right out of a Sergio Leone spaghetti Western. The developers have been very hush-hush on the story details, wanting to release them in parts. All that is really known is that you roll into town one day, hunting down any baddies you can to rake in some dough for an operation you need done. EA and Oddworld Inhabitants have stated that the story will be filled with twists, turns, and a few surprises along the way.

Oddworld Stranger

Official Australian Xbox Magazine (http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/news/OXM)
6th September 2004

"MUNCH DIDN'T wind up at all what it was supposed to be, " Oddworld Inhabitants' Lorne Lanning tells us before he flicks the switch on the giant plasma screen to reveal Oddworld Stranger. "We were too ambitious and that lead to a lot of technological trouble. We had to start shaping the story to fit the boundaries of what we could achieve with the technology. It really tore my heart out."

The man isn't looking at all heartbroken, though. Oddworld Stranger has been in development for some time now, and time is a great healer. For, when the game comes to life, we're no longer confronted with a puzzle solver, and there isn't a Glukkon or Mudokon to be seen. Oddworld has gone first-person, and it's a change that is as surprising as it is amazing. We beat Lanning to the floor with the back of a controller and spent half an hour in first-person shooter heaven.

EGN 2004: It's Ammo-Geddon! Oddworld Stranger First Look

Computer And Video Games (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/news/news_story.php?id=108782)
3rd September 2004

17:52 Oddworld - formerly the franchise name for a series of really quite disturbing platform adventures right? Well once yes, but no longer, after an in-depth first look and developer interview for Oddworld Stranger at the EGN games event in London earlier today presented us with a third-person-cum-first-person action blast with vast lashings of freedom, stealth and total and utter absurdity to be uncovered. Oh, and did we mention the cartoon violence? Nope? Well, we shouldda done...

First things first, developer Oddworld Inhabitants unveiled an almost Grand Theft Auto-like game structure at our showing, with Clint Eastwood-esque game character Stranger wandering through civilian (well, duck - as in quack not dodge) infested towns, and purchasing missions and supplies from various stores.

Oddworld: Stranger Preview

GBase (http://www.gbase.ch/index.asp?zone=ps&target=previews&id=11505)
1st September 2004

In einem kleinen Raum präsentierten eine handvoll Entwickler, unter der Fuchtel von Electronic Arts, interessierten Redakteuren von den verschiedensten Magazinen die neuesten Games. Neben bekannten Spielen wie Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, Die Sims 2 und den Fussballmanager 2005 entdeckten wir auch das eher unscheinbare Oddworld: Stranger, das wir ebenfalls unter die Lupe nahmen.

Action und Spass mit einem Augenzwinkern Zunächst macht das von Oddworld Inhabitants entwickelte Game, welches im übrigen Abe`s Oddyssey als einer seiner Vorgänger zählt, den Eindruck eines recht flotten Jump`n`Runs. Der agile Hauptcharakter, dessen Berufung als Kopfgeldjäger vorerst dahingestellt sei, hüpft und rollt flink wie ein Fuchs durch die unterschiedlichsten Level.

Oddworld Stranger

IGN (http://xbox.ign.com/articles/539/539879p1.html)
19th August 2004

August 18, 2004 - There's reason to be wary of another Oddworld game, and Oddworld President Lorne Lanning knows it. At the recent Hot Summer Night event at EA in July, the quirky game designer and voice-over master went on record in a very straight-forward manner and explained he understood why people were disappointed with the Xbox exclusive Munch's Oddysee. He addressed issues, took responsibility, and showed his new game, which is being published by, of all companies, EA. What a world we live in. His new game appears to demonstrate exactly his response to his previous effort in almost every manner.

So I went in to EA last week to see the game. I entered the meeting with deep-seeded reservation based on my dislike of the previous game and the developer's rather rockstar approach during its shift from PS2 to Xbox. I sat and watched and said very little. What I discovered is a game that's distinctly different than its predecessors. Oddworld Stranger is a fast-action shooter that takes place, at first, in the "Wild West" of the Oddworld universe, and is easily switchable from the first to the third perspective. It's not a throwback game based on all sorts of goofy conversations and somewhat interesting command-based schemes. In fact, I came away from the meeting seeing that it's more like Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank 2 Going Commando, which, as you might recall, was IGNPS2's game of the year in 2003.

Oddworld: Stranger

GameSpot Belgium (http://www.gamespot.be/preview.cfm?ID=4090&kind=video)
17th August 2004

Plaats van actie: een klein vergaderzaaltje ergens in de gigantische hoofdkantoren van Electronic Arts in Redwood nabij San Francisco. Temidden van een groots opgezet EA-persevenement waar ruim twee dozijn titels gedemonstreerd worden, wurmde GameSpot zich met een tiental andere gelukkigen binnen in dit kleine zaaltje dat voor de rest nog een gigantisch plasmascherm en twee zenuwachtige EA-mensen bevatte. Waarom gingen we hier zo braafjes als sardientjes in een blik opeengepakt zitten als elders in het complex op veel luxueuzer manier The Sims 2, FIFA 2005 en Catwoman uitgestald stonden? Omdat ergens op het bloedmooie artwork, dat tegen de muren van dit kantoortje hing, het woord Oddworld vermeld stond. Yep, de jongens van Munch en Abe lieten hier voor het allereerst een nieuw game zien waar ze in het diepste geheim al anderhalf jaar aan gewerkt hadden: Oddworld: Stranger.

Oddworld: Stranger speelt zich af in dezelfde wereld als die van de andere Oddworld-games zoals Abe's en Munch's Oddysee, maar dan ergens aan de andere kant ervan. Ik bedoel, het is een min of meer primitieve wereld met eerste tekenen van moderne technologische ontwikkelingen, maar dan altijd wel met een ruw kantje. Verwacht hier echter geen enkel personage uit de voorgaande games (behalve ééntje dan) want dit game speelt zich volledig af in het Wilde Westen van Oddworld, compleet met outlaws, woestijnstadjes, verlaten mijnschachten, stoffige rotsvalleien, saloons en premiejagers. 'Stranger' is de naam van zo'n premiejager, en hij lijkt een beetje op een kruising tussen een te vaak als schietschijf gebruikte wolf en de goeie ouwe Clint Eastwood. Elk personage in dit spel heeft duidelijk een gepast dier in zijn recente familiestamboom zitten. Zo zijn de 'gewone burgers' kippen en de bad guys reptielen of padachtige wezens.

Oddworld Stranger: First Shots

gamesradar (http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/news/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=31345&subsectionid=1584)
3rd August 2004

Oddworld Stranger is the latest in the platform puzzler series but has surprisingly mutated into a first-person shooter. These first screenshots of the game provide visual proof that the series has shifted direction but, befitting the Oddworld tradition, this isn't your run-of-the-mill shoot-'em-up.

The central character is Stranger, a rootin'-tootin' bounty hunter. As such, he takes on assignments to bring in individuals dead or alive. Seeking enemies across the Oddworld landscape will include traversing western-styled environments but will also feature industrial locations and even verdant jungles.

Oddworld Stranger Continues Oddworld Legacy

EA Games (http://www.eagames.com/redesign/editorial.jsp?src=oddworld_072804)
29th July 2004

At last Thursday's Hot Summer Night, an editor's day to catch up with EA's upcoming games, attendees were surprised to see EA GAMES' upcoming Oddworld Stranger, the latest in Oddworld Inhabitants' Oddworld series coming to Xbox and finally returning to the PlayStation 2. And Oddworld founder, Lorne Lanning, was there to introduce editors to his company's upcoming creation.

Unlike previous games in the Oddworld series which focused on rescuing the weak Mudokons from becoming extinct luncheon meat, Stranger is based upon the adventures of a powerful bounty hunter. While Lanning wouldn’t give away all the details behind Stranger's history, he did tell the audience that Stranger only hunts in order to remedy an as of yet unnamed illness. Also, we noticed that while Stranger stands like a human on two legs, he runs like a lion on all fours.

Oddworld: Stranger

UGO (http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/ea2004/oddworldstranger.asp)
29th July 2004

When working within a popular franchise or universe, it's easy to imagine a developer feeling limited. There's only so much innovation that can go into a new game, if you've already set out the guidelines of the world in a previous one. For example, jet packs in Zelda? Not gonna happen. But what if your universe's only prerequisite is that everything must be odd, strange or unusual? Hell, you could do anything! Welcome to Oddworld.

Oddworld Just Got Stranger

Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=56175)
28th July 2004

Lorne Lanning: "This is the first day that we're unveiling Stranger at all, so you guys are amongst the first people to see what we've been working on for the last two and a half years. I've got a lot to show you, so I'm going to jump right into it.

"First I'm just going to show you a little teaser showing the character and the essence of the experience, which is of bounty hunting.

[Game footage - shows gravely voiced typically Oddworld main character warning someone, "I think you better stay out of my way," hurtling through an eerie jungle environment, exposing his wrist-mounted crossbow, overviews of a few environments (which look gorgeous), and lots of shots of beautifully rendered characters in all sorts of positions, being hurled into the clink, massing over bodies, and passing new Wanted notices to Stranger. "Oddworld just got... Stranger."]

Oddworld: Stranger

Yahoo! Games Domain (http://gamesdomain.yahoo.com/preview/32594)
28th July 2004

The notion of "two great tastes tasting great together" is always a gamble. So we get nervous when developers start genre-bending our old favorites. For instance, what if somebody did an action/combat, pseudo-spaghetti western pass on the Abe's Oddworld Oddysee cosmos? Well, somebody did... and so far, it looks awesome.

Stranger gives us another new window into the odd world that is, well, Oddworld. This time we leave behind the genocidal, Soylent-greenish trials of Abe, his fellow Mudokons and the luckless Gabbits, and prowl all-new alien badlands. The player controls a gruff-voiced, tough, bipedal bounty hunter who bares such a resemblance to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name character that it can't even be called suspicious.

Oddworld Stranger

1UP (http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3133681&did=1)
27th July 2004

When EA and Oddworld revealed Stranger a week and a half ago, there were a number of unique elements on display. Possibly the most unique of these is what the developers refer to as "live ammo," a term for amunition which essentially means Oddworld Inhabitants took out the bullets and replaced them with animals.

The team at Oddworld didn't just change the bullets, though; they also changed the guns. Instead of switching between assault rifles and shotguns like in most shooters, Stranger only has one type of weapon: a crossbow that can hold different types of ammunition. The bow can hold two types of ammo. at a time, going along with the dual wielding concept that has become popular again since it was announced for Halo 2 and GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.

Oddworld Stranger

Team Xbox (http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox/821/Oddworld-Stranger/p1)
20th July 2004

It’s been a long time since Abe and Munch found their way into the gaming world and Oddworld has since become an icon in the industry. The folks of Oddworld Inhabitants are setting out on a new direction for the franchise as they continue to develop their closely guarded Oddworld Stranger. Taking a bit of a side step from the previous Oddworld releases we’ve become so familiar with, Oddworld Stranger combines first and third-person gameplay with an all new engine to set the tone for yet another unique experience that still keeps pace will all the wit and humor we’ve grown to expect from the Inhabitants. At last week’s press event hosted by Electronic Arts we were among the very first to sneak behind closed doors for a guided tour of the game hosted by Lorne Lanning. There hasn’t been a lot of information about this game as of yet, and only a few screens had previously been released. Once slated as an Xbox exclusive, Microsoft surprisingly dropped the title from their publishing efforts. EA jumped at the opportunity and the game will now be a multiplatform release. However, Lorne was quick to point out that the Xbox is the platform the game is being designed for, and that the PS2 version will have to undergo some work to get the game to a level he feels does the game justice. After having a look at the game in action, I for one can say that what we saw was more impressive than any Oddworld title to date. One other question comes to mind…what was Microsoft thinking?

Oddworld Stranger

1UP (http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3133324&did=1)
16th July 2004

After years in development, we finally got a chance to check out Oddworld's latest game, Oddword Stranger, at EA's press event in Redwood City today, and different as it may be, it's still clearly an Oddworld game. From the character voices to the humor to the unique character designs and the environments, it's stylish, comical, and unique. The character lineup is almost completely different, with this game taking place on the same planet as the other Oddworld games, but not sharing any of the main characters or locations. There were many rumors that the game had changed its course since it was first shown to the public by way of a television documentary, but what we saw today matched what we expected and only added new features, so we're getting excited all over again.

Oddworld Stranger

Gamespy (http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/oddworld-4/530885p1.html)
16th July 2004

Longtime fans of the Oddworld series might be taken aback by this latest entry. Oddworld Stranger is a very different type of game than the action/puzzle games that you might be used to. Heck, the "so ugly they're cute" stars of the previous games, Abe and Munch, are nowhere to be seen in Stranger. This protagonist this time is a gruff bounty hunter known only as Stranger (we have title!), who looks like a cross between a young Clint Eastwood and those kangaroo things from Tank Girl.

Even the setting is new. Gone are the high tech factories and science labs. Stranger takes place in Oddworld's version of the Old West. In fact, most elements in the game, from the hero to the villains to the story, have a definite Sergio Leone feel to them.

A Stranger Approaches

IGN (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/530/530849p1.html)
16th July 2004

Artwork and personality are decidedly Odd. The bizarre landscapes and eccentric characters we've come to expect from the series are in, for sure. Our recent look only included the dusty canyons and pseudo-futuristic towns of an Odd West, but we were promised sprawling industrial environments and lush jungles.

As a bounty hunter aptly referred to as Stranger, players will navigate these distinct combat zones and towns looking for potential jobs, be they offered from the Mudokons or Clackers (a kind of fidgety chicken folk). After accepting a bounty, Stranger embarks on his mission and must capture his prey dead or alive (alive paying more).

Oddworld Stranger Impressions

GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/adventure/oddworldtentativetitle/preview_6102788.html)
16th July 2004

Much like its enigmatic main character, much mystery has surrounded Oddworld Stranger, the latest game in the Oddworld milieu. At today's EA press event, we were among the first members of the media to peel back the iron curtain and see just what it is that Oddworld Inhabitants has been keeping under its cap all this time. Those who might have been anticipating another platforming puzzler are in for a huge surprise; Oddworld Stranger moves outsides the legacy of Abe and his kin and instead puts forth an intriguing, rich-looking action game with a wholly other kind of Oddworld flavor. Set on the same world as the previous games, Stranger melds the feel of a classic old Western with the distinctly quirky, humorous nature of the existing universe in an appealing package.