Oddworld

Oddworld is a media franchise and fictional universe, created by developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. The series has been released on various platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Game Boy, Windows and Wii U.

Oddworld
Genre(s)Platform, action-adventure
Developer(s)Oddworld Inhabitants
Digital Dialect
Saffire
Just Add Water
Frima Studio
Square One Games Fat Krakern Stduios, Sabotage Studios, Streamline Studio
Publisher(s)GT Interactive Software
Infogrames
EA Games
Creator(s)Sherry McKenna, Lorne Lanning
Platform(s)PlayStation, MS-DOS, Windows, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Ouya
First releaseOddworld: Abe's Oddysee
19 September 1997
Latest releaseOddworld: Munch's Oddysee (Nintendo Switch)[1]
14 May 2020

Throughout games set in the Oddworld universe, the player's character goes on a quest to defend Oddworld's ecosystem from endangerment by industrial corporations.

Oddworld planet

Oddworld is the name of the planet on which all four Oddworld Inhabitants games are based, extant in another dimension.[2] The planet was originally described as ten times the size of Earth; but Oddworld Inhabitants' president and creative developer Lorne Lanning has since explained that Oddworld's surface area is ten times the size of Earth's, given that Oddworld is predominantly a dry-land planet and Earth is predominantly water-covered.[3] It has its own sun and thus its own orbit resulting in a unique clock and calendar.[2]

At some point, the planet suffered huge natural turmoils that resulted in volcanic crusts forming a new layer upon the entire planet. When that crust collapsed, it created giant 1000-foot craters all over the planet.[3] The planet has a total of three layers, each with its own climate, temperature and gravitational levels.[3] The giant craters were then used by the various Oddworld species to house their cities, whose tips could be seen protruding above the crust surface when looking across the landscape.[3]

Only one of Oddworld's continents has been featured in the games – Mudos – and only a tiny fraction of Mudos has been seen in-game.[4] The journeys of Abe through Abe's Oddysee, Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee take him through that small portion, composed of fields, jungles, deserts, caverns, and swamps. Much of the planet is decimated by industrialist species for their own profit; this is represented by city-sized factories and mass transit systems.

Oddworld species

The protagonist species of the games in the Oddworld universe are the Mudokons (/muːˈdɒkən/): an oviparous anthropoid with blue or green skin. In Abe's Oddysee, Abe's Exoddus, and Munch's Oddysee, the Mudokons are peaceful, spiritual inhabitants of a mock-Paleolithic society. Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning has explained that the Mudokons were not always sympathetic protagonists,[5] insofar as, though they represent a class of slaves exploited by the upper class, their ability to telepathically control other species contradicts that status.[6] Their principal enemies are the Glukkons: a cephalopod-like anthropoid with only vestigial lower limbs (usually concealed by clothing), representing an industrial master class. Subordinate to the Glukkons are the Sligs, who appear as soldiers or body-servants. The Mudokons have two sacred or totemic species, both of which resemble arthropods, but are actually vertebrates: the towering Scrabs and the arachnid-like Paramites, whereof both are hunted by the Sligs on the Glukkons' behalf to make food or similar products. Mudokons, Scrabs, Paramites, and Glukkons were designed by Steven Olds.[7]

In the Oddworld games, the GameSpeak feature allows the player to interact with the non-playable characters (NPCs). Examples of GameSpeak commands in the original game Abe's Oddysee are "Hello," "Follow me," and "Wait." Rescuing Mudokons and opening certain doors are all achieved through GameSpeak. Enemies possessed by Abe can also use GameSpeak, and one can take control of Slig guards, use Glukkons to command subservient Sligs, or use Sligs to call their Slog pets to heel. GameSpeak also included burps and flatulence, for comical effect.

In "Munch's Oddysee" several creatures were added to the game including Vykkers, Interns, and Big Bro Sligs (with Armored versions of them occasionally being seen). Other species include Fuzzles, Meeps, and Gabbits. The Vykkers are purple, hairless humanoids with four arms and four legs; Interns resemble Vykkers, but have only two sets of limbs; and Big Bro Sligs are bigger and more powerful versions of the original Sligs. The Fuzzles are small, furry, spheroidal predator-scavengers; Meeps resemble sheep, but with only one limb and one eye; and the Gabbit is an amphibian species whose single hind leg serves as both feet and flukes.

The GameSpeak feature was modified in Stranger's Wrath, with a single talk button that caused the Stranger to say something appropriate to the situation. This context-sensitive GameSpeak also worked for questioning the Clakker and Grubb townsfolk. This change made the talk button more comparable to a universal-action button in Stranger's Wrath. New species included the Clakkers (anthropomorphic, flightless birds); the Outlaws (bulbous, hairless, blue-green humanoids); the Steef (feline-featured, gracile-legged centaurs); the Grubbs (amphibian-like bipeds; symbiont of the Steef); the Oktigi (amphibious, parasitic cephalopods related to the Glukkons); and the Gloktigi (large, cephalopod-like bipeds related to the Oktigi and Glukkons).

Games set on Oddworld

The developers originally stated that the Oddworld series would be a pentalogy called the Oddworld Quintology, and that Abe's Exoddus and Stranger's Wrath were bonus titles not counting toward the total of five. The Oddworld Adventures games are handheld versions of Abe's Oddysee and Exoddus. The Quintology was halted after the first two games, when the company decided to redirect its efforts toward film production. There were also a few titles that were hinted at in interviews and press releases, but they were never developed.

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Main article: Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

At the beginning of this game, Abe is a happy, ignorant worker at RuptureFarms, a meat-packing plant,[8] but he then discovers that the plant's boss Molluck the Glukkon has decided to use the factory's Mudokon slaves as a source of meat.[9] At the end of the game's introductory sequence, which is a retrospective voice-over by Abe,[10] he runs for his life.[8] The Mudokons’ spiritual leader, the BigFace, reveals that the Paramites and Scrabs slaughtered and processed by the Glukkons were formerly sacred to the Mudokons, and orders Abe to relight holy flames extinguished by the Glukkons. Having done this, Abe is empowered by BigFace and infiltrates RuptureFarms, where he frees the remaining slaves and destroys the Glukkon board of executives, but is himself captured. Should the player save a certain number of Mudokons, their free compatriots rescue Abe, and he receives a hero's welcome from the Mudokons he rescued. Should the player not save a sufficient number, Abe is executed by Molluck.

Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
Main article: Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus

Abe's Oddysee was very popular, and the bonus game Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus was released the following year.[8] Abe's Exoddus begins where Abe's Oddysee ends.[11] Abe's abilities in this game were similar to his abilities in the first game,[12] with an expanded ability to communicate with other characters in the world using GameSpeak.[13] Here, Abe is informed by ghosts of his species[14] that Necrum, a Mudokon burial ground, is being excavated by Glukkons, using blind Mudokons as slaves.[9] Abe then departs, with his companions Alf, Ben, Phos, Han, and Luke[15] to find a cure to the sickness caused by the SoulStorm Brew, created from the excavated bones. Having cured his friends, he destroys the brewery. If the player is successful, Abe is again rescued by his friends; if not, he is captured by the brewery's owner, and electrocuted.

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Main article: Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

Not long after the events of Abe's Exoddus, Abe helps Munch (the last living remnant of an amphibious race called the Gabbits) to save the Gabbits' eggs from destruction, in exchange for Munch's help in rescuing more captive Mudokons.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Main article: Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is an action-adventure game published for the Xbox in 2005. The game's main character is a bounty hunter named Stranger. The game utilizes both third and first-person perspectives and is less puzzle-oriented than the previous three Oddworld games.[16] The game has a Wild West setting. It was later ported to the PC and released through the digital distribution service Steam.

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!
Main article: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! is a full remake of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee developed by Just Add Water and published by Oddworld Inhabitants. It was released in July 2014 for the PlayStation 4[newntasty 1] with later releases for additional platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Wii U, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita. The game also had a physical version released for a limited time for PS4 and the PS Vita in 2016 from Limited Run Games.[17] In 2019, LRG also released a physical version for the PS3. In August 2020, New 'n' Tasty was announced to be releasing on the Nintendo Switch in October 2020.[18]

Released titles
TitleYearPlatformsDeveloperPublisherNotes
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee1997PlayStation, Windows, PSN (2008), OnLive (2012)Oddworld InhabitantsGT Interactive[19]First pentalogy game.
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus1998PlayStation, Windows, PSN (2008), OnLive (2012)Oddworld InhabitantsGT Interactive[20]Bonus pentalogy game and a sequel to Abe's Oddysee.
Oddworld Adventures1998Game BoySaffireGT Interactive[21]Handheld version of Abe's Oddysee.
Oddworld Adventures 22000Game Boy ColorSaffireInfogrames[lower-alpha 1]Handheld version of Abe's Exoddus.
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee2001Xbox, Windows (2010), PS3 (2012), OnLive (2012), PS Vita (2014), Android (2015), Nintendo Switch (2020)Oddworld Inhabitants, Just Add Water (port)Infogrames
Oddworld Inhabitants		Second pentalogy game.
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee2003Game Boy AdvanceArt Co., LtdTHQ[22]Handheld version of Xbox game.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath2005Xbox, Windows (2010), PS3 (2011), PS Vita (2012), OnLive (2012), iOS (2014), Android (2014), Ouya, OS X (2015) Nintendo Switch (2020)Oddworld Inhabitants, Just Add Water Ltd. (port)Electronic Arts[23]First-person shooter/third-person platformer.
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!2014PS4 (2014)
Windows & Linux (2015)
Xbox One (2015)
PS3 (2015)
Wii U (2016)
Nintendo Switch (2020)
PS Vita (2016)
Android, iOS (2017)		Just Add WaterOddworld InhabitantsA re-creation of Abe's Oddysee. Made on the Unity game engine. Nephilim Game Studios ported the Wii U and PS Vita version of New 'n' Tasty.
Oddworld: Soulstorm2021PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Microsoft Windows		Oddworld InhabitantsOddworld InhabitantsAn expanded re-creation of "Abe's Exoddus". Made on the Unity game engine.

Future titles

In April 2015, Oddworld's co-founder Lorne Lanning announced on a live stream with Kindafunny games that a full remake of Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus would be the next Oddworld project, with a voting poll planned for the remake's name.[24] Many fans liked the title Oddworld: Twice Ze Flavor[25] however, on 14 March 2016, Oddworld Inhabitants announced on social media with a press release that the remake would be entitled Oddworld: Soulstorm. Later at EGX 2016, one game developer from Frima Studio Mat Glanville who developed New 'n' Tasty said that though Soulstorm would be a direct sequel to Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty rather than a direct remake of Abe's Exoddus, it will be a reimagining of the original Abe's Exoddus story.[26]

According to the official Oddworld website, Oddworld: Soulstorm will be released in 2020 or 2021.[27]

Unreleased titles
  • Oddworld: The Hand of Odd. A real-time strategy game planned to be online. Although being halted when Citizen Siege was planned, it has since been revived as plans for its development have been announced.[28] Said to be in production after Abe HD. It is said to be free-to-play with optional extras that may be purchased.
  • SligStorm. It would have followed the story of an albino Slig who was born in a complex it must escape to avoid infanticide, and would have been included with Abe's Oddysee and Abe's Exoddus in a combined package. On 9 May 2011, an Oddworld Inhabitants representative released a list of FAQ answers in relation to future games, confirming Sligstorm will be worked on after Abe HD and The Hand of Odd.[29] It is not clear where in the Oddworld continuity the game will fit.
  • The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot. Originally intended to be the next game following Stranger's Wrath. Announced in April 2005, Fangus Klot was cancelled by Oddworld Inhabitants founders Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna over deal disagreements with publisher Majesco Entertainment. In the 9 May 2011 FAQ, an Oddworld Inhabitants representative confirmed Fangus Klot is in future plans.[29]
  • Oddworld: Squeek's Oddysee. Expected third game in the original pentalogy following the first two entries Abe's Oddysee and Munch's Oddysee. In the 9 May 2011 FAQ, an Oddworld Inhabitants representative confirmed Squeek’s Oddysee is on the cards after The Hand of Odd, Abe HD, The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot and Sligstorm are released.[29]
  • Oddworld: Munch's Exoddus. Expected to be a bonus game based on Munch's Oddysee outside of the original pentalogy, in the same way that Abe's Exoddus was to Abe's Oddysee. It would have featured Munch traveling to a land named Ma'Spa to hatch the Gabbit eggs acquired from the original game. It is unknown whether or not the game was cancelled or halted.
  • Oddworld: Slave Circus. In an AMA on Reddit, Lorne Lanning discussed a possible future "gladiator" type Oddworld title, in which the player could purchase and battle slaves. "I have been fixated on a game called "oddworld Slave Circus". It is seriously whack. You start the game by buying a slave. Think Gladiators on Oddworld. Have done a tremendous amount of work on this and have never mentioned it. But it is in the coffer and there may be some light for it down the road. But has some other contingencies depending on it. Requires new level of social integration into console gaming. It's insane. Hopefully not so insane it won't come to life."
  • Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 2. On 17 January 2013, on the Oddworld website, the Oddworld team asked which game fans would like to see after completion on "Abe's Oddysee New 'n' Tasty". Among the options was "Stranger's Wrath 2".
  • Stranger Arena. A competitive multiplayer game using gameplay mechanics from Stranger's Wrath.[30]

OddBoxx

In 2009, the director of Oddworld, Lorne Lanning, announced that they planned to make an Oddworld digital download package for PC. This package contains Abe's Oddysee, Abe's Exoddus, Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath. Oddworld Inhabitants unveiled their re-designed website on 4 November 2010, also declaring that the Oddboxx was still in development.[31] On 6 December, they announced that the Oddboxx would be released for the 2010 holiday season.[32] The European and U.S. prices were revealed on 14 December.[33] On 17 December, Oddworld Inhabitants announced the Oddboxx's release date as 20 December, with a 25% discount offer running until 9AM (PST) the following morning.[34] On 20 December 2010, the Oddboxx was released on Steam.[35] Achievements have been added to the two 3D games – Munch's Oddysee received 30, and Stranger's Wrath gained 20.

On 29 April 2011, JAW announced at GameCity Nights that the Oddboxx would be coming to the PlayStation Network (with other platforms to be announced). Stranger's Wrath HD was released on PlayStation 3 on 27 December 2011, and Munch's Oddysee HD in December 2012. Stranger's Wrath has 37 Trophies and Munch's Oddysee has 45 Trophies. Every Oddworld title is now available on the PSN, making the PS3 and Vita the only consoles to offer the entire Oddboxx other than the PC. These remakes are currently cancelled for Xbox 360.

Characters
Main article: Abe (Oddworld)

Abe is the strongly developed central character of the Oddworld series.[36] He can also use GameSpeak, a way of communicating with other characters in the game.[12] Along with Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot, Abe was one of the unofficial mascots of the PlayStation.[37] Computer and Video Games described Abe as "a new platform hero" and a "brilliant character."[38] Lorne Lanning, Oddworld's creator, has stated that its "characters are driven in a way that is fired by larger [moral] issues."[8] The physical characteristics of the Glukkon species, principally its elongated head and gangly frame, were inspired by those of the villainous Teacher character from the film Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982).[39]

Reception

The Oddworld games have received more than 100 industry awards.[40] Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee received more than 24 awards and three nominations from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences over 1997 and 1998.[41] Oddworld also was nominated for a Grammy with the release of Abe's Exoddus: the Movie (a short film combined with cutscenes from Exoddus). In 2010, Game Informer included it on the list of ten gaming franchises that should be revived, specifically counting for the return of Abe.[42]

As of 18 March 2014, The digital releases of Abe's Oddysee and Abe's Exoddus have sold one million units. The digital releases of all games combined have sold two million units. The franchise as a whole has sold seven million copies.[43]

Other media

Oddworld is referenced in the 2007 television series Code Monkeys. In the tenth episode of season one ("Third Reich's the Charm") Lorne Lanning appears as a fictionalized version of himself and pitches the idea of Oddworld to a fictional video game company.[44]

References
  1. "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is Coming to the Switch on May 14th 2020". Microids. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. "Dear Alf March 2013 (Volume 1)". Oddworld Inhabitants. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  3. "Nathan interviews Lorne Lanning again". Oddblog. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  4. Ballistic Publishing, The Art of Oddworld: The First Ten Years 1994–2004, page 58
  5. "Nathan interviews Lorne Lanning again". Oddblog. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  6. "Editorial: Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus". Gog.com. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  8. Carr, Diane, David Buckingham, Andrew Burn, Gareth Schott, 2006, Computer Games: Text, Narrative and Play, Polity
  9. White, Jason, Oddworld Adventures 2, All Game.
  10. Clarke, Andy, Grethe Mitchell, 2007, Videogames and Art, Intellect Books.
  11. Something strange is brewing in 'Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus', CNN.
  12. DeMaria, Rusel, Johnny L. Wilson, 2003, High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill Professional
  13. Thomas, Maureen, François Penz, 2003, Architectures of Illusion: From Motion Pictures to Navigable Interactive Environments, Intellect Books
  14. Abe biography Archived 20 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Official Oddworld Website.
  15. Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
  16. Underneath It All, Substance Sells, New York Times.
  17. "Oddworld Announces Limited Run PS4 & PS Vita Physical Editions". Oddworld Inhabitants. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  18. "New 'n' Tasty Coming to Nintendo Switch Soon!". Oddworld Inhabitants. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  19. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Moby Games
  20. Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, Moby Games
  21. Oddworld: Adventures, Moby Games
  22. Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Moby Games
  23. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Moby Games
  24. Hindes, Daniel (13 April 2015). "Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus Remake Is Brewing". GameSpot. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  25. "Kinda Funny". YouTube. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  26. "Introducing Oddworld: Soulstorm". Twitter. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  27. "Oddworld: Soulstorm". Oddworld. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  28. "Oddworld: The Hand of Odd revived, Stranger's Wrath HD delayed". Daily Gaming News. Neoseeker.com. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  29. "FAQ". Oddworld Inhabitants. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  30. Matulef, Jeffrey (4 April 2014). "Lorne Lanning explains his canned Stranger Arena multiplayer game". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  31. "The Oddboxx | Oddworld Inhabitants". Oddworld.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  32. "Oddboxx – Gets release window! | Oddworld Inhabitants". Oddworld.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  33. "Oddboxx – Euro and U.S. Prices. Also online retail partners announced! | Oddworld Inhabitants". Oddworld.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  34. "ODDWORLD INHABITANTS' ODDBOXX: STEAM DECEMBER 20TH RELEASE DATE CONFIRMATION AND HOLIDAY SALE PARTICIPATION | Oddworld Inhabitants". Oddworld.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  35. "IGN: The Oddboxx". Pc.ign.com. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  36. Carr, Diane, Andrew Burn, Gareth Schott, David Buckingham, Textuality in Video Games, Utrecht University and Digital Games Research Association
  37. "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee". IGN. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  38. "Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus". Computerandvideogames.com. 15 August 2001. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  39. Roden, Al (May 2009). "Now Tip Your Hat (supplement)". Q. Bauer Media Group.
  40. Morris, Chris, Microsoft takes Oddworld, CNN Money
  41. Barlow, Nove, This Week in Gaming History, The Escapist
  42. Ryckert, Dan. "Ten Franchises That Deserve A Revival". Game Informer. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  43. Matulef, Jeffrey (18 March 2014). "New 'n' Tasty needs to sell 500K to fund an original new Oddworld game". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  44. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/code_monkeys/s01/e10
Reference group
  1. Matulef, Jeffrey. "Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty release date set for July on PS4". Eurogamer. Retrieved 17 February 2019.

Notes
  1. Released under the GT Interactive brand name.

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