A continuation of the very innovative and original platform game Oddworld, Abe' Exoddus is the second in this series and it's as good as the first one.Again, his people is enslaved, this time in mines and factories that produce SoulStorm Brew.Just as last time, he will be rather left alone, but is compelled to free his people and sets on another beautiful adventure.

As might be intuited by the very name of the game, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee expresses the intent of the designers to create something a little bit different than the normal run of side scrolling epics. For anyone who thought that there wasn't anything new to add to this type of game, think again. The GT Interactive designers have thrown convention to the wind and thrust upon the unsuspecting gaming world an enormously innovative, exciting, dare-to-be-different extravaganza that should act as a basis for rethinking future side scrolling designs.

The story is unbelievably involved for this type of game and once you get into it just a little way, you'll be hooked. The game doesn't depend on accumulating points to win (what!?!) nor does it bombard you with unconnected puzzle screens or mindless game play designed to merely extend the game length artificially. This is one deep continuous struggle by an oppressed slave (who didn't realize he was oppressed until he overheard the gruesome plan that spelled out doom for him and his whole race of Mudokons) to save himself and other (sometimes) unbelieving fellow beings. Make no mistake, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is tough despite it's cute and somewhat bizarre characters and environment.

The controls are fairly easy to learn as Abe can do over a dozen actions such as run, sneak, throw, jump, crouch, hop, roll, hoist, walk, mount, chant and use GameSpeak. This latter ability, Abe's Mudokon language, consists of direction giving and rude noises. Learning when, where, why and to whom to use the eight possible GameSpeak options is an absolute necessity for completing the game. Locations within the game are just as diverse and craftily designed as the inhabitants of Abe's world and include the RuptureFarms slice and dice meat packing factory where Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee begins, the territory that surrounds the factory (Stockyards and Free-Fire Zone), Monsaic Lines (holy caves of the Mudokons), Scrabania (a good place to practice moves), a couple of Temples that serve as homes to the Scrabs and Paramites (both on the endangered list thanks to the goons at RuptureFarms) and Paramonia, part of Oddworld's threatened wilderness.

The charm of the game is enhanced constantly by the actions of the various species (friendly and non-friendly), each with fantastically designed individual traits and personalities who must be handled with care to make them function in a helpful way. An endearing feature of the game is the way Abe's 'death' is handled by simply plopping him back at the beginning of whatever section you were playing. Be prepared, however, to repeat these sections numerous times as more often than not the game springs a surprise that quickly ends in Abe's demise and can only be learned through trial and error. (See Enjoyment section below).

Graphics: The innovative backgrounds and environments have to be seen to be believed. The consistency and plot-integrated cut scenes nearly exceed in brilliance any that I have seen before.

Sound: Every single being or creature that you encounter in the game has a unique blend of sound effects and the music is astonishingly linked to the action on the screen. Perhaps a bit more variety would have been nice but the exquisite way in which it merges with game play is uncanny. Abe's speech is worth the entry fee alone.

Enjoyment: Overall presentation (from story to character actions) and intense game play far outshines any minor flaws perceived in the game. And those minor flaws (if any) are very difficult to identify. The game has nearly a perfect blend of sound, music, visual content, humor and nearly every emotion you can think of and all come into play during this game. If there is a flaw, it might be in the fact that the game is so frustratingly hard in places or that it forces you to learn of game traps by trial and error, thus guaranteeing sections will be replayed many times. If you are intent on saving all 99 of Abe's Mudokon buddies, be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time glued to your computer. More than two dozen objects come into play and game play is not constricted to just repeating the same tired moves over and over. This game requires some mental agility to figure out the challenging puzzles and predicaments Abe finds himself in and not just tricky, slapdash, mindless puzzles either. There is an incredibly unique integration between Abe's on-screen actions and the advancement of the story. Speaking of which, marvelously directed, meaningful and totally absorbing cut scenes splice the story together flawlessly and with flair. These amazing sequences have to be seen to be believed. To sum up, I have never been an ardent fan of side scrolling action puzzle games but in the case of Abe's Oddysee I'm not only willing but downright eager to put aside my lukewarm feelings towards this type of game and unequivocally state that I hope the designer's promise to fully flesh out other aspects of Oddworld in four more installments becomes reality. I, for one, will be at the head of the line waiting to pick up my reserved copy at my favorite software store.

Replay Value: The game isn't really designed with replay value as a high priority. You'll get enough replaying of most sections by the simple requirement to get through them safely. However, the game is so uniquely charming and fun, replaying it for pure enjoyment is a viable option.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

People who downloaded Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee have also downloaded:
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, Curse of Monkey Island, The, Secret of Monkey Island 2, The, Grim Fandango, Escape from Monkey Island, Sam and Max Hit the Road, Myst: Masterpiece Edition, Obsidian

Part 2: The truth about sligs and slogsIf You've Got This Far (Which You Will have done if you followed Part 1 of our walkthrough), you should find the rest comparatively easy. There are a few new surprises in store, so let's saddle up. ParamoniaTo kill the sleeping guard, just activate the bomb and climb up, then get yourself some rocks and throw them at the mines on the next screen.

Pull the lever to activate the well. Go back and jump through it, pull the ring, mount your steed and then jump the chasm. Say 'hello', whistle '8668' and then fart to bring down the lift.Dismount and go up. Now creep left and lob a stone to detonate the mine next to the sleeping slig.

Go back and get Elum, and go up the second lift where Elum should get stuck into the honey. Throw a rock at the nest and move away while Elum shoos them away. Go left and disarm the bomb, then climb aboard Elum and leap across the two chasms -keep going before the slig shoots you.Time to leave your steed again. Climb up and jump into the well. Possess the slig and drop down to the left and blow the other slig away. Use the slig to gain access to the lever by walking him onto a mine. Now get Abe down to pull the lever.

Get Elum and take the lift to the top. Now it's just a seemingly endless series of running jumps to the next section.Dismount and pull the ring. Now go down to the bottom and pull the lever.

Touch the stone to get the password, and then jump into the well. Leap across to the right, pull the ring and go back down and jump through the well. Get Elum to follow you left.

Go down on the lift.Say 'hello', whistle '6886' then fart, and the mudokon will bring down the lift. Go left and down. Possess the slig and shoot the other two. You can now go and get Elum and leap across the canyon into the final section. Possess the slig, go right and shoot the other guard. Now leave Elum and jump into the well.

Paramonian TemplePossess the first guard - just jump through the well and chant. Use the slig to kill the slog, and go down the lift. Avoiding the bats, kill the second guard.Leap up to the platform and go left. Jump over to the left, then jump right to lower Abe down and pull the lever. Take the lift up until you get some meat. Use this to distract the paramite guarding the stone at the bottom. Go back up to where the mudokon is, say 'hello', whistle '68686' then trump it.

Use the power to destroy all the mines you see. You can now activate the flintlock lever. Jump through the well, run and leap left and go through the door.Go left to grab the guard's attention, then run right and leap onto the platform. Take the slig over. Go left and shoot the second slig. The boulders are tricky - you can cither use precision timing or just roll about and hoist yourself up to dodge the bats. Next, creep up to the bomb and arm it.

Go right and the slog will unintentionally kill itself as it tries to chase you. Pull the lever, touch the stone and go back to the start (picking up stones along the way) and go right. Detonate the mine, chant and exit.This one's a biggie. Go up and get some meat and then continue up. Go left and you'll notice that the lever activates a crushing blow. Use the meat to get the paramite in just the right spot. There's another paramite to the left.

Go right twice and you'll find another 'mite - use more meaty morsels to get him over to the other side and out of the way. Go back right until you activate the rolling boulder (this is easy to avoid). If you keep going right you'll find another secret area via a portal.

This one's a bitch - you have to keep using meat to keep the paramites busy while you lead the mudokons to safety. Now you have to go back to the start and go left. Use the bees to kill the slogs, and use meat as a diversion while you pull the flintlock lever. With that done it's off to the next bit.You can sit back and have a bit of a rest now, because this bit's easy peasy. All you have to do is use the trip switches to crush the paramites. With just a little bit of practice you'll be out of this bit in no time.Feeling relaxed?

Good, because here's another easy one. After navigating your way past the swinging boulders, you have to disarm all the bombs, sneak left and pull the lever and get the hell out.Fear not the paramite.

Go left and get some meat. Go up to the top and take the upper-left route. Roll across until you activate the boulder, roll right until you end up clinging to a ledge.

The boulder will crush the slog and you can pull the lever and get the exit password. Jump through the well to activate the flintlock, and use the meat to distract the slogs while you get out. Paramonian NestsJump though the well to scout out the terrain. This level is pretty tricky, so you'll end up dying countless times until you get it right.

You'll need meat to distract the 'mites at the end. If at first you don't succeed.

StockyardThe only way is up. Go right carefully, avoiding detection, and start running. Jump and go right where there are more security beams. Pull the lever and go back left.

Jump over the slog and run left until you get to the first set of detectors; leap up, and kill th» slog as you trip the light beams. Now go right and down where you can pick up some stones. You'll need them to destroy the floating mines further on.Making sure you've got a couple of rocks in reserve, run right and then roll right, then jump up to a free ledge. Go right again where you can summon a portal. From the ledge, jump down and disarm the bomb and then jump back to the left-hand ledge, making sure you trip the sensors.

You will now be able to pull the lever and go right, where you'll have to trick a slog into blowing itself up. Now it's back to familiar territory. Zulag 1Back at Rupture Farms (you should remember the layout from before). There are loads more mudokons to rescue and you'll need to use skills you've acquired elsewhere to succeed. Use grenades and special powers wherever possible, and don't forget there are save points everywhere. Handy tip: sligs can command slogs. Take far-right door to get to Zulag 2.

Zulag 2Sneak up to the ledge above the entrance and take over the slig. Go left and copy the security prompt to open the door. Kill the slig and take Abe up in the lift.Go right until you get to the lever. Pull it and jump down quickly.

Jump back up when the slig falls down so you can take him over. Open the security beams, kill the approaching guard then explode. Take all three mudokons to the portal and send all three through at the same time - this will activate the ultimate power in the universe (sort of). Now take the lift up and pull the lever. Go right and chant. Take over the slig that enters, and then run right and kill the last slig.19 Run right and jump up to the next platform.

Take over the slig and order the slog to follow you right. Get the slog to kill the other slig, and then shoot it and explode. Go right and get the sleeping guard to follow you left where you can take him over.

Go right and kill the pack of slogs before exploding. Now just free the two mudokons.Go right and leap over the mines and creep into the next screen. Go right and up to the next level.

Go left and plant a grenade on the trapdoor, then pull the lever to kill the slig. Go down and pull the lever, then go right and take the lift up. Dispatch the slig with a well-placed grenade, pull the lever and go back and destroy the first two mines before rescuing the mudokons. Zulag 3Creep left and wake the guard, then run right and jump up to the platform. Possess the slig and get the slog to follow you right.

Tell the slog to kill the guard, the kill it. Now get Abe to pull the lever.

You can now take the lift up.Creep right past the sligs and hoist up to the upper platform. Take over the sleeping guard and go left. Pull the lever to drop the sligs down so you can kill them. Once they're all disposed of, get Abe to go up and get the mudokon to stand over the trapdoor. Go back down and summon the exit portal. Go through the door. Get some grenades, go down and get yourself a slig.

After a small bloodbath and a few more possessions you should come to a security door. Once through, run right to dispatch the last slig before he kills the last two mudokons.Go right, past the sleeping slig and climb up to the higher platform. Kill the slig with a grenade and go right.

To destroy the guardian you have to hold down the 'throw' key for a count of five before launching your grenade at it. Now take over the slig and pull the lever. Explode it then go down to the bottom, carefully avoiding the falling carcasses. If you go right you'll find two mudokons to save.

Go left and take over the two sligs and kill them. Go left again and pull the lever twice to take the lift (and the slig) to the top. If you pull the lever again the slig will hopefully fall to its death.

You should now be able to get four mudokons to the portal at the same time - and make sure you do, because you're going to need your scars activated for the next bit.Face left and throw a grenade against the wall to destroy the first mine. Next, jump on the centre platform and walk off it to the right, and throw a grenade up to destroy the other mine.

Pull the lever and make your way to the righthand screen. Chant to destroy everything, then pull the lever and free the mudokon. Go right and kill the sleeping guard with a grenade.

Go up and pull the lever and make your way to the exit. Zulag 4Go up and wait for the slig to exit left, then hoist up, go right and through the door.Go right and grab the slig's atte- tion, then left and up tothe platform. Possess the slig, go right and kill. Take the lift down. Kill, then explode. Controlling Abe, go down to where the first mudokon is and take over the slig guarding him. Explode, then free the mudokon.

Go right and kill the sleeping slig with a grenade. Pull the lever and free the other mudokon. Go right and kill the other slig with another well-timed bomb, then go through the door.

Peg it right until you get to a platform where you can haul yourself to safety. Jump across to the left platform and kill the sligs with some grenades.

You should now be able to save all three mudokons without too much bother. Possess the slig overhead and kill all the slogs before pulling the exit lever. Now make your way back.Go left and kill the slig by hiding in the pipe and throwing a grenade. Cautiously make your way to the top platform, pull the lever and go through the door.

Go right and take over the slig. Pull the lever and quickly turn around - there'll be loads of slogs out for blood. Go left and pull the other lever. You don't have to worry too much about killing all the slogs here. Take Abe right and kill the slig before touching the sign marked 'Do not touch'.

The boardroomThe final leg, and it's another one that requires patience and practice. You only have two minutes, but don't rush -time your movements well. Oh, and by the way, you'll have to save the solitary mudokon, but you should have plenty of time to do it in.

Once in the boardroom, let rip with your special power and pull the lever. Let's hope you've saved enough mudokons, otherwise it's back to the beginning. It's been a long time since I've played one like this. I think the last time was Out of This World on the 3DO.

So it took me a little while to get used to the style of gameplay-one where you more or less guide a character through room after room (and level after level) until you get to the end. Of course, that oversimplifies Abe's Oddysee by leaps and bounds. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee not only has a weird name, it also is a weird game (which rhymes consequently). But it's not weird in a bad way by any means, it's weird in an ingenious, very original way. The graphics are incredible and look like hours of painstaking detail went into every one.

In fact, everything about this game from an aesthetic and gameplay standpoint is flawless. The sound fits the game Perfectly-Abe's voice and sounds he can make not only played a necessary part in the game, it also made me chuckle (how many characters can you make fart?). The story line was an interesting one and drew me into it. All of the characters (friends and foes alike) were imaginative and flawlessly animated. I'd say the one drawback to Abe's Oddysee is that after a while, it becomes a task of memorization. Luckily there are some additions to help the replay value (like saving members of your fellow Mudokans). Don't let the words '2D platform game' turn you off, or you'll miss out on one of the year's most intriguing games.

Abe's Oddysee bursts onto the scene with the kind of unique gameplay and killer graphics that will rocket it straight into the PlayStation hall of fame. Abe's Excellent AdventureSet on the planet Oddworld, Abe's Oddysee tells the tale of Abe, a blue-collar worker in a meat-processing factory whose upper management suddenly develops a plan to convert Abe and his ilk into a line of tasty treats. Playing as Abe, you must escape the factory and set out on a quest to shut it down and save your race from extinction.At first glance, Abe may resemble a platform game from the 16-bit era. You run toward the right, figure out how to open doors, rescue friends, battle enemies, and so on.But Abe's long list of cool features and fresh approach to gameplay swiftly separate it from the pack.Since the not-so-heroic Abe doesn't stand a chance in combat with enemies, he must devise clever ways to evade them. For instance, instead of gunning down an attack dog, you taunt it until it chases you, then lead it into a mine, leaving scorched furballs behind. Or you can use Abe's power to chant to possess enemies- and take control of them instead. By possessing a guard, you can use its gun to fill nearby enemies full of lead.Abe also has an eight-word vocabulary (he talks out loud, not in text balloons), and his 'conversations' with other characters earn him special powers, open doors, and so on.

With this kind of strategic, creative approach to the gameplay, Abe's does a superb job of making you feel like you're playing a story, not a game, keeping you immersed in the action. A Beautiful WorldAbe's spectacular graphics also snare your attention.

Mesmerizing backgrounds breathe life into Oddworld, while the spectacular animations imbue the characters with convincing fluidity. The visuals overflow with riotous humor, too, such as Abe's comical sneak move or the screen-rocking thump when Abe plummets to his death.Similarly, topnotch sounds and music add to the realism. You'll bust your gut laughting at Abe's goofy voice, but the creepy slither of some enemies will raise your hackles. Follow MeUnfortunately, Abe's not without its flaws. The controls respond smoothly, but the overly sensitive jumps lead to too many frustrating deaths. Even worse, as you progress deep into the game, some of the puzzles become extraordinarily difficult to solve, while others regress to the cheesy, repetitive nature of outdated platform games (like a long series of annoying jumps). Thankfully, the game gives you infinite lives and a decent save feature, but even then some gamers may throw down their controller in disgust instead of plowing on.Despite its flaws, Abe's delivers a combo of innovative, strategy-filled game-play and eye-popping graphics that makes tolerating these problems worthwhile.

Not every gamer will have the stamina to beat the game, but no one will regret spending some serious time with Abe. ProTips:. Mounted on an Elum, Abe can make jumps that are otherwise too far. To pass by Slogs, anger them by throwing rocks or chanting. When they give chase, lure them into mines or other obstacles. When you run across your fellow Mudokons, always return their greeting and parrot back the sequence of sounds they give.

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They'll open up a hidden door, give you special powers like spirit rings, and so on. Abe's sneak move and ability to hide in shadows will get you past a lot of obstacles-try them whenever you can. When you possess a Slig, roam as far as possible and kill as many Sligs and Slogs as you can before returning to Abe's body.GraphicsAbe's lush, stunning levels crackle with unparalleled color and detail, and the character animations erupt with humor and charm. In the age of 3D, this 2D title delivers some of the best visuals ever found on the PlayStation.

SoundFrom the classy mood music to the utterly hilarious voices, the sounds do a perfect job of keeping you entertained and in the game. ControlInnovations like possessing enemies make controlling Abe a fresh, fun experience. The lone hitch is the finicky jumping, which causes too many unnecessary deaths. Fun FactorAbe's packs in so much originality and such killer graphics that every PlayStation gamer will get a huge thrill from spending time with this game. However, the more action-oriented may head for greener pastures when some of the unnecessarily difficult puzzles start undercutting the fun.

With a healthy helping of charm and innovation, Abe's Oddysee already packs the potential to reign as one of the top PlayStation titles coming out this fall. GameplaySure, platform games have been done to death, but the freshness and humor of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee will reel in even the most jaded action/adventure pro. As an escaped slave struggling to prevent his race's extermination, Abe carries the day by being stealthy and smart, not by packing big guns.

Oddysee serves up plenty of twitch-style jumping and fighting, but the heart of the action lies in steering Abe through traps, defusing mines, sneaking past sleeping guards, and the like. Abe can even possess his enemies, which enables you to assume control of enemy guards and deal out death with abandon.By the way, if Oddysee looks familiar, you've seen its earlier incarnations in GamePro before (see 'Epic 1's Looking Large,' December '96, and 'E3 Explodes,' August '96) under the names 'Oddworld Inhabitants: Epic 1 Starring Abe' and 'Soul Storm,' respectively. Hopefully, 'Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee' is what you'll see on the box come September!

Graphics & SoundsGraphically, Oddysee's dazzling. Abe's unique style of movement is both fluid and humorous-his sneak move, where he delicately tiptoes past foes, is a real side-splitter. Gorgeously rendered backgrounds also breathe life into the game.On the sound side, Abe's ability to talk out loud adds depth to the gameplay. Our hero can use simple statements like 'Hello' and 'Follow me'-or even farts-to interact with other characters and solve puzzles and obstacles. Abe's Exoddus looks like it could top Abe's Oddysee thanks to more abilities for Abe, a longer story, and other surprises.

TRICKS OF THE ABEAbe has more skills in Ex-oddus than he had in his first Oddysee. In addition, his vocabulary has been expanded and he can slap around unruly fellow Mu-dokons, become invisible, and turn his farts into ticking time bombs. Abe can also possess more creatures, like Paramites and Scrabs. Developer Oddworld Inhabitants has added new enemies, too, and some can't be influenced.

Noteworthy newbies include Fleeches, Slurgs (harmless-looking slugs that swallow Abe whole if they lash him enough times with their long tongues), and a new flying Slig that can drop grenades. (For more game info; see special feature, 'Spotlight on Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus,' September.) LET MY MUDOKONS GO!Abe's Exoddus isn't being called a sequel to Abe's Oddysee; it's really more of a 'bonus game.'

Following the destruction of Rupture Farms in Abe's Oddysee, the evil Glukkons have created a new Mudokon-based product: SoulStorm Brew. To halt the drink's manufacture, Abe must infiltrate the SoulStorm Brewery, free his fellow Mudokons, and destroy the place. Exoddus looks and plays like its predecessor did, including the same 2D side-scrolling play engine and similar razor-sharp, beautifully rendered backgrounds.

Where Exoddus varies from the previous game is in its scope: It's a two-disc set, so Exoddus is bigger, longer, and has more puzzles and secrets than Abe's Oddysee. MORE OF A GOOD THINGAbe's Oddysee was one of the best games for the PlayStation last year, and, judging from this preview version, the sequel is just as good. Ex-oddus has lost none of the addictive qualities of the first game. The puzzles will keep you pleasantly perplexed for long periods of time, but there's still enough action to keep the game moving at a brisk pace.

Abe's Exoddus has the potential to be a top fall offering that PlayStation gamers should keep an eye open for. Gameplayis an old school, side-scrolling, kick the crap out of anything and everything type game. Everyone has played a game like this.

And are both perfect examples. The only difference is that your characters happen to be comic book superheroes.Speaking of our heroes, here is the breakdown on your different characters. First, we have Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four. Next, we have. He is as big and strong as he is ugly.

Third is the Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic's wife, and she has the ability to become invisible. Fourth, we have the Human Torch.

He is The Invisible Woman's brother and has the ability to control the fire that covers his body. The fifth (?) member of the Fantastic Four is She-Hulk.Now I have two questions about the characters. First, I'm not a comic book fan, so I'm not familiar with the characters. Who are they? Acclaim might be limiting their audience by having five main characters who might not be immediately recognizable to the game playing audience out there. Second, is if this group of characters is called Fantastic Four, why are there 5 characters? Did they just throw in one to try and make the game more enjoyable, or is the Fantastic Four actually 5 characters?

In terms of Fantastic Four's gameplay, the game starts out decent enough. You have your enemies attacking you from all different directions. It is up to you to punch, kick, or special-move them to death. Of course the level starts off easy enough. You fight these little munchkin-looking dudes that swarm around you and throw clubs at you. Beat this first wave of little guys, and you move on to face a giant ape.

So far so good. After the ape, it is more little dudes. Then more apes. Then more little dudes. Then robot looking guys. More little dudes.

And on and on and on. After playing for about 15 minutes, I just wanted to see a different type of enemy. This lack of variation plagued every level.

The same enemy over and over. How hard is it to make up a few different varieties of enemies just to shake things up?

One of the other things that really bothered me about the game was the control. Everything seemed sluggish, like it was moving in slow motion. Not only did it seem slow, but the character animations were very clunky. In no way whatsoever did it actually look like your character was walking.

The idea behind video games is to make you feel like you are actually a part of the action. With the terrible animations, there was never a chance of this.I will say the game did have one cool feature. If you continued to use the same attacks to kill your opponents, a piece of cheese would flash on the screen signifying that you are 'cheesing out' and need to vary your attacks. You do not get penalized in any way for cheesing out, but it was still a cool idea, especially when you are playing multi-player, because your buddies are sure to ride you for fighting like a wimp. GraphicsSome of the graphics looked pretty good and other things looked awful.

Some of the backgrounds and characters were well done. Other backgrounds and characters would make any 16 bit system blush with embarrassment. The character animations were very lame and so choppy and stiff that it would have almost been better to not even animate the movement at all. I will say I liked the look of the apes, but their breath was terrible. OverviewYou are Abe, an ignorant, happy floor-waxer in Rupturefarms, the most dangerous slaughterhouse in Oddworld. You and the rest of the blue guys are Mudokons.

You have been a slave all your life for your boss, Mullock the Glukkon. Mullock represents the Magog Cartel, the meanest bunch of corporate weasels you will ever meet.You start the game chained up in a cell, awaiting interrogation by Mullock the Glukkon. You have done something that has really made him mad. What have you done? Well, you'll have to play the game to answer that. Is a flashback.

In other words, the events leading to your being captured have already happened, but now you are going to play those events again to see what kind of ending there will be. You should be.It all starts with Rupturefarms driving Meeches, Scrabs, and Paramites to extinction. The only way to boost profits is to turn Abe and his pals into lunch.

You've got to escape from Rupturefarms and take as many fellow Mudokons with you as possible.Once you escape from Rupturefarms, your adventure is just beginning. Now you must complete your destiny by saving all the Mudokons and becoming a Shrykull (which is half-Mudokon, half-God). It is your mission to complete the game and to save your race from extinction. GameplayOddworld is a side-scrolling game that is fast-paced and very addictive, reminiscent of the game. Once you start playing, you just can't stop until you see what is on the next board.

I found myself staying up late and then losing more sleep dreaming about how I could save that one Mudokon that seemed to be all by himself on a ledge somewhere.Remember the good old days when the only button you had to worry about was the big red one on the side of the joystick? Those days are long gone, and I wish they could come back. Oddworld's configuration of buttons is kind of a pain, but after the first two to three hours of gameplay you get the hang of it and press on with the game. If you have a gamepad with six buttons, it might be easier to handle, but those of us with the good old four-button pad are out of luck. I found it difficult to try to use the joystick and the keyboard at times and wished I had a third hand more than once during the game. Originality/Cool FeaturesOne of the neat things that really caught my attention is that you have to talk to your fellow Mudokons. They will not follow you unless you coax them into it.Oddworld also has a multitude of secret levels.

If you don't look for them, you will miss about 50% of the game and will not save enough Mudokons to see the good ending (there are two endings). The makers of the game were very sneaky in where they hid the levels, so make sure that you always look everywhere for them. I'll give you a hint: there is a secret level on the very first board. GraphicsThis game is wonderful to look at. The different environments in Oddworld look hand-drawn and very realistic; it rivals anything on the market as far as graphics go. I liked the way GT Interactive took the time to put out such a high-quality game.

Everything seemed to move smoothly with very little drag. There are times, of course, when things slow down a bit. Whenever you have multiple Slogs (look like little dogs) coming after you, the game would slow down to a crawl. This only occurs a couple of times so it really doesn't affect how I felt about the game as a whole. AudioCrank it up and let the game take control of your body! The audio is top of the line. If you don't have stereo speakers, this is one game that would help you make the decision to buy some.

When the game starts to get intense, the music goes right along with the action. I know of one area where, when you are running from some Scrabs, it seems like every time you jump a big drum would sound at the same time. It made my palms sweaty and the joystick hard to hold. It just doesn't get much better than that. DocumentationThe only documentation for Oddworld is in the case for the CD-ROM. It is fairly small but it gives you the basic story and the buttons you need to know.

Make sure that you definitely read the controls page first. I spent too much time trying to do things that I had no clue about.

If I had read the book, I would have been fine. The documentation also has some good screen shots and a small description of each of the different things you will be up against in the game.Also, you begin the game with an option for walkthrough that gives you a chance to practice your moves before things get too hairy. System RequirementsMinimum: Pentium 120, SVGA high color (16 bit), 4X CD-ROM drive, 8 MB RAM, 100% SoundBlaster compatible sound cardRecommended: Pentium 166, SVGA high color (16 bit), 4X CD-ROM drive, 16 MB RAM, Wavetable sound card. Bottom LineI thoroughly enjoyed playing Oddworld. It is a refreshing game in a market that too often lacks any true originality. I didn't like the number of buttons that I had to use to get through some of the boards; that was frustrating. But despite the frustration, the game is just plain fun.

It's beautifully made and everything comes together nicely. The storyline is great and it gives you a reason to want to keep going.

The game is a little short for most people, but I believe that this is the first in a five-part series that GT Interactive is putting out. I'm going to have to start saving my pennies so I can get the rest. Put it on your Christmas list and make sure you're good the rest of the year!