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Whatever you may have thought of previous Oddworld games, take them out of your head and leave them at the door as you will quickly learn this is no ordinary title but could possibly be one of the best games that show how much power the Xbox has. Earlier Oddworld titles had stunning backgrounds, weird creatures with attitude and tended to be simple puzzle / platform kind of games, this time you are in for a treat with a first and third person action-platform shooter.
Gameplay:
You play the part of “Stranger”, a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails bounty hunter fashioned on the Clint Eastwood character from the spaghetti westerns of the 1960’s / 70’s. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does…..everyone should listen. Being a bounty hunter, you automatically think that your whole mission in life is just to capture bad guys, dead or alive for money but you soon learn that “Stranger” is in need of an operation that is going to cost a lot of money. I could go into more detail about this, but then I would have to put a spoiler alert in this review but you will want to play this all the way through due to such a weird and compelling story.
The opening sequence has Stranger being chased by a big bad guy with a shotgun who is actually being lead into a trap laid earlier by Stranger. Obviously the bad guy falls for the trap and then you take over the actions of Stranger. You have to find your way back to town with your bounty and this act as the tutorial, introducing you to the many wonderful moves, views and weapons that are needed throughout the game. The first thing you notice is how fluid the character moves and how simple it is to switch between first and third player views. Both of these views can be used to get around the environment, but you can only use your weapon in the first player view. Your weapon is a cross bow which can be loaded with two different types of ammo at any one time and this is where the game really comes into effect. The ammo is actually little creatures which you must gather along the way and they have their own unique abilities with some being more useful than others. A good example are “Chippunks”, these critters constantly chatter and by shooting them near an enemy will cause the enemy to move towards it, thus allowing you to pick them off one by one. Other live ammo varies from tying up the enemy in webbing to causing big explosions. There are nine in total and each one can be upgraded during the game.
Once you get back to town you will encounter the strange inhabitants called Clakkerz. These chicken-like folks have attitude and will give you hints toward the next goal as long as you have been nice to them. In other words, everything you do has repercussions. If you decide to shoot, beat or shove the town-folk, they will yell, scatter or hide from you and in the worse cases, they will start to shoot back at you from the windows and communicate your bad behaviour to the next town who will then greet you in the same manner. Each town you visit has a General and Bounty store offering you the latest bounties, weapon upgrades, armour and ammo. Items are not cheap, and the only way to make more money is to try and capture your enemies alive. Sounds simple enough but that would be too easy since each of the big bosses who have the largest amount of bounty fight differently to the grunts and tying them up just doesn’t work. After you have successfully beaten a boss, a new path back to town will become available to you, eliminating the backtracking and repetition associated with these kinds of action / puzzle games.
Graphics:
There is only one word to describe this game – beautiful. The environments are well defined with texture and colour bringing life and an almost organic feel to the game. The characters, towns and mines are of the highest calibre and the further you get into the game, the more detailed they become. The animation is so fluid that it would be hard to find another game on the Xbox that can beat it. Everything around you is alive !!
Sound:
Most games could fail in this department, making their characters sound too wooden but not here. The voices have been delivered with such talent, that you feel compelled to just listen to them with humour and attitude coming across fantastically. The score is theatrical and only enhances the game play and with Dolby Digital 5.1.
Longevity:
This game will last about 16-20 hours, which is quite a long time in gaming standards but the replay value is nearly non-existence. There is no online play or co-op but the number of ways to play each level can only extend the time you take to enjoy this game.
Round Up:
Overall, this is one of the best First / Third person hybrids on the market showing exactly what the Xbox can do. It is graphically one of the most beautiful games to play and if 16 hours of game play is not enough of a reason for you to buy it, than this is a must to rent. A great addition to an already overcrowded FPS market.
Pros:
- Stunning environments and animation
- Live ammo.
- Humour with attitude.
Cons:
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