Oddworld Industries founder Lorne Lanning has always been very deliberate in how the Oddworld games are designed and played out. Because of this, what started as a simple entry into the platform genre has evolved into a widely recognized world of strange creatures and imperialism. Lorne Lanning was given full creative control on Abe's Odyssey, but the company was forced to pursue a different direction in the sequel, Abe's Exoddus. A direction that Lanning seeks to course correct with Oddworld: Soulstorm in an effort to tell the story he had hoped Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus would be.
After a long hiatus in video games, Lorne Lanning decided to come back in a big way, first releasing a ground up remake of Abe's Odyssey under the name Oddworld: New 'N' Tasty. \ Since Lanning was happy with how the story set up the franchise, he didn't see the need to make drastic changes to the game other than the graphic and technical improvements. The result was a resounding success and longtime fans and critics alike were thrilled with this retelling of the story that started it all. However, Abe's Exoddus wasn't exactly what Lanning wanted the sequel to the main game to be, and so he has re-imagined it and released the game under the name Oddworld: Soulstorm.
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Abe may be one small Mudokon in a factory full of them, but what he overhears one night while cleaning would change his life forever. The story in Abe's Odyssey follows the titular character after he overhears that his species is the new snack on the menu, after all the other wildlife had become near-extinct. Abe rushes out of the factory where he comes to the realization that it is up to him to save his fellow Mudokons. This conveys the themes that Lorne wanted to showcase, such as how destructive uncontrolled capitalism and imperialism can be.
According to Lanning, Abe's Exoddus was rushed to complete the game by a strict deadline. This, of course, affected how the game would play, and though it was fairly received, Lanning has since been seeking an opportunity to recreate Oddworld collection in a new light. Like the original, the game also had themes of capitalism, addiction, environmentalism, and more. When Lanning was asked if he would remake the sequel after the success of New 'N' Tasty, he told them that it would have to be a re-imagining and not a reskin like the first game. This would allow him to take the franchise in the direction that he had always envisioned.
Oddworld: Soulstorm picks up where New 'N' Tasty leaves off, with all the Mudokons celebrating that the RuptureFarms has been destroyed, and the Mudokons inside freed and following their hero Abe. Team building and management are a large part of Soulstorm, as Abe is essentially the leader of the lost Mudokons. The game also features a lot of interesting new mechanics, like pick-pocketing, crafting, and vendors. In Soulstorm, the more allies Abe has with him at a time, the more powerful his chants and control abilities become.
While the game won't necessarily impress all fans, it has become a welcome return for those who wanted more of Lanning and the Oddworld series. It is a faithful evolution to the base games, and the graphics and cinematics are beautiful. That same heartfelt feeling that Oddworld Industries nails is there. But for those new generations of gamers who don't get the odd style of Lanning, Oddworld:Soulstorm might not be exactly what they're looking for.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.