An ‘okay’ game with fun ideas
Munch on this!
Oddworld is my favorite game series of all time. When it debuted on the PS1 it immediately drew attention for its unorthodox and odd approach to storytelling. Less than a year later, Abe’s Exoddus would deliver a bigger and better experience, perfecting the formula. By the turn of the century, the next generation of consoles were on the horizon and Oddworld was looking to capitalize. Needless to say, from the get go, things were looking a tad creaky. Oddworld was first and foremost a Playstation title, and for some reason they decided to pull a Houdini and jump ship to Microsoft. This became a launch title for the original Xbox. In fact, I actually purchased an Xbox just for this title (I was never into Halo).
Munch’s Oddysee tells the story of the titular protagonist, a tale of soulless corporatism, corruption, greed, extinction and liberty. Munch is the last of his species, as the Gabbits have been hunted to near extinction. While searching for any survivors, Munch is captured by the sadistic Vykkers and is experimented on, so they can use him to find and locate captured creatures- whom they will also experiment on and exploit. Munch must escape Vykkers Labs and save his species. Meanwhile, our old pal Abe will join this journey to help Munch and save his brothers, who coincidentally are also being held in the same facility. Like Oddworld games always do, this game delivers a compelling narrative.
Munch’s Oddysee is Oddworld’s first step into 3D – and this first step is admittedly kind of a misstep. You alternate playing between Abe & Munch, with each character having their strengths and weaknesses: Abe can run fast on land and possess enemies but can not swim. Munch can swim and can shock enemies, with the aid of a power up, but is limited on land unless he has a wheelchair to jump in. The controls in this game are stiff and clunky. The camera in particular is a huge source of annoyance. Instead of having the camera rigidly attached to your back for a smooth follow, instead it seems to awkwardly float. Your character moves but the camera doesn’t immediately follow. The jumping and platforming in this game are also pretty janky; for Abe especially. He jumps way too high and fast from his standing position. This can make trying to land a jump while running frustrating. For some reason the attack button is the right analog stick (I don’t know why any game does this). Also, despite the title, most of the time you play as Abe anyway, which just seems a bit counterintuitive.
This game looks nice in some areas… The character models all look great and give that charm the series is well known for. However, the level design is a mixed bag. Oddworld is known for its varied and masterfully designed locations. It’s sad to say, but here that is simply not the case. The industrial environments of the game are solid and distinguishable enough, while the natural ones are all very basic and indistinguishable. It seems we have a rushed production schedule to thank for this. The cutscenes are nothing short of magnificent. These are movie-tier quality and sadly might be the best part of the game. I remember how in awe I was when I saw how realistic the fur and hair moved on some of the creatures. Oddworld is also known for its stellar and quirky music. The cutscenes have a really good soundtrack, but strangely the actual levels oddly do not. The music for the levels are repetitive and lack any sense of distinction. In short, it looks great in some parts and sounds great in others…
Munch’s Oddysee is a mid game with some fresh ideas. If this hadn’t been rushed, the final product could have been that grand first step into the 3D era. The level designs are basic, the controls are shoddy, and the music accompanying the levels is disappointingly forgettable. This mixed bag is definitely for die-hard Oddworld fans only! If you want a great 3D Oddworld game just skip to Stranger’s Wrath. Otherwise, hop in a wheelchair and save your kind from extinction.
Odds and ends,
Fil
Verdict: 6/10
PS: “I love Halo” – Mikhail
https://opencritic.com/game/9437/oddworld-munchs-oddysee
https://oddworld.fandom.com/wiki/Oddworld:_Munch%27s_Oddysee