Games to play whilst waiting for Oddworld

[sam250]

There's nothing quite like Oddworld... except, is there?

It's been, what, 17 years? Many games have been made, perhaps many developers who have loved or been inspired by Oddworld. Which of these games have a world, atmosphere, and personality equatable to that of Oddworld? What games have for you taken up the slack left by OWI and left an impression on you? What games have done what Oddworld did... and perhaps even better?

[Varrok]

Play Another World (known as Out Of This World in US). It has a basic, yet good enough PC HD port. The original is a bit older than Abe's Oddysee though. The game is a little challenging as well, so be warned. Don't read much about it. You can play the demo of HD port here

[sam250]

Good answer. Something for everyone to consider, though, is that Oddworld has been 2D and 3D, puzzling and action oriented, side-scrolling and FPS, and is hardly defined by any of those things. So it's not just about other "cinematic platformers", guys

[Varrok]

I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted something more like Munch ._.

[Crashpunk]

It's probably a dumb answer, But I always thought the Ratchet & Clank games had similar things to Oddworld. The first obvious point would be that they had Gamespeak mechanics when you were controlling Clank. The other similar thing is that a lot of the enemies look... well Odd. They look like they could be from Oddworld. (There's a enemy in Ratchet 2 that looks almost identical to a Slog.)

The only other game that comes to mind is Bioshock. I've only played the first one and I thought that had a Oddworld feel to it.

[Connell]

Portal and it's sequel are probably the only 2 games that have managed to gain a place in my heart as large as Oddysee and Exoddus. Their gameplay mechanics and visual design are just infinitely pleasing, they're definitely up there as two of the best games I've ever played in my life.

Tomb Raider was also a classic love of mine, back in it's Core Design days. I stopped following it around the time of Angel of Darkness, but I enjoyed the most recent entry into the franchise and would recommend it to anyone. A great blend of action and adventure.

Games don't seem to focus too much on creating a world you can get lost in these days, which is sad. I hope some people in this thread can throw some suggestions my way on games that are out at the moment to try.

Edit - Yeah, the first Bioshock too. Loved that but I haven't played in years. Rapture definitely had an Oddworld feel to it and I'd be surprised if they weren't influenced in some ways by the Oddworld franchise. If I correctly recall, one of the fonts used in the game is the same as the Menu font from Oddysee and Exoddus.

[Manco]

I would say that Shadow of the Colossus and Okami are two of the very few games I’ve played that create a world and atmosphere as rich as Oddworld. Neither feels the same — SotC plays a much more mythological and mysterious tone while Okami takes cues from feudal Japan — but both stand out as games that exude style, atmosphere and unique personality.

If I correctly recall, one of the fonts used in the game is the same as the Menu font from Oddysee and Exoddus.

I thought that at first but it’s just a similar-looking Art Deco-style typeface. It doesn’t quite match Newport Land.

[DarkHoodness]

This thread is more like "Name a game you really enjoyed".

I like lots of games. Each franchise is unique in it's own way, I could name plenty that are as diverse and immersive as the original OW games were (some have been mentioned above), just perhaps the OW games were the first I saw which did immersion and storytelling so well - But then I played only DOS and Mac classics prior to discovering AO, so of course it blew me away compared to them.

Beyond Good and Evil had a few aspects to it that reminded me of Oddworld the most out of anything else I've played, other then the OW games themselves (Portal and Bioshock are fantastic in their own right, but I can't see many similarities...) - Perhaps because of the dark overtones despite the goofiness and cheesiness, how you play as a character who relies on stealth rather than direct combat, it's rustic feel, one of the levels is set in a run down factory, it has its own uniqueness, and a bunch of other reasons.

Give it a try if you can get it to work, it's a shame it's a little flaky on modern systems. They released a HD version in 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360, but it's essentially the same as the 2003 PC version, just with slightly hi-res textures. Maybe you can also find an original console copy (PS2, Xbox 1, Gamecube).

[Clannfear]

World of Warcraft anyone? Time-eating monster like h*ll.

[kennig10]

There's nothing quite like Oddworld... except, is there?

It's been, what, 17 years? Many games have been made, perhaps many developers who have loved or been inspired by Oddworld. Which of these games have a world, atmosphere, and personality equatable to that of Oddworld? What games have for you taken up the slack left by OWI and left an impression on you? What games have done what Oddworld did... and perhaps even better?

hi, I am kennig10 new in Oddworld Forums, I know a game resemblance Oddworld, is Flash back is epic game

[MeechMunchie]

Vessel looks a bit like an entire game set in FeeCo. Depo, with lots of the same puzzle elements, built around guiding minions about.

Botanicula has a very Oddworld-esque sense of space and scale at certain points, with the same penchant for empty screens with nothing but a platform and something pretty to look at. Ditto for Machinarium.

Nightsky looks a bit like certain areas of the Abe games.

Aquaria has a cool world and shit. I don't know, just go buy Aquaria.

[Varrok]

Why isn't this thread moved and/or closed yet?

[Jordan]

You could try Heart of Darkness for the PS1. It has beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds/levels that are very reminiscent of Oddworld. The gameplay is quite similar too.

[El Dango AGAIN]

ICO is kinda like Oddworld, only way more simplistic and less dark in tone.

[Vyrien]

I'm going to second Heart of Darkness, god I love that game.

It's on PC as well but has issues with Windows 7.

[El Dango AGAIN]

Oh by the way:

hi, I am kennig10 new in Oddworld Forums, I know a game resemblance Oddworld, is Flash back is epic game

Hi there kennig, welcome to the forums!

I've never played the original Flashback, but I did play the demo of the remake, which has hilarious physics. At one point I made the guy die by faceplant, ass up.

[Varrok]

The remake is nothing like the original in terms of gameplay.

[El Dango AGAIN]

Yeah, it's quite clearly its own awkward thing. I'd like to give the original a shot at some point.

[Job McYossie]

The thing for me, is that nothing has quite reached the same level as Oddworld. On really any scale. The gameplay is very good and feels unique because you're not based on attacking things. While things like Mirror's Edge and Beyond Good & Evil have gameplay that isn't based on attacking things either, the entire game you still have a way attack the enemy from the very beginning. In terms of story, I suppose one "game" that has reached the same level as Oddworld for me was To The Moon. That "game" had an amazing story.

[Manco]

I dunno if I’d really rate Oddworld’s stories, to be honest – I really, really like the worldbuilding and art direction that has gone into the series and I really want to see the Quintology unfold, but as it stands the main story stalled way back in Munch’s Oddysee and has yet to really be built up or resolve in any real way; and while Stranger had some neat twists and interesting plot developments it wasn’t that much of a story game compared to certain games.

The individual stories are nice but they don’t wow me in the way some standalone games like Gone Home do. I think Oddworld’s stories rely on the larger overall world and the effect the characters and their journeys have on it, but we haven’t seen enough of the world to really get a feel for that yet.

[sam250]

Portal is a good answer. It has a dark sense of humour, a lot of cinematic style, and the music is a very effective atmosphere builder. The one problem is the world, which is entirely a laboratory complex and most of the game is spent in testing rooms. If you bring in the larger Half Life universe, which that laboratory complex is allegedly located in, it actually makes it worse, as the serious dystopian setting of Half Life clashes with the wacky antics going on in the Portal world. Both incredible games, though. Half Life does have a cast of strange creatures and epic locations, as well as some amusing writing, so between the two worlds a pretty good analogue to Oddworld can be seen.

An early story sequence in Portal which I think is cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXYuL4yo0tM

And this scene in Half Life 2: Episode 2 shows off some aliens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-tV7zOEPU

Damnit, watching those makes me want to play a new Half Life game.

Bioshock is a good answer, too. Great, original world, dripping with atmosphere. I'm actually playing through the first one, which I've yet to finish, at the moment. There are definitely things about it that remind me of Oddworld eg. the plasmid adverts that cheerfully explain the destructive power of the ability remind me of the sense of humour in some of the Oddworld information points.

[OANST]

ICO is kinda like Oddworld, only way more simplistic and less dark in tone.

What drugs were you on when you wrote that?

[V_O_T]

Oh! There is a game that plays like NnT. It's a 2.5D sidescroller called DeadLight.

It's a zombie game, single player. You run, jump, grab onto ledges Etc. It's very Abe's oddysee and when I played it, it felt like what nnt would feel like.

It's a few hours long, pretty cheap on steam and tr visuals are amazing to say the least. Story is ok, little dry at some times, but it's told nicely. DO NOT DO THE INSANE MODE ONCE YOU UNLOCK IT. It gves an alternate ending that is really bad and not worth the whole point of insane mode. (Insane mode = die once, start again from the start. No saves)


Over all:

Graphics 8-9/10

Gameplay oddworld/10 (8-9/10)

Story 6/10

Style 10/10

Audio (sounds and music) 10/10


Defiantly worth a look at.

[Job McYossie]

Story is only 6/10? When you said it was "very Abe's oddysee" I was assuming the stay was going to be be pretty good. I'll still check it out, but I'm wondering if anyone has a game that impacted them in a similar way as the world/story of Oddworld.

[V_O_T]

Story is only 6/10? When you said it was "very Abe's oddysee" I was assuming the stay was going to be be pretty good. I'll still check it out, but I'm wondering if anyone has a game that impacted them in a similar way as the world/story of Oddworld.

Sorry, I should have said gameplay wise it's like Abe's oddysee or nnt. In terms of movement. The destroyed world is kinda oddworldy in the industrial areas with all the shadows, but yeah the story can get a bit cliché. In no way is it boring though, it still is interesting.

If you're looking for a game that involves escaping as an alien, I would defiantly recommend (although it's EA) a game called "Warp". You play as a captured alien that can teleport small distances. You have to sneak out of a research lab and you can teleport into scientists and explode out of them . It's very fun IMO.

Gameplay 10/10 (top down view 3D)

Story 9/10 (it's been done before, but this has different mechanics tied to it to make it unique)

Sound/music. 10/10 (awesome alien noises with industrial tech and futuristic bleep bloops. Oh and it's an underwater test facility)

But yeah you play as the alien and it's actually really fun going through the vents and abandoned areas of the facility. Definitely worth a check out too

Hope that helps.

[Crashpunk]

You could try Heart of Darkness for the PS1. It has beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds/levels that are very reminiscent of Oddworld. The gameplay is quite similar too.

I've never Heart of darkness till now. Looking at screenshots really does give me that Oddworld vibe.

So I just bought a copy.

[Wings of Fire]

I've never Heart of darkness till now. Looking at screenshots really does give me that Oddworld vibe.

So I just bought a copy.

How?

I mean it comes up literally every time we have one of these conversations.

Without fail!

[STM]

Dear Esther, not because it's like Oddworld, but because it's gorgeous, atmospheric and full of exploration.

Also Machinarium, beeeeautiful.

MOD EDIT: The discussion that this post sparked has been split off to this thread here.

[Crashpunk]

How?

I mean it comes up literally every time we have one of these conversations.

Without fail!

I have no idea. But at least I get it play it soon