Hopes for Soulstorm?

[Fraki]

I've been thinking about this recently. What do you guys hope to see in Soulstorm? Personally, I have 3 points;

1) The game should be fairly different from Exoddus. I think this is a given anyway judging from what we know anyway, but I still hope. I've always felt that New n' Tasty was a good game, but it couldn't hold a candle when compared to the original Abe's Oddysee. Which is unfortunate, really, it being a remake and all where comparisons are impossible not to make. My favourite level was Alf's Escape, because it uses the new mechanics added in New n' Tasty to its advantage to make something that really stands out. I hope that Soulstorm follows suit; Following the same story layout as Exoddus, but with completely re-worked levels to suit the new controls and the new camera. Because honestly, I love Exoddus too much and any little thing that didn't match the original would just bug me to hell, haha.

2) Bring back shadows. This is probably the biggest one for me. I feel substituting shadows in New n' Tasty for clouds of dark smoke felt incredibly lazy to me. Not only does it ruin the aesthetic of certain areas, it doesn't make sense from a logical standpoint; How can the sligs see you when on the other side of the smoke but not when you are stood in it? The smoke would completely block out whats behind it. When thinking about how many of Exoddus' puzzles utilise shadows, I hope that we get them back for the stealth mechanics, lest we get a game where 80% of the screen is filled with a black smog.

3) Finally, I hope the mudokons just shut the heck up this time. I don't ever want to hear "THIS ONE FOOT OF FLOOR IS GOING TO BE SHINING" or "THIS IS BOTH THE BEST AND WORST JOB I'VE EVER HAD" ever again in my life after playing New n' Tasty TT_________TT

[Nepsotic]

Yeah New 'n' Tasty had... Issues. For me the worst part was how the tone was completely destroyed. Hopefully SoulStorm will make up for that with a much darker tone.
It'd be cool to see a lot of cut content from AE, that and the edginess we lost in NnT is all I really hope for. Maybe a bit more depth to the story as well as opposed to a rehashing of AO.

[FennecFyre]

I think I'm actually one of the few people who liked the Mudokon chatter, but I agree with you on the other points xD

My main hope for the game is that it maintains the same balance of comedy and grim seriousness that makes Oddworld so unique. The world is dark and dreary and the situation is dire--but at the same time, the world is also beautiful, atmospheric, and stuffed to the gills with lore and details, and the characters and conflicts are both hilariously satirical and surprisingly interesting. I'm a sucker for games that pay attention to worldbuilding and storytelling, and I think Oddworld has major potential in both areas.

[Mr. Bungle]

Less shiny graphics.

More flying slig segments.

[Gunnr]

I agree with most of this, TONE down the bloom I mean a lot! I don't mind chatting muds- maybe if they actually sounded miserable like one might sound when being forced into slavery in the worst jobs ever. As far as the atmospheric tone, Lanning promises "it's going to be messed up". I've got my fingers crossed

[Havoc]

I just really really hope that Frima's involvement means the return of CGI cutscenes with the extended Exoddus story to boot. For me that is always what set Oddworld apart from anything else.

[Holy Sock]

After playing Inside I hope OWI take some similar inspiration. The atmosphere in that game is great and although Oddworld has a lighthearted sensibility on the surface it would be great to see some similarly dark and oppressive atmosphere in places. Particularly in the slave mines.

[Fraki]

In some areas I actually quite like the "brightness" of New n' Tasty? When its done right, obviously. The shining bright florescent pipe lights in Rupture Farms come to mind, they contrast really nicely with the darkness of the rest of the level. However, places like Stockyards escape are pretty.... Yeah, pretty overdone.

Not to mention it ruined the really nice transition to darkness the original had! It slowly faded from orange to blue in the original but in NnT its just a loading screen.

[RyuuFox]

I really hope they don't get rid of the greeters, seeing how they're probably going to scrap many things from exoddus it seems possible, especially since their laser sensors will cause problems in a perspective 3d world. Of coarse changing the camera to orthographic will solve these issues even the shadow issue, but I don't think OWI will do it

[SligValet]

I really hope they don't get rid of the greeters, seeing how they're probably going to scrap many things from exoddus it seems possible, especially since their laser sensors will cause problems in a perspective 3d world. Of coarse changing the camera to orthographic will solve these issues even the shadow issue, but I don't think OWI will do it

I really hope they just do it the way they did the laser sensors in NnT, but obviously not suspended on rails and instead coming from the Greeters and just sortof floating in the air, covering the platform

[Nepsotic]

Greeters were shit

[Shade667]

An in-game timer, at least 3 savefiles and less bats.

[Gunnr]

I just really really hope that Frima's involvement means the return of CGI cutscenes with the extended Exoddus story to boot. For me that is always what set Oddworld apart from anything else.

Oh man, the story reboot, I cannot wait to see that!

[Scrabaniac]

I think they will nail the tone this time around. The Mudokon chatter in NnT was horrendous, let alone the 'fan voices' doing the chanting in the wild. Never do that again please Oddworld, stick to dedicated and talented voice actors.

Greeters could possibly work if they were unattached to the sensors, but designed to attack if one is triggered, instead of a floating mine.

I hope they do not use bloom, or at least not as much as NnT. It felt like my TV screen was dirty, and looked like a cheap way to make things that little bit more 'gritty'.. which failed imo.

Shadows can still work in 3D environments. I'm almost certain you can make dark shadows/areas. If not, why not have Abe use the environment that surrounds him? Hide in trap doors, or in/behind barrels, signs, air vents or machinery.

I cannot wait to see what Fleeches look like (if they make it into the game), as they were truly nightmarish.

[Havoc]

I think they will nail the tone this time around. The Mudokon chatter in NnT was horrendous, let alone the 'fan voices' doing the chanting in the wild. Never do that again please Oddworld, stick to dedicated and talented voice actors.

#NeverForget Native German border guard Mudokon.

[Scrabaniac]

Hahah he was one of ze wurst.

[Nate]

Fan voices would be fine, as long as they do a better job of filtering out the bad ones.

I mean, the original games never had any professional voice actors. And the only one I can think of more generally is the woman who revoiced the females in SW.

[Varrok]

The problem with fan voices is (besides their incompetence) the low quality of the recordings. They could get away with that in 1997, but it hurts now

[Manco]

I honestly never noticed any low-quality recordings when playing NnT.

[Vlam]

I honestly never noticed any low-quality recordings when playing NnT.

Manco's right (!).

[Connell]

I can't say I ever noticed any low quality recordings either. It may have been overshadowed by the annoying repetitiveness of the quotes, but I wouldn't have said that was a problem for me that stopped me enjoying the game.

[Fraki]

The Mudokon chatter in NnT was horrendous, let alone the 'fan voices' doing the chanting in the wild. Never do that again please Oddworld, stick to dedicated and talented voice actors.

OH GOD YOU JUST REMINDED ME OF THE ONE IN SCRABANIA

https://youtu.be/jKOXFWHx06Q?t=676

Whats everyone elses least favourite mudokon?

[Scrabaniac]

Yes.. that one. Who ever decided that should be in the game should be shot.

[Fraki]

Yow yoh yow yoh yow yoh yow yoh

[Nate]

The problem with fan voices is (besides their incompetence) the low quality of the recordings. They could get away with that in 1997, but it hurts now

I was including low quality when I referred to bad ones...

[Vlam]

I think they will nail the tone this time around. The Mudokon chatter in NnT was horrendous, let alone the 'fan voices' doing the chanting in the wild. Never do that again please Oddworld, stick to dedicated and talented voice actors.

Well, back in 2013, some thought that the "fan voices" were a good idea: http://www.oddworldforums.net/showthread.php?t=21361

[Scrabaniac]

and not one of them was me

[Havoc]

Well, back in 2013, some thought that the "fan voices" were a good idea: http://www.oddworldforums.net/showthread.php?t=21361

How were we supposed to know they would only pick the shittiest ones and implement them in such a horrible way

[Vlam]

I'm going to be the devil's advocate and say that they used the best material available.

[Jordan]

My favourite was the Indian Mudokon in Scrabania. I cracked up.