ICO is the name of the game, to my knowledge, it doesn't stand for anything. It's about this kid with horns who drags this chick around half the world fighting evil shadow people, though I cant see how that inspired anything

Supposedly the communication between Stranger and the boat is similar to that of the horny kid and the girl.

that sounds wierd. How long ago did it come out?

It was released quite a while ago. I've got the demo of it, and I must agree that it is a great game. It definately had that sort of Oddworld quirkyness that is present in Abe's Oddysee (especially) and Abe's Exoddus.

Though, I never actually finished it. I couldn't find where to go, or what to do. Exactly how it was with the demo of Abe's Oddysee. It was only until I purchased the game, that I overcame that particular puzzle in Rupture Farms. ICO certainly is the best game to have an Oddworld game inspired from.

Alcar...

Mac's right, the report was referring to the relationship between Stranger and his boat, though it could be that Stranger's horns were inspired by Ico's. EGM also said Stranger has to move some "things", just as Ico has to move the princess.

Could "moving" things be referring to the bounties he captures?

Alcar...

Alcar it could be very likely...
I like that theory

You put inverted commas around the wrong word, but could be. I don't know though - if (and that's a completely insinuation-free if) the game incorporates Quarma, there might be something as an equivalent to Mudokons or Fuzzles.

Moving things could be a whole variety of things... maybe he spends half of his time as a taxi?

By that do you mean hired protection?

Yes, it is a possibility. Perhaps it means that the environment is fully usable, as in you can break branches from trees, or support beams from buildings and therefore move them...

...
 

Like I said before, I hope the gameplay is something like Zelda:Windwaker. The level of environmental interaction and gameplay capabilities were amazing. Not to mention the interaction between Link and his talking boat.

I've been wondering if Fuzzles are going to be some live ammo, considering they're in the opening sequence.

Hmmm, yes, but Stranger only picks up the Bolamite, while knocking the Fuzzle to the side. But who knows :p

Alcar...

I doubt Fuzzles will be used as live ammo, Stranger would have pic it up in the opening sequence

anyway a bite-bomb sounds pretty funny!

Maybe instead of quarma Stranger is concerned with moolah. After all, the hicken does reward Steef in the opening movie.

Possibly, but OWI have always been eager to allow games that pan out - or at least conclude - in a way that makes you responsible for your actions. And it seems to me that different types of Live Ammo have effects that can be more or less 'violent'. A Thud-Slug seems a pretty nasty thing to get hit by, but sleeping darts, Bolamites and Chipunkz are all less lethal weaponry. Moolah may play a part in that in this game, though, since it does seem to be a part of the gameplay.

maybe stranger uses non-lethal amo because the clackerz pay him a bigger bounty if he brings in outlaws alive.

Or simply OWI is trying to stray away from the usual weapons.

Note the guns in MO.

The guns in MO were meant to be the same guns in the other games, except they don't kill you with one hit. If a 3D game had "one-hit wonder" weapons then it would be very hard to beat. The 2D games can allow one-hit wonders because there is less room to navigate, thus if you climbed up on a ledge a slig can't shoot you. Reversely, in a 3D game you could climb on a ledge and still be shot by a slig because of the vast environment, and if you died with one hit then you would be repeating that part forever.

Naw, I'm talking about the Blitzpackers and Snuzis silly:p

Yes, product delivery firearms were a brilliant idea, spoilt only by the fact that they fired different coloured lasers, and killed rather than addicted, which was the whole point of them.

too bad indeed...
I wonder how it might have work in the game?
maybe with an "addiction level bar" that raises depending how much time you were hit and when was the last time you drunk/ate some and that you have to go to a vendo with that product before the bar is completed or else abe gets crazy

No, OWI have always avoided bars and menus as much as possible (with the exception of the main menus and pause screen, which I think are pretty necessary). Abe remained pretty addiction-free in Abe's Exoddus, with all that SoulStorm Brew, so maybe he had some resistance against those weapons, but they would be used much more efficiently against other Mudokons, Sligs etc. We know MO was originally intended as a world simulation-kind game, where such gameplay would be a marvel.

ok... I see
so industrialist would have to use other weapons to kill Abe
Maybe in MO they tried to make him an addict, but due to his resitance they couldn't, so they kept on shooting at him and eventually killed him

Yeah, that sounds like a reasonable excuse. :p Those BlitzPacker cans are designed to damage, we know, but I'm not sure about the SnUzis or LungBusters.

true true...
*thinks*

well, a bit of sadism never hurt anyone, did it?

And as well as addicting you, those products aren't too healthy so they would still do you some physical damage.

Nate...
can be a good explanation too.
anyway I hope we will see the addicition concept due to the product delivery firearms in a future game it realy seems very good!

True – Vykkers Labs is known for its product linking, where one drug creates the need for another. Maybe it is the symptom of that product that causes the death. Which makes sense, as Mudokons have very fragile bodies, so perhaps they are more vulnarable to such things.

Also the SnUzis could be filled with a lethal toxin, and the Stoggies might be, I dunno, poison tipped, or spiked. They sound reasonable idea for the Vykkers, who I’m sure would love such cruel and unusual weaponry.