When I say new content, I don't specifically mean new levels and such like that, although time permitting I would love to get that stuff in there. I actually mean something more along the lines of altered gameplay mechanics, stuff like that.

Could we get a new food item produced by Rupture Farms? Ground up My Little Ponies. All new from Rupture Farms! Tasty Meaty Treats in all kinds of different colors!

Uncle Chunky's Ponee Pastels - Fogazza Is Magic!

Okay. Now that you've explained 'new content', can you translate the rest of the sentence? :p

You play the vanilla game. You unlock things that change the game on subsequent playthroughs.

This is extremely disappointing to me. I was hoping the remake would be more of a reimagining of the Abe's Oddysee story - perhaps not as dramatically different as the movie would be, but still different. I don't see the value in just redoing the original game with the same levels etc as-is. We're all aware that some aspects of the game mechanics, story, and character (etc) design were like they were (i.e. compromised) due to limitations of the engine or whatever.
I don't like the idea of reproducing them when the same limitations no longer exist. You could create a 'purer' game, closer to the 'original' or more accurate vision for Quintology pt1.
No doubt I'll buy and play the thing regardless, but I would love this to be more ambitious than it appears.

I don't think they can just go on and make a completely new Oddworld game from scratch like Oddysee/Exoddus. That's something that could happen in the future after Abe HD. we need to see how it does first. I agree that I want new content but I'm just happy that the Abe games are getting a well deserved revamp.

@Sanssouci - Put yourselves in the shoes of the developers. You want to re-create an original game using modern technology so that you can introduce it to people who have never heard of the franchise before. HOWEVER, you also want to appease the existing fans, and the original creator of the franchise, who may not like it when you drastically change things that are well-established. It's not easy.

Being able to unlock extra, game-changing features after completing the original game is a really good compromise and is a good way of giving the developers more freedom - Kudos to whoever came up with that, I'm interested to see what comes out of it.

But a re-imagining made now wouldn't be the "original" vision, it would be JAW's. Lorne may still be overseeing but he didn't do all the work, the original OWI was a powerhouse of creative talent, they were the ones who created the art, characters and level design. JAW can make creative changes to the game and they'll probably improve it, but it's understandable they don't want to change it too much if they're trying to preserve the essence of the original.

Specifically, what limitations are you talking about? We're being pretty ambitious with the scale of the redux; I think perhaps there are three levels of change that are possible; identical remake, remade with altered appearence or levels and reworked game mechs, and a total reimagining of the story and game. We're doing the second one.

I was specifically referring to limitations in the software compromising character design (so, the simplified mudokon 'hairstyles' as something that comes to mind, even among natives) and level design (affecting the number of characters on screen, especially with elum around, if I'm remembering correctly). I wouldn't be surprised if engine limitations also affected other elements of level design - I couldn't guess what as I'm no designer or programmer.
Regardless I would prefer the remake didn't reproduce decisions originally enforced back in 1995 due to technical limitations for no other reason than you guys holding AO up on some pedestal that you have to aspire toward. It can of course be the same for other, more valid, reasons - because it makes the level the most fun, it's the most logical thing, or it makes the story the best it can be etc. I'd accept that more.
The fact it's a [2d sidescrolling] video game is also a limitation as to how ambitious the narrative can be but that's fair enough I suppose.

Thanks for clarifying. It's comforting that it will be more 'remade with altered appearence or levels and reworked game mechs' than 'identical remake'.

Ooh, idea!

Rather than having that awkward Gamespeak whistling, you could do an Ocarina Of Time style system where you start whistling and use the arrow keys to pick the notes. I'd much prefer that, honestly.


Also, can we have some way to pick which enemy we are possessing? I was always annoyed when it randomly picked a Slig in the background rather than the one in the foreground I wanted.

For those who are discussing new content, why not add an expansion? New Levels for everyone, now comes with Valve time.

It always picks the slig closest to you on screen- not accounting for depth on multi-layered levels, just closest directly left/right/up/down of Abe :)

After all these years I never actually realized that, I always thought that it was just random.

Well, that is fair enough. I know that in Exoddus it tends to prioritize, forcing possession of Glukkons before Sligs...

But hey, maybe if there is a Vita version, possession could be performed by touching the enemy you are possessing or something, I dunno.

Dear Oddworld Community, stop reading my ideas off of the whiteboard. That is all.

Write it in Wingdings so we won't understand

My handwriting is more or less analogous to wingdings.

What is the point of wingdings? No one ever uses it.

It's for when you actually want to use those symbols in text. I don't think you're supposed to write entire words in it.

As a tf2 player Im obliged to demand unlock-able hats for abe and elum. Also tf2 promo hats!

Haha, good one. I'm saying that because I assume it was a joke.

I would not mind hats for Elum.

Oddworld: Pimp my Elum

Ones that cover his fuck-ugly face?

...But Elum is adorable?

Elum is adorable in the way a bulldog is adorable. Cute but ugly. And stinky.

Ugly-cute is best cute. It shows originality.

Usually.

I know what you mean, the ugly-cute. But Elum isn't even ugly-cute, he's just ugly. Fuck-ugly.

Weirdo.

Everything in the Abe gabes with the singular exception of Glukkons are cute.

I always found Paramites adorable, making something resembling a face-hugger that cute is impressive.

I thought Paramites were cute until I saw the concept art for their hind parts.

Yeah, Paramites I agree with. And Wings, when you say "Abe" Games, I assume you mean Oddysee/Exoddus, Because most of the things in Munch are NOT cute. Vykkers are ugly to the point where, no offence, but it looks like they have specifically designed for a kids CBBC show. They sound it as well. Everything in that game did, but i'm not going into that. Anyway, you know what I mean.

The Abe games are the ones with Abe in the title.

This is pretty simple stuff, try to keep up.

I didn't play MO for years after it came out, but Vykkers looked utterly horrific in the character bio on the old OWI site, then I actually played and they were just comic relief villains, much more so than the Glukkons. Disappointing.

Though in my opinion, the series started getting overly cartoony with Abe's Exoddus, in cutscenes and with Abe's goofier voice anyway.

Exoddus was fine, it was spot on, Just the right amount of cartoon-ness, Munch went way too far.

But like I said, I'm not getting into why I can't stand munch's oddysee, as it killed the feel of Oddworld that made the first two games. Its over-the-top humor and annoying voices, well annoying sounds full stop, made its target audience 7 year olds.
And what happened to "Scrabs are fiercely territorial"? Munch breaks all the rules. Even giving Munch his own moon when, (though we don't know it yet), Abe's moon had a story as to why and how it was created, Munch's just appears out of nowhere.

You already know my feelings about the Vykkers, and Interns didn't seem Biologically possible. The few Paramite and Scrab levels in the game just consisted of getting from one side to the other quite fast, and had no puzzle element at all.
Whoever came up with Spooce needs a punch, what were they thinking? Not to mention that thanks to Munch we had people turning up on the forums who hadn't tasted how good Oddworld could be, they'ed only played MO. Yes, these are the insentient 7 year olds I was talking about, like Gabbits Own for example, remember him? I bet you do.

Oddworld created something unique and incredible with AE and AO, and all that was lost with Munch's Oddysee, But anyway, I'm not getting into all that.

Abe's Oddysee had the perfect tone in my opinion, the enemies were shadowy and formidable and the humour was always secondary to the story.

I don't want to downplay the humour in the games but my favourite levels and cutscenes were always the most serious, atmospheric parts; For instance, the intro scene to MO where Munch gets caught was one of the best scenes of the series, despite the rest of the game.

Scrabs are seen running around together in an AO cutscene as well to be fair, and you could argue that they're supposed to be a pack in the final chase sections in the temples. As far as I know the ones who fight each other are all supposed to be alpha males, there can only be one per pack and they fight to the death.

But yeah the Scrab/Paramite sections were IMO the biggest disappointment in MO... we're probably going off-topic ranting about that game anyway.

EDIT: wrong thread post

If only they made munch in 2d like the original games. That would be amazzzzzinnng . Also just for the record elum is beautiful.