The demo version I played had a scrab in the stockyards. I remember this clearly because it scared the shit out of me when I was 8.

He was probably referring to that screenshot on the back of the AO Playstation case, which no doubt has been debated here countless times, I still find it strange they decided to include that screenshot on the back.

http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/3/0/6/306_back.jpg

There used to be a screenshot on the official website, too; showing several paramites in a red Stockyards pen.

Here's one major issue we found when switching to a scrolling camera:

In the original game, the edge of the screen acted as a really clear divide between areas, and you knew you may be running into danger if you crossed that clear-cut line. The edge of the screen is a 'point of commitment' where, as a player, you can make the call: "Am I ready to go to the next screen, knowing there may be something there that might kill me?"

With a scrolling camera, that point no longer exists and the decision to progress becomes way more fuzzy. It became much more likely that players would just keep running until something dangerous came into view, at which point it was usually too late to safely retreat. So the game became much harder with that one simple change.

I remember seeing that screenshot to, the screenshots are extremely easy to recreate using the level editor, but frankly it's pointless, with the screenshot on t he back of the case, what threat does the paramite pose until you corner it?

It was much better to add scrabs, since they chase you instantly.

That's a good point, however: I would have thought that having people run ahead and die would teach them patience in the game. If they'd done it over and over again, would they not eventually learn that it's better to take things slow?

Maybe it's because I'm playing Dark Souls 2 right now, but I'm genuinely concerned that New 'n' Tasty is going to be too easy. However I'm interested to see what Lorne was talking about when he mentioned they were compensating for the ease of quicksave in some way that they're not yet prepared to reveal.

The aesthetics in NnT are spot on; I can see that from the trailer. But gameplay is important, too. And if it is easy, not everyone is going to be interested in speedruns, and I feel like there are too many different games being released now to put all stock in the 'replay-ability' of a game, hoping that players won't just move on to the next title after completion.

This is of course all speculation, though, as the only way I can know if it turned out too easy is to buy and play it, which I will regardless. I'm just worried is all; the gameplay is something I care about far more than the different Scrab and Paramite sounds.

But is gameplay more important than the logo?

Yaay so harder gameplay?! :)

While the health ring has me a little concerned about the new game, I do have full faith into what the end result will be.

Thinking of new game mechanics to challenge the player is pretty hard and from what Lorne and Stewart have been talking about with their references in old interviews and such, I think they are brewing up something smart. Instant death is seen via electrical fields/grinders but not gun shots.

I have a feeling we are going to be pleasantly surprised because if I were trying to prolong the game play, i'd have to include some new form of challenge with the new camera style. Say for example, cones of vision for ranged enemies.

Would it be possible to move with the D-Pad like the old control scheme? The idea of walking/sneaking by carefully pushing the analogue stick sounds fine, but when you try to do that sort of thing on the Vita it kinda falls apart.

Plus, I really like that D-Pad. Feels like micro-switches :goof:

I would also enjoy a digital input.

So do Paramites, as long as there's more than one.

This makes sense. I think Lorne talked about a reworked sound system designed to warn the player of upcoming danger, even more then in the original AO. Thinking of it I guess the choice of adding the floating "Z"s above the sleeping Sligs is also coming from this.

Are there other ways you warn the player of upcoming danger or try tovisually define safe/danger zones?

I suppose they could do it in the same way Ubisoft approached Rayman Legends, part of the game requires you to rescue creatures called teensies which allowed you to unlock more levels in the game, each level has a set number to rescue, some are really obvious to find but for others you need to explore the level and they are hidden away in secret areas, when you are near a teensie you can hear it shouting "Help me!", it doesn't tell you where they are, but you know they are there.

Jsst like finding secret areas in AO, there could be a sound cue in advance, such as hearing a Slig walking or snoring, as Xavier said, the floating Z's could be a signifier, the way I see it is that the Z's travel a certain distance, and if you make a noise within the Z's the slig will wake up.

Or it could be something a little more imaginative and less of a cop-out, like a change in Abe's mannerisms or a little more focus on the Slig, a subtle sound que or an increase in the sounds coming from the Slig. Things like that.

Ok, so I'm a little late here - but the trailer looks incredible and I can't wait to play it. I've not been this excited about a video game since Strangers Wrath in 2005. My only complaint, as has been said, is the Scrab sounding like a lion.

As for the Paramites - Christ. Just when I didn't think Oddworld could get anymore terrifying! I can't wait.

From a story point of view, I would LOVE it if we couldn't possess Sligs until the spiritual elders teach Abe how to in the Monsaic lines using the captive Slig in the Jail Cell. It would add a whole new depth to Abe's story - but I'm not sure how it would fare in terms of gameplay so I'd totally understand if they didn't take this option.

It was obvious. But the Scrab sounds used were placeholders. Which also means the Paramites and the Slogs weren't placeholders.

Well that's good news, (if they do the sounds in a way that says "Scrab" to the established fanbase). :)

Slogs are basically Oddworld dogs, sound like such, and aren't iconic - They can use any aggressive dog-like sounds for those. It's cool the paramites make new sounds and all, but I wonder if they could mix the original sounds in with the new ones:


Still, at least they don't sound like pigs. :P

I'm so glad the scarab sound was a placeholder. Although i didn't think they would keep it as a lion sound in the final version :P

Well not necessarily. Just because they only explicitly named the Scrabs in that tweet doesn’t mean that everything else is already locked in place. I have to imagine if they’re going to give the Scrabs their original sound then Paramites and Slogs will be getting similar treatment.

Scrabs were fussed about the most by the fans, that's why it was the sound that was addressed.

That's good. I think part of what made Scrabs/Paramites so menacing is how they sound so unlike any living creature.

Off-topic, but iss there a reasonable explanation as to why Paramites sounded like pigs in MO?

They didn't. It's pigs that sound like paramites.


The paramites in the trailer didn't sound like the original paramites, but they still sounded like paramites. Unlike in Munch, those do sound like the kind of vocalisations a paramite would make.

Paramites have always sounded a little pig-like. And honestly, although it's not right, Lion Scrabs sound fucking awesome.

Pigs that have been horrifically tortured? :P

I think it went way too far in MO where they literally had several noises that sounded exactly like pigs. Makes no sense.

Paramites have always squealed like pigs. You can go to the AE gamespeak menu and check. It's not the only noise they make, but it's certainly the noise I'd expect while they're running about in the trailer. As long as they've got the clicking and hissing in the the game as well, I don't see why people are complaining.

EDIT: Yep, just checked myself. 2, 4 and 6 are all piggy. 1 and 5 are clicking. 3 is apparently the only noise people actually remember.

That's a 1:2:3 Hiss:Click:Squeal ratio!

I think you’re exaggerating how much they actually sound like pigs. Closest sound effect to an actual pig noise is the Do It Gamepseak, and even that clearly isn’t actually a pig – it sounds closer to a sound I’d expect a raptor to make.

A couple of the sound effects sound like they could have been heavily edited from pig squeals, but they certainly aren’t all that piglike any more, and there’s definitely no grunting like in MO going on.

This. I'm not seeing it myself.

I don't mind the new sounds, but they could have just used the old ones, they were good enough in sound quality, and, for most players, were iconic

I hope they use those little background noises which I think were frogs or something? You can hear them in the start of the PS1 AO game.I know those are stock sounds used everywhere but they resonate with me.

God I'm such a gay.

We all know what you're on about and we all want them. I'm hoping the OST will remain similar, too.

Oh, the OST I assume will basically be almost undetectably different. I remember at Eurogamer Lorne said that Bross composed the music from this game but it's barely different from Meijers' stuff.

Also good, it's not just me then.

Yes, what you are desiring is the ambiance, which the game would feel stale and empty without

Do not fear that seems too important of a thing for them to not include or forget

I'm more of a fan of this, personally. (Compare)

Wob wob Wob wob Wob wob Wob wob
Reeeeeeee
Uoooooooooooo
Kra
Crrrrk
Kra
Reeeeeeee
Crrrrk
Bow
Bow

You're writing dubstep! : D
I actually prefer the AE intro sounds but AO's are more nostalgic for me.

Sorry, but I just can’t hear the similarity.

That bird that goes raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw in Abe's Oddysee.

I was on a motorcycle trip recently in the Colorado Rockies with my brother. We were in the woods in the middle of nowhere when we heard that noise - we both looked at each other and said "That was the Oddworld Bird."

If that sound is not in N&T I will be expecting my money back! - but I have faith, as it's been in all four instalments of the Oddworld series so far.

I was thinking the, reeeeeeeeee, but yes, that also.

If you are an ornithologist or entomologist, nature sound effects in film and games really fuck up the experience. Whether it's on Earth, and you notice that the birds and crickets are always on the wrong continent, or it's sci-fi, and you wonder why the birds and crickets on the alien planet are all from Earth.

Knowing this in advance, I've resisted learning them. But even I've noticed that in film, EVERY bird of prey sounds like a red-tailed hawk. Even the supposedly essential bald eagle which, in reality, sounds very similar to a herring gull.

That's not an excuse, I've not refrained myself of learning IT just so I could enjoy over the top hacking scenes in Hollywood movies.