Abe HD pre-production tests
 

Abe HD Pre-production test screens, as seen on the Oddworld Inhabitants Facebook Page:

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...9_981591_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5180423_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3560264_n.jpg

That's disappointing in the extreme.

It's worth pointing out that they're specifically labelled as pre-production/early tests.

That said, I hope this isn't the style the final product will use - reminds me more of Psychonauts than Oddworld.

I agree, screens look rather ugly, but they are PRE-PRODUCTION so can't fully comment yet. I mean any game including games like crysis 2 are proper ugly at this stage as well I presume

P.s. I think we should make this the Abe Oddysee HD Official Thread since we are posting screenshots of the game now.

Don't provoke me to do this better :>.

Doesn't look too good to be honest.

Doesn't look too good? It looks absolutely awful. I really hope they do more work on that.

What an extreme discrepancy between the opinions on Facebook and the opinions on here.

Bear in mind all that the MO preproduction images and videos looked amazing. So preproduction images don't always look worse than the finished product.

Also bear in mind that they've intentionally released these images because they're proud of them. I suspect that this is what happens when Lorne is not keeping a daily eye on production activities. This just looks like bad fan-art.

It look's like an abstract and not so accurate replica of the original:
http://images.wikia.com/oddworld/ima...crabania01.jpg

As OddHunter says, it's pre-production so the final product may look very different/very much better. Hope so :).

Aren't the employees of JAW game artists though? Working with a low budget. And Lorne trained as a photo-realism painter..?

It's kind of growing on me, actually.

e: I think the main issue here is how little detail the rocks and background have. The temple itself looks alright (albeit a little cartoony), but the contrast between that and its bland surroundings really throws off the whole image.

e2: also note this is the real-time render, as opposed to the original only appearing as a pre-rendered image.

Me 1 minute age: "Oh my god! Abe HD pre-production tests?!
Me now: "Where's oddworld? All i see is Looney Tunes"

I thought this Facebook comment was pretty interesting:
JAW have been doing a great job on the Stranger HD update, so I really think Abe HD shouldn't be judged at this stage.

Am I the only one who doesn't think this is that bad? It's a pre-production image, some bits are bound to be off, I think it's off to a good start IMO.

Shocked, I have never said a bad thing about Oddworld ever (so long as it doesn't involve MO that is) but this I hope isn't the finished result, It just seems flimsy. And of flash game quality. =(

It does look a bit naff, but that's expected for shots as early as these. I can totally see the direction that they're going in; dynamic visuals with background depth perception. When peppered with hefty detail and textures, it could look brilliant. Much too early to judge though.

It hurts most when you compare it to the original.
I really hope they fix this...

Whoa, let's not say things we'll regret later.

OMG are you joking ?! They're disgraceful. It looks like Oddworld is going down the new Spyro route. Which is a bad thing. Not only does the cartoony concept look awful but the graphics are crap as well. Anybody saying it's to early to judge are wrong, I think we need to let JAW know that this isn't what we want now so that they can fix this problem early. There wont be any point moaning in a years time when it's released. Talk about Oddworld selling out to the masses.

Couldn't agree more. :)

all i have to say is... oh dear

lets hope the enviroments for strangers wrath are better

I think these are just direct 3D remakes of Stephen Olds work.

http://oddworldlibrary.net/archives/...O/CAAO0119.jpg

Not necessarily representative of the final product.

Well aren't you a clever cookie? I actually do feel a bit better now lol. I do seriously hope that they keep the distopian feel though. I think the mood of the originals is one of the key things that made Oddworld so powerful for me.

I was wondering what that orb was about.

The temple looks like a massive water barrel.

It doesn't have that...feeling, the atmosphere, that Scrabania had.

Needs that gloomy sky, and those rocks... Those were some sexy rock erosions.

Agreed agreed agreed agreed agreed. It needs the feel .

I love how people are getting overwraught over something that is PRE-PRODUCTION.

For those who own it. Open up the art book and take a gander at the Abe's Oddysee section. You will see that the drawings and stuff in there were much different to the final product. It's safe to assume the same thing will be happening with Abe HD. I will even help. Look at Abe's hair before we got the "final Abe"

OWI's recent Facebook comments regarding these shots:

@ Dixandu - Those rocks turned me fucking ON!

You know what bugs me though, where are the Scrab statues on that picture, they need scrab statues, lots of fucking scrab statues. Oh those sexy scrab statues.

Did you read this thread?

I did yes. Thanks for posting it again.

It doesn't exactly have that oddworld feeling to it, but i agree it's way to early to judge.

Now the next pic we need is one of an "in game" level so we can compare the graphics.

Looks good though : )

Hm... I'm not going to judge since this is effectively concept art.

I am.

I don't think they look bad, per say, just... not Oddworld, as others have stated.

I like the pre-production screens, however they could change a dozen times before we ever see the game so its moot.
But wasn't this always gonna happen:
*Beloved franchise is cancelled
*Hardcore fans are sad
*Years pass as a few pockets of hardcore fans converse, reminise and hope
*Against all odds the franchise plans a return
*Hardcore fans rejoice and speculate
*Franchise can never meet everybodys expectations
*Hardcore fans get angry and hate the franchise

EDIT: Oh okay I just realised something.

These shots are interesting and I wonder where they're going with them - Perhaps they could be just an experiment done by them to see how directly re-creating a concept image in Maya would work. If that's the case, it's hugely successful on their part.

For a brief minute I did think that this is what they're working on as a final level for Abe HD until I read some more and thought better of it. But that's made me think a little.

What if the final product may not be what I or anyone else expected at all? Maybe instead of a facelift of the original game, perhaps we should be expecting a decent game that's actually quite different from the original. It's as the developers of the Half-Life remake said once: If you want the feel and atmosphere of an original game, the only guaranteed way to experience them is to play the original game. It's a bonus if you get the same feeling in a remake - Especially when that remake is done by different people.

Can any of you give examples of a game remakes that really preserve or expand upon the feel and atmosphere of their original games? I can't think of any myself. Any remakes I've seen (But okay, I haven't seen/played many) have been improvements on the originals, but at the same time, totally different from them.

I know, because nobody has the guts to actually tell Lorne.

PRE-PRODUCTION, folks. Go look at some Munch pre-production.

The Munch pre-production was awesome though.

I EXPECTED YOU TO CONTRADICT ME.