Yeah, I know exactly what you mean and I feel very saddened by this change in attitude. This is further evidence that OWI are trying to 'win' fans by making the characters artificially cool rather than earn fans by keeping true to the characters and to Oddworld's nature as a whole. The same goes for the Glukkons - whereas before they were unique in their scariness, they've now become mobsters. Sligs, Scrabs and Paramites have also changed their vocal sounds and their personalities.
It seems to me like Oddworld is trying to be more like Earth, when most of the appeal of Abe's Oddysee was that the similarities and parodies of Earth had to be looked for to be found - it was, to a degree, quite rewarding. Abe's Exoddus blew that a little bit with all the LED messages (not that they weren't truely amusing) and also the Mudokons and Glukkons began to change. For the worse, I might add. It was also in AE that Oddworld became a cartoon - just listen to those horrible 'boing', 'whoop', 'dong' noises all through the opening sequence and the 'brew' video. This was handled better in MO, but I still have to put up with that annoying 'doing' every time I move Munch about on land.
I'm digressing a bit from Mudokons here, but OWI really do need to focus their attention on what Oddworld is, not want they perhaps think we want it to be. I have to say I've lost a bit of confidence in them, especially over the last few months with the distasteful Online Daily Deceptions and ridiculous replies (and questions) in Dear Alf.
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