[Holy Sock]

I don't know. The idea that Oddworld is a serious, deep, dark story just seems silly. I mean even in the original you had a couple of moments of slapstick and a fart button.

But Slog Bait, I disagree with your assessment of the perspective. The reason nothing was really developed wasn't because we were seeing things from Abe's perspective in the first game - but just because they were underdeveloped.

I mean even if the comedy was less abundant in AO it was still there and the fact that Exoddus came out only 9 months after the first should tell you that they are the type of characters that Oddworld is really about.

There needs to be a consistency here. If the tone of AE is the tone of Oddworld it makes no sense to take a step back with NnT. It's fine that they hadn't figured out Oddworld in the first game but it doesn't make sense to then take that step back in the remake 17 years on - when the tone of Oddworld has been pretty firmly established: satirical characters within a bleak world. Comedy and darkness.

I mean if you'd want to turn Oddworld into a dark and serious tale then the dramatic quality needs to be much better than it is. You'd need great dialogue and great dramatic characterisation otherwise it's going to feel like a shitty, cheesy dramatic video game that are a dime a dozen. What's dark about Oddworld is it's themes and world which I think are highlighted better when the characters that populate it - bar a few scary villains - are being rather comedic and silly.

I do think that AO had a great sense of mysticism which should be maintained - but I'd chalk that up to the fact that AO was about Abe's destiny and AE was about saving more Mudokons and helping some spirits.