@Havoc
There is definitely an element of hope in the ending of Exoddus, but as the camera pulls back and reveals a legion of Muds all saluting the sky, I always got the impression they were becoming organised. Obviously, the game was so hastily made, nothing more than that made the cut, so it's only really hinted at, but I always thought it was the first stirrings of armed resistance.
That said, Soulstorm doesn't look like guerrilla warfare, but an underground revolutionary movement, full of spies, intrigue and covert tactics. This, to me, is much more in the spirit of Oddworld than the Mudokon resistance in MO, which seemed a little whacky and under-developed. It also lacked the art-style that gave the Slig Barracks, Bonewerkz, etc. such a haunting, creepy quality (one of my favourite things about Oddworld).
In many ways, it was frustrating that MO lacked the narrative element that made the first two games so great. Without it, I've always felt the Oddworld timeline never advanced, and has relied too much on telling parallel stories instead. So I'm really glad OWI have gone back to the source and are expanding on it. I really can't wait to see what they've come up with.
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