While I realise that the concepts of day and night etc. could benefit the gameplay and overall gaming experience of Oddworld, I would rather not have such a system, basically because it would lead away from the story of the Oddworld Quintology. After all, these games are meant to tell a story, not make you wait six hours before you can try another attempt at breaking into a factory.
In Abe's Oddysee, how long did the story last? From one night to the next, one day. Abe's Exoddus took two days, one crossing the desert, the rest for gameplay. Munch's Oddysee took one day also, from the night Munch got caught by the Vykkers to dusk the next day. If suddenly the length of an adventure went from a fraction of week to potentially eternity...well, it just wouldn't seem right to me.
Otherwise, I see no reason why that should exclude day and night from the game completely. Certain levels could be set at specific times of the day, or the level could change slightly half-way through to create a small impression of time moving on, like in the Stockyard Escape from AO.
Then again, Oddworld Inhabitants have had the Habitales and Fearietales game ideas floating around their ideas board for some time. It's a real-time strategy of sorts, I'd love to see the six-hour day implemented.
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