what is up with the games

[lindsey]

in abe's oddissy abe semed to be more native but then he and the other muds got more like the world we live in what hapend to there native like whays thay dont seme very native like

[Xavier]

well yeah, I suppose it's because they were in contact with lot of industrialisation...
anyway in MO it was to make the game look more "cool"

[Wil]

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.

[Sal the Mudokon]

Yeah, I liked the morbid and depressing originalityof Abe's Oddysee moreso than the recent boings and doings. I still liked the dark humor of Abe's Exoddus, but didn't feel like it had streyed from the cool factor that started Oddworld. Munch's Oddysee... well, first, it didn't make sense... that factor I'll never get over. It didn't even work upon the same basic points that the others were. Possession all of a sudden requires a plant that was there the whole time, sligs can't kill you for a good hour and a half. Everyone's childlike, in sound and action. But, I still like the game, being as it was, an Oddworld game. I'm a very loyal person, what can I say? I can only hope that they go back to the original formula, rather than pulling away into a game that reminds me more of wise teachings of "Super Monkey Ball", than Ghandi. Oddworld might want to consider looking at their games in new ways. I'd love to see Blade Runneresque towers with flames coming out of the top in a dark island where heartless oil-mogals have taken over. Now THAT would be Oddworld. They just need to remember to rather build atop what was created in the Abe games, instead of knocking out all of the important things and making something that only looks similar to Oddworld.

[TheKhanzumer]

I have to agree with Max. Hopefully Alf reads this. Oddworld is better as its own unique world and the humour should be based on that world, not ours.


btw, I always wondered if their were others who didn't like the cartoon noises. I guess I'm not alone.

[Majic]

I didn't like the cartoon noises either... Everytime Abe would collect Spooce/fall down a wall/Munch walked I cringed....

Mo was the first for me, so shoot me, I thought that was like what all OW was like. But heck, after playing AO it seemed not likea childish platformer, but an actually difficult game that I had trouble on, and still ahven't beat. The enemies and scenery were much better.

[Xavier]

well personnally I prefer the dark of AO and Hate the cartoon aspect of MO, nice to see I'm not alone

[paramiteabe]

It wouldnt have been like that if OWI decided to wait on the release date. If they waited longer then they could of re emplamneted the things that were going to make MO incredable into the X-Box version. But they dident so we got what we got. All it is was the amount of time they had in rebulding the game to X-Box. OW4 is not going to be like that. They are takeing their time with it. Like I say many times its going to make up for the lose of MO. I have this great feeling about it. OWI says that when we see this next game we will say only Oddworld can come up with something as original as that. Now tell me thats not enough to make you excided about this next title? I think when ME comes out sometime after this next one it will have the things that were supposed to be in MO but put into the bonus game. We will just have to wait and see what OWI has cooking up for us next.

[Wil]

I have to agree with Max.

You make it sound like a chore.

I don't think the time for development had much to do with the cartoon-style of MO. True there might not have been enough time to implement full gamespeak capabilities into the game, and hence we get what we get when we make a Slig speak. Fair enough, but more complicated speach like that of the Mudokons and the Shaman, is a pure reflection of Earth culture. The vocalisations for MO were done long before the finished version of the game, and unless they were re-done show that these were phrases that would make it to the game anyway.

Same with the Wilderness Region and the way characters look at the camera occassionally during videos. For a game to be 'dark' it needs to be built around darkness. You can't start with something and make it darker once you've finished, not without taking an inordinate amount of time to integrate it all. I too hope OW4 will return to dark, emotional and subtly funny Oddworld I innitially fell in love with. I can't share your optimism entirely, but I know this is a perfect chance for OWI to get back on the right track. I hope they're reading this.

[Xavier]

I hope they're reading this.

I also hope that... but I think I'm more optimist about that then you... anyway we want the dark side of oddworld back

[paramiteabe]

Well put it this way at least we don't have to worry about a system change for a while maybe for the rest of the quintology.

I want the dark Oddworld back too and as optimistic as I am, Im sure it will come back.

[TheKhanzumer]

Ahem... I'm honored to agree with Max again.

What made Abe's games so intriuging was the dark nature of them. They dealt with serious issues such as slavery, murder and greed. Sure the bits of humor helped make it enjoyable, but I think MO focused to much on being funny and not enough on the evils going on on Mudos.

[Jacob]

I also want the original 'Backstory' back, were Alf tells it instead of a bunch of 'Chapters'. And why not have a subtitle option? And the ability to play, pause and rewind/fastforward FMV's!?! And of course, more than 2 endings...

[Xavier]

Originally posted by Jacob
I also want the original 'Backstory' back, were Alf tells it instead of a bunch of 'Chapters'. And why not have a subtitle option? And the ability to play, pause and rewind/fastforward FMV's!?! And of course, more than 2 endings...

lots of good ideas jacob! I like it!

[lindsey]

I may make the game beter then it whas all must look up to my bad spelling hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa

[paramiteabe]

Anyway we need a real dark Oddworld perhaps darker and more depressing than that of AO. Of course there will be some humer in it but yet it would be disturbing and sad in a way we never viewed Oddworld before. Maybe a game will be viewed in the eyes of Sam. Her story is well rather sad if you think about it. There is a potential of a darkness right there. Ya know?