The ‘shifted standards’ of Oddworld are all to observable. Kudos to you, Volsung, for bringing this up, because things have certainly mounted up enough for anyone to see that differences between the last games and Stranger are much more profound than a new gameplay and cast. Most noticeably for those that haven’t been keeping track of Stranger are the obvious differences: elements of FPS, the Western theme, the beefed-up protagonist and the character design. We can dismiss the first three of these as simply OWI wanting to do something a bit different. We already know the Old West feel is primarily just the look of the first part of the game, and there’s no reason why FPS can’t work as well on Oddworld as 3rd person platform puzzle-solving. But for those that are even recently being introduced to these ideas, these are drastic steps away from what Oddworld was meant to be. I’ve seen it happen. Fans are getting upset left and right. But I for one can forgive them.
Character design, on the other hand, is a whole different issue. Here is a simple enough task. Take a look at a Gabbit, or a Vykker, or a Scrab or Paramite. Now take a look at a Clakker, or a Chippunk, or a Wolvark or Stingbee. How can anyone not notice the remarkable lapse in imagination and innovation that is presenting itself here? A Gabbit is a mish-mash of at least half a dozen different creatures, including sea horses, catfish, coelacanths, alligators, rabbits, frogs… A Clakker is a fat humanoid chicken with a couple of Mudokon-esque modifications. A Chippunk is a chipmunk with only two tiny forearms and eyes even bigger than a Fuzzle’s. I needn’t go on, because let’s be honest here when we say that not one creature amongst this new cast is any bit as intriguing or odd as the four familiar faces I named above. Even Fuzzles and Meeps in Munch’s Oddysee looked pretty lacklustre, and I know someone who thinks Ratz are terribly designed, though I think they look great.
Now it does pain me to say all these things: it’s not easy to decry something you love to bits, and I know all too well that there are real people who spent time designing these creatures, and it’s not my intention or desire in the slightest, slimmest way to upset them. But I honestly do not see how these “critters” have slipped through into Oddworld. It was once oft-stated that Lorne had to give the all-clear for any piece of artwork that Farzad Varahramyan and his team came up with. Supposedly hundreds of iterations had to be done until everyone was pleased. Now if it takes 100 iterations to come up with a rotund hen in a dress and bonnet, then I am very worried. A separate series from the Quintology or not, these species are going to be cemented into Oddworld’s established universe.
There are some decent attempts amongst all of this. Stranger’s face looks pretty Oddworldly, but he’s still very much a humanoid (and there are 8 humanoid races appearing in Stranger, as opposed to just two in the last three games put together). Zappflies look great – at least when compared to yet more “furry blob” creatures, and I’m very pleased with the way Slegs have turned out after the first X-Factor viewing. Bolamites, the species to which Blisterz Booty belongs will receive no complaint from me either. Nor will Thudslugs, though that’s bordering on the drab.
I’ve kind of let that one subject drag on far too much. I don’t want to now switch to a different thing to moan about; actually, I would, but I shouldn’t, because then everyone would jump on me for “attacking” the new game before I’ve “even played it,” as if playing the game will some how alter the appearances of the characters. Sorry for not addressing Chippunkz or reality, but I needed a good constructive rant.
EDIT: I'll defend the Scrabs... As was brought up in another thread, it's difficult to see what creatures in the desert Scrabs hunted and ate. There's no reason to assume they had vision as we know it: afterall, neither Scrabs nor Paramites have eyes. On top of that, in what way does orange/red/yellow not blend into a desert environment?