Fangus Klot - How do you want it to play?

[HOMINIX]

How would you like the possible future Fangus Klot to play?


It was rumored to be a shooter, and that it would supposedly take place on another continent, or perhaps not even on Oddworld at all. (Read more here if you're unfamiliar with Fangus) But what gameplay elements would you like present in a future Oddworld shooter?

Atmosphere:


Personally, I would love to see some of the darker scenes and places of Oddworld to be explored in Fangus to really take advantage of the first-person perspective. Very creepy, or morbid scenes are amplified when you can move through them as if you were seeing them from your own eyes, as opposed to a side-view camera in AO or AE. I think you have an increased potential for emotional reactions to certain circumstances or images through first person. For example, a pile of hundreds of dead bodies would be that much more haunting as if you were seeing them through the protagonists eyes.

Story:


One thing I didn't like much about Stranger's Wrath was that throughout the game, you felt pretty capable as Stranger. You never truly felt helpless or naked like you did in Abe's Oddysee or Exoddus. That's something I want back for Fangus. However, Fangus doesn't have to be a wimp, or completely defenseless throughout the game. You could perhaps have to escape from your captors in the beginning of the game with no weapons, relying on stealth and timing to get away successfully.

Gameplay:


GAMESPEAK. The modernization of Oddworld's iconic gamespeak would be fantastic. Possibly, they could add a fully functional gamespeak-based squad control feature. Also as I said before, I would love to see Fangus embrace a stealth-oriented gameplay style (like many portions of AO and AE) at least while the player is poorly equipped.


What would you guys like in Fangus?

[Auriel]

Personally, I would love to see some of the darker scenes and places of Oddworld to be explored in Fangus to really take advantage of the first-person perspective. Very creepy, or morbid scenes are amplified when you can move through them as if you were seeing them from your own eyes, as opposed to a side-view camera in AO or AE. I think you have an increased potential for emotional reactions to certain circumstances or images through first person. For example, a pile of hundreds of dead bodies would be that much more haunting as if you were seeing them through the protagonists eyes.

If I recall correctly Fangus Klot was never meant to take place on Oddworld but a different planet where more humanoid organisms evolved. This may allow more open room as far as the morbid factor is concerned imo.

One thing I didn't like much about Stranger's Wrath was that throughout the game, you felt pretty capable as Stranger. You never truly felt helpless or naked like you did in Abe's Oddysee or Exoddus. That's something I want back for Fangus. However, Fangus doesn't have to be a wimp, or completely defenseless throughout the game. You could perhaps have to escape from your captors in the beginning of the game with no weapons, relying on stealth and timing to get away successfully.

Looking at the character of Fangus and how he was conceived, I doubt he was meant to ever feel truly helpless; then again there's the entire rabies factor to consider.
Overall, I always imagined the game to be similar to Stranger's Wrath in its combination of the FPS genre with free-roaming platformer elements except darker and grittier.

[Nate]

I'm pretty sure most of those images are actually from Citizen Siege rather than from Fangus.

If I recall correctly Fangus Klot was never meant to take place on Oddworld but a different planet where more humanoid organisms evolved. This may allow more open room as far as the morbid factor is concerned imo.

At the time when it was first being developed, that was the plan. If the project were to be restarted now, it would be set on Oddworld, although not on Mudos.

[Holy Sock]

I'd prefer if Fangus was a third person game rather than first person. Although it could be a mix of the two like Stranger.

[HOMINIX]

I'm pretty sure most of those images are actually from Citizen Siege rather than from Fangus.

Are you certain? I know these are for Citizen Siege/Wage Wars:






I'm fairly sure the ones I posted were intended for Fangus. Either way, both achieve the kind of atmosphere I'd love for an actual release of Fangus! By the way, I wonder if we ever will see Wage Wars or Citizen Siege... they seem like a very interesting story.

[Job McYossie]

Metal Gear Fangus is how I originally pictured the idea.

[scorptatious]

I thought Fangus was going to involve herding of various critters?

Kinda makes me think of a Pikmin-esque kinda game.

[Auriel]

At the time when it was first being developed, that was the plan. If the project were to be restarted now, it would be set on Oddworld, although not on Mudos.

Hm, would that change the characters' evolutionary origins or would it imply that canines and felines existed on Oddworld at one point?

[Holy Sock]

At the time when it was first being developed, that was the plan. If the project were to be restarted now, it would be set on Oddworld, although not on Mudos.

I think it was supposed to be set in Oddworld originally but Lorne left the art department to their own devices for a while and the style became a lot less Oddworld and more human. So Lorne decided it wouldn't be set on Oddworld at all.

[HOMINIX]

I think it was supposed to be set in Oddworld originally but Lorne left the art department to their own devices for a while and the style became a lot less Oddworld and more human. So Lorne decided it wouldn't be set on Oddworld at all.

Yeah, I think there's really just a lot of confusion surrounding the details of this game in general

I thought Fangus was going to involve herding of various critters? Kinda makes me think of a Pikmin-esque kinda game.

That's true, and it work very well with a gamespeak mechanic. "Come here", "Attack", "Hide", "Wait" etc.

But truly, I just would love a gritty Oddworld game with Gamespeak told through a first person perspective. Great lighting and graphics would be a huge plus, but are not as important to me as the general atmosphere and gameplay.

[Mac Sirloin]

If I remember right Fangus was intended to be a 3rd Person Shooter/Melee action game, so in a perfect world it would play as a slightly more savage and hairy Warhammer 40k: Space Marine, the greatest sci-fi action game of all time.

[Nate]

I believe it was meant to still use the combination of 1st- and 3rd-person gameplay as Stranger.

[HOMINIX]

Honestly, I would be happy with either a TPS or FPS Fangus, if it were done right. I really just love the idea of being able to use realtime gamespeak in a shooter rather than dialogue trees that break up the action. Something about being able to communicate with NPCs and hear your character saying the commands in the middle of the action is appealing.

[Xavier]

I think it was supposed to be set in Oddworld originally but Lorne left the art department to their own devices for a while and the style became a lot less Oddworld and more human. So Lorne decided it wouldn't be set on Oddworld at all.

Exactly

I thought Fangus was going to involve herding of various critters?

Kinda makes me think of a Pikmin-esque kinda game.

True, pictures of Fangus's Flock can be seen here:
http://oddworldlibrary.net/archives/...4-fangus_flock

I believe it was meant to still use the combination of 1st- and 3rd-person gameplay as Stranger.

Exactly:
http://oddworldlibrary.net/archives/...29/category/43


And if you're interested lots of pictures of Fangus have been archived at the following place:
http://oddworldlibrary.net/archives/...p?/category/12

[HOMINIX]

Looking at the character of Fangus and how he was conceived, I doubt he was meant to ever feel truly helpless

I feel like the best stories with strong protagonists put them in a pretty powerless position at least once along the way.

[El Dango AGAIN]

I want it to play exactly like Beyond: Two Souls. Fangus must have a ghost buddy who ruins all of his dates and sleepovers, and there has to be a shower scene every ten minutes. He must help deliver at least one hobo baby at some point.

[Holy Sock]

Presumably there'd be some sort of rabid rage mode for faster and more powerful attacks.

And it would be great to have a combat system similar to the Arkham games. Obviously Oddworld should make it their own but I'd like to see the same fluidity to the hand to hand combat.

[STM]

I feel like the best stories with strong protagonists put them in a pretty powerless position at least once along the way.

Fangus is a guy with rabies who's very way of life is being jeopardised by big business. I'd say that's a pretty powerless position to be in constantly.

[HOMINIX]

That style of gameplay makes me worry about possible Assassin's Creed syndrome, where all of the enemies just individually attack you while the rest of them crowd around and wait their turn instead of jumping you all at once like they ought to.

Fangus is a guy with rabies who's very way of life is being jeopardised by big business. I'd say that's a pretty powerless position to be in constantly.

I get what you're saying, but that doesn't give you the same kind of feeling as the player as, say, trying to sneak out of a death camp, or a slave arena under the cover of darkness with only the tattered clothes on your back, and being only one wrong move away from certain death. It's that kind of powerlessness and immediate danger that exhilarated me in AO/AE.

[STM]

I suppose you're talking about personal helplessness as opposed to helplessness as a macrocosm. Even then though, Fangus was supposed to be this rough tough shepherd if I remember correctly, who was pitted into an arena as a slave or something? I can't remember exactly, just that he wasn't exactly meek.

[HOMINIX]

I suppose you're talking about personal helplessness as opposed to helplessness as a macrocosm. Even then though, Fangus was supposed to be this rough tough shepherd if I remember correctly, who was pitted into an arena as a slave or something? I can't remember exactly, just that he wasn't exactly meek.

Exactly, but even the strongest, most able people can be left powerless. Stranger had a moment like this in SW when he's captured by Raider, but that all gets resolved in a cutscene. If Fangus (just as an example) escaped his slave encampment, his physical toughness wouldn't really help against trained snipers in watch towers. He'd have to rely on stealth and timing. I think it would make for a pretty exciting "mission" and it would also be a great way to teach the player that they can use other tactics that just running in guns blazing.

When playing Stranger's Wrath, you never truly feel like you're in too much danger, which just kind of surprised me for an Oddworld game.

[MeechMunchie]

It'd be nice to see a small-scale open-world kind of thing, kind of like Tribunal or Shivering Isles, but thematically closer to Grand Theft Auto or Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines: Attack of the Colons.

Romp around, sheep in tow, do missions, and occasionally cave in to your rabies and go on a killing spree.

[Crashpunk]

I always imagined it being just like SW. The artwork definitely looks like it's spiritual successor.

[Gwan-Thwei]

Some climbing and parkour-ing might be nice, if they could manage to fit that in without making it a hassle

[Vyrien]

One thing I loved about Stranger's Wrath was how the character actually felt like he had weight to him, if possible I'd love to see this carried across to Fangus.

[HOMINIX]

I really agree that climbing and big, open levels would be great. I like the idea of having a lot of different ways to approach a conflict.

One thing I loved about Stranger's Wrath was how the character actually felt like he had weight to him, if possible I'd love to see this carried across to Fangus.

Ooh, I like that. With that and ragdoll physics, you could do some cool stuff with that potentially. Bounding toward a group of unsuspecting enemies and bowling them all over... sounds excellent.