EGX presentation impressions

[Dead Meat]

Holy-

If the Vykkers are in this they're gonna look HORRIFYING.

[Fuzzle Guy]

Pros: It looks like they've finally ditched the cartoony style of Munch's Oddysee and New & Tasty and they seem to have thrown themselves back into the dark world-building of AO, AE and the original PS2 MO.

Cons: Ret-conning AE feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth. Although I see why they'd want to individualise the NPC's a bit more, redesigning Abe feels like a poor move - redesigning a central character rarely works out, but if they feel these redesigns necessary to find the motivation to finally make another killer Oddworld game I'll just have to bite the bullet because I've been waiting since 2005.

Incidentally, am I the only one who spotted the American Horror Story influence in the trailer?

[Nicky Ali]

Redesigning Abe feels like a poor move - redesigning a central character rarely works out, but if they feel these redesigns necessary to find the motivation to finally make another killer Oddworld game I'll just have to bite the bullet because I've been waiting since 2005.

To be fair though, Abe's redesign isn't anything drastic. You'd still be able to recognise it as the same old Abe, just with a few different facial proportions. As long as it acts like Abe and sounds like Abe, it's fine.

[Phoetux]

Incidentally, am I the only one who spotted the American Horror Story influence in the trailer?

...I got a nice idea by this

[kapteeni13]

Finally got time to watch presentation with proper time. I don't know yet how to think. I hope it's one mindblowing Brewery... Abe's Exoddus.

[Scrabaniac]

Well so far i love the look and design of the Glukkons and Mudokons.. I'd love to see what a Soulstorm Scrab & Paramite would look like!

[Crashpunk]

Well, it's certainly not what I was expecting. I have to admit, when I saw the crafting and the inventory system, I got rather worried. I thought, "Christ, I hope Oddworld aren't jumping on the survival game bandwagon". But as the presentation went along, I slowly started to see where Lorne was going with it. At least, I think I do.

I was going to ask the big man himself (Before I was cut off...) How much of Exoddus is in the game? Because. Well, it's my all-time favourite game. And I went there expecting to see Abe's Exoddus.

But clearly, it wasn't Lorne's true vision. And whilst seeing a lot of my favourite things about the game being repurposed or cut. Knowing that SoulStorm is going to be what Abe's Exoddus should have been, is in itself very interesting.

The art is incredible. As always. The Glukkons look more menacing than ever. I love the idea of Molluck coming back with a huge scar telling everyone of Abe. Yet nobody believing him. I think that's so clever. FeeCo looked gorgeous, The teaser was really frigging dark, setting the tone of the game. And I already love Toby. He is too pure for this Oddworld

So yeah. After a day later of it sinking in. I'm really, really excited to see more. The chats with Lorne and the dev team really did set my mind at ease. I'm actually glad it's not just going to be a straight up remaster. I knew from the start it wasn't going to be NnT but for AE. But the fact it's even more of a new game makes me both nervous and excited. I just gotta keep reminded myself this isn't Abe's Exoddus. This is a new game.

Here's to the future Oddworld!

[HansuOddie]

The crafting system seems neat. I'm glad they're trying out something different other than just making it another New 'n' Tasty (no offense, I love that game, but seeing it again would kinda bore me).

One thing about that worried me was that was the crafting thing true to Abe's character? I mean, at first I thought that he isn't really the kind of guy to craft a freaking flamethrower out of a fire extinguisher, lighter and some gas/oil.

But then again, I realized something. Abe worked as a floor waxer, and it wouldn't surprise me if he had to repair the waxing machine all by himself. Or at least,if someone helped him, he learned something about machinery. I don't think he's a genius when it comes to machines, but maybe he understands them better than other mudokons (tho honestly, Alf looks more like a mechanic than Abe)

Also, did Abe develop a conscience for killing all those sligs in AO/NnT, that now there's a option to not kill at all? Will there be multiple endings? Honestly, this is starting to sound like Undertale..

[HOMINIX]

I really love that he mentioned "pickpocketing" when he was talking about how to make moolah. Deeper stealth options? I'd love that

[TopHattedTime]

Oh maaaaaaan, I honestly loved what I saw. The art is absolutely gorgeous, and I REAAAAALLY would like a new art book with all those tasty images in it

Tbh, I am actually looking forward to the crafting bit. It makes sense to me - like if Abe can find a bottle of "high flammable" brew and a grenade, why not put them together?? And I guess for in world lore, he would've made a new bag or pouch to hold all this stuff since he could only hold one thing at a time in his previous adventure and that made things more difficult for him? idk.

Thing is with the crafting - I do get the feeling that you could play it old-style if you really wanted to. No crafting, you just use what you find, when you find it, and limit yourself to one item at a time. It feels like it's up to you to choose how you want to play it. I like that idea, it makes it feel like you're helping Abe on his quest even more intimately.

I have no idea what the gameplay is going to be like. Since OWI Alex said it's not a rts game, then I don't even know where to start guessing lol.

All in all, MY BODY IS READY!!!!

(Also, since Toby is from rupture farms, I'd like to think that he's that hidden mudokon right at the start who is hiding in the shadows, and you can only here the scrubbing noises to know he's there, and when you say hello, he says it back in a really high pitched voice. That one was always my favourite mud )

[Michael]

I'm interested to see how the item system works in game. Can Abe carry multiple items at once? Will we see them on his person? Are they single use? With Oddworld being such a believable story-driven series, it might feel a bit jarring for Abe to pull a fire extinguisher from a magic pocket in his loincloth! In other games you can explain away an inventory with the character's backpack etc, but for Abe it'd seem weird to me.

Perhaps if levels have specific areas where crafting can occur. Some puzzles could centre on finding objects and getting them back to that location, whether it's pickpocketing a slig for a lighter or finding something elsewhere and sneaking back with it unseen. You could then craft in order to progress to the next part of the level.

[TopHattedTime]

I'm interested to see how the item system works in game. Can Abe carry multiple items at once? Will we see them on his person? Are they single use? With Oddworld being such a believable story-driven series, it might feel a bit jarring for Abe to pull a fire extinguisher from a magic pocket in his loincloth! In other games you can explain away an inventory with the character's backpack etc, but for Abe it'd seem weird to me.

Perhaps if levels have specific areas where crafting can occur. Some puzzles could centre on finding objects and getting them back to that location, whether it's pickpocketing a slig for a lighter or finding something elsewhere and sneaking back with it unseen. You could then craft in order to progress to the next part of the level.

I really want to see Abe lugging a huge fire extinguisher around with him now, from point a to point b, rather than putting it in a magic pocket like animal crossing lol

[V_O_T]

Yeah the magic pocket inventory to me would only work with the Moolah he'd be carrying around or the small items like rocks and lighters. An extinguisher though would be silly lol.

I do like the idea of him having to be very careful with his item choices if he were to carry them around one at a time, but man I really need to see the gameplay lol. Keeping an open mind to it all.


I also really hope the characters have weight to them too because I miss falling to my death and fizzling out lol.

[Gunnr]

I'm interested to see how the item system works in game. Can Abe carry multiple items at once? Will we see them on his person? Are they single use? With Oddworld being such a believable story-driven series, it might feel a bit jarring for Abe to pull a fire extinguisher from a magic pocket in his loincloth! In other games you can explain away an inventory with the character's backpack etc, but for Abe it'd seem weird to me.

Perhaps if levels have specific areas where crafting can occur. Some puzzles could centre on finding objects and getting them back to that location, whether it's pickpocketing a slig for a lighter or finding something elsewhere and sneaking back with it unseen. You could then craft in order to progress to the next part of the level.

This.. actually makes me think of pikmin a bit, if this goes into and open world/survival sort of direction with the puzzles. Thats just me

Game play speculations aside
Im really into the deets on the new gluks medals and their class, rank, ect. Like the "fem" glukks medal says "Iron Cronos Temple, "Serious" glukk says Bonesman and the "seal of the Grand Lodge diggers Guild" and (my fav) "Specticles" glukk with "Royal Society of Alchemic Science"-Alchemic Science ! I'm just really eagar and curious to see what light soulstorm will shed on the lore of glukkons and their "Orders" and history. (Sry about the weird glukk nic-names as we dont know them yet lol)

So hype

[OWI_Alex]

I really love that he mentioned "pickpocketing" when he was talking about how to make moolah. Deeper stealth options? I'd love that

pickpocketing was on the list of "hey lorne don't mention this awesome mechanic just yet" so pretend you didn't hear it.

[OWI_Alex]

Oh maaaaaaan, I honestly loved what I saw. The art is absolutely gorgeous, and I REAAAAALLY would like a new art book with all those tasty images in it

Tbh, I am actually looking forward to the crafting bit. It makes sense to me - like if Abe can find a bottle of "high flammable" brew and a grenade, why not put them together?? And I guess for in world lore, he would've made a new bag or pouch to hold all this stuff since he could only hold one thing at a time in his previous adventure and that made things more difficult for him? idk.

Thing is with the crafting - I do get the feeling that you could play it old-style if you really wanted to. No crafting, you just use what you find, when you find it, and limit yourself to one item at a time. It feels like it's up to you to choose how you want to play it. I like that idea, it makes it feel like you're helping Abe on his quest even more intimately.

I have no idea what the gameplay is going to be like. Since OWI Alex said it's not a rts game, then I don't even know where to start guessing lol.

All in all, MY BODY IS READY!!!!

(Also, since Toby is from rupture farms, I'd like to think that he's that hidden mudokon right at the start who is hiding in the shadows, and you can only here the scrubbing noises to know he's there, and when you say hello, he says it back in a really high pitched voice. That one was always my favourite mud )

couple of things: crafting's pretty early in terms of dev but it's a clear focus and our goals are well defined. lorne wanted to get people thinking and talking about it, which has worked! there's a lot of new systems and mechanics happening in soulstorm and not all of them are currently that easy to show without causing a little confusion and we don't want to overwhelm anyone, so expect things like crafting, inventory and so on to be fleshed out and explained fully as we go on.

crafting is fun though, it's been my main focus in terms of planning and engineering of late, and it makes a massive difference to the strategic options open to abe and his followers. is it optional? i guess, although we think it's so slick and fun to explore and use that we think it's well worth digging into.

some of the recipes are awesome!

i should also add to what lorne hinted at: a fully pacifist run is not only possible, it's actively pushed as What Abe Should Do. think of quarma and what that can mean to Abe's powers, and how players will be able to influence that quarma. we're giving players a toolset and want you to go crazy with your own ideas...!

[OWI_Alex]

I'm interested to see how the item system works in game. Can Abe carry multiple items at once? Will we see them on his person? Are they single use? With Oddworld being such a believable story-driven series, it might feel a bit jarring for Abe to pull a fire extinguisher from a magic pocket in his loincloth! In other games you can explain away an inventory with the character's backpack etc, but for Abe it'd seem weird to me.

Perhaps if levels have specific areas where crafting can occur. Some puzzles could centre on finding objects and getting them back to that location, whether it's pickpocketing a slig for a lighter or finding something elsewhere and sneaking back with it unseen. You could then craft in order to progress to the next part of the level.

yes, you can now carry multiple items at once. study the brief flash of the inventory screen UI in the talk to get an idea of how it's working at the moment.

[OWI_Alex]

finally, as i'm seeing the words Exoddus and Retcon together in the same sentence: Soulstorm's a new game in a new series, it's not Exoddus but the start of a whole new story arc, as evidenced by Lorne's pyramid slides.

go Abe!

[Samtastic]

Is Soulstorm going to be a side scroller?

[Scrabaniac]

Anyone else notice the dead Mud’s head poking out the body bag?
Nice dark touch, Oddworld!

[kapteeni13]

Oh my oddness! Guess it's not really what i originally thought but now this made me look forward for future news.

[Michael]

I've just thought that since we're able to do the entire game without killing, chanting/possession must be reworked. Either we can now 'unpossess' without exploding sligs etc, possession has been removed entirely, or we simply don't need to use it. What are your thoughts?

[Nepsotic]

I was told that possession works in a similar way to Munch. I know Munch sucks, but I actually liked the way its possession mechanic worked so I'm okay with this.

[V_O_T]

The possession orb felt slow and clunky and the need for spooce with it kinda killed the vibe. If you ran out you would need to sit at a slow growing spooce shrub and chant at it for like a minute to get enough for what you need. The old Abe was the man. He didn't need no spooce lol.

But the mechanic was cool though. If it felt less clunky and a bit faster like the Chant in oddysee and exoddus, or more fluid, then I can see it being fun.

[Silver angel]

About dead bodyes I have very bad feeling that they use them as Soulstorm ingredients. That bones are extracted not only from Necrum. If disgusting Cartel creatures wanted to eat alive Mudokons heads (since their races are intelligent this act is almost like cannibalism) why not to organise no-waist production here?
I forecast a concentration of darkness around the story

[Scrabaniac]

I can just see the dead bodies being decapitated for Mudokon Pops, and the bones extracted for brew

[TopHattedTime]

No wonder they're hung up on meat-hook lookin' things... Being stored for later

[Nicky Ali]

I was told that possession works in a similar way to Munch. I know Munch sucks, but I actually liked the way its possession mechanic worked so I'm okay with this.

Bearing this in mind, I could see possession working something like this:

The lower your 'chi' is, the weaker Abe's chant will be. He might only be able to posses whatever's closest to him.

The higher your 'chi' is, the more powerful the chant becomes. So Abe might be able to send out a chant orb to posses from a further range.

Just a wild guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[HOMINIX]

I'm excited and kinda scared about what kind of gameplay was suggested by that presentation. I really am looking forward to this, but at the same time, I can't help but feel slightly let down that we seem to be getting something new entirely with only a few story elements to tie us back to Exoddus.

They asked us what we'd like to see next, and we voted on HD Exoddus.

Lorne: We're gonna go with Exoddus next
Me: Yay!
Lorne: We only had 9 months to make Exoddus, so we're doing what we originally envisioned for the story
Me: Oh, cool, I trust your vision, Lorne
Lorne: The Glukkons for each factory have been replaced, and the gameplay has been drastically changed
Me: L.. Lorne?

The thing that rubs me slightly the wrong way is that I'd be fine if they rewrote the story a bit, but also to make a massive change in gameplay is pretty jarring. I think I would be much less anxious and way more excited if these gameplay elements were introduced in a game that wasn't introduced as a reboot of Exoddus.
I'm really excited to see gameplay and get my hands on it so this isn't all just a guessing game based on what was said at EGX.

Maybe I'm wrong, and the moment-to-moment gameplay of Soulstorm is just an upgraded version of the moment-to-moment gameplay of Exoddus.

If the EGX presentation was the gameplay of the game coming out after the new Exoddus project, I'd have absolutely nothing to feel weird about, and would be completely pumped to experience it. It just feels a bit weird that they publicly honored the vote to go for Exoddus next, and as of EGX, there are only very base similarities to the experience that was Abe's Exoddus.

Again, take this with a grain of salt, as we've not seen the actual gameplay, but this just seems like something that many fans will feel, regardless of how great the game will be.

[Havoc]

finally, as i'm seeing the words Exoddus and Retcon together in the same sentence: Soulstorm's a new game in a new series, it's not Exoddus but the start of a whole new story arc, as evidenced by Lorne's pyramid slides.

go Abe!

As far as the overall Oddworld universe lore goes, of course certain things get retconned. If we really want to get technical we could draw a line between the old games and the new games, but fact is that the rebooted series takes priority in terms of lore. The new Glukkons in charge are a good example. Those directly retcon Aslik, Brewmaster and Phleg. There's no way around that. And there's bound to be more situations where old and new lore will conflict heavily.

Point being, as writers and devs you shouldn't be afraid of retcons. Because when the writers of the lore start claiming that both sides of the lore are equally canon, things get really messy really fast.