The Oddworld series has always been known for its collection of strange characters, twisted sense of humor, and above everything else the wonderfully refined and unique gameplay found in each of the games. Now in Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath, the gameplay changes yet again and the result is a mix of third-person action and first-person shooting that is one of the smoothest and most satisfying experiences to come out in quite a while.
Story
The story in Stranger’s Wrath follows a bounty hunter by the name of Stranger. The game is set in Oddworld but it has an interesting old west theme which gives the game a unique feel. It is strange and twisted, yet familiar at the same time. You don’t find out your main objective for a while, but when you start out you are trying to earn enough money for an operation. The details of the operation are a mystery to the player, but all you need to know is that it is very important. And with that, you set out to make money the only way you know how: Capturing bad guys and collecting the bounties that have been placed on them. Along the way, more and more of Stranger’s back story will be revealed and you will learn more about him and his place in the (Odd)world. The story starts off somewhat slowly, but picks up a few hours in and leads to a huge unexpected but very satisfying twist. I won’t spoil it for you, but prepare to be blown away about halfway through the game. The game takes 15+ hours to play through and the amazing story will keep you hooked from start to finish.Gameplay
Gameplay in Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is a nice mix of third-person platforming and first-person shooting. In the third-person view, Stranger plays like any other 3D platformer. You’ll climb ropes, jump from platform to platform, and attack enemies using a variety of melee attacks. You also travel much faster in the third-person view and Stranger will eventually get down on his hands and gallop like an animal if you hold in any given direction long enough. In the first-person view, the game becomes much more slow paced and the focus changes from melee attacks and jumping to skillful shooting. Your weapon is a crossbow that uses a variety of different ammunition (more on that later). When in the first-person view, Stranger plays just as well as any other first-person shooter on Xbox.
You can seamlessly go from first to third-person with just the click of the right control stick. The transition is very smooth and it actually feels really natural. What makes all of this work is that the platforming and shooting aspects are extremely well executed and are both among the top of their respective genres. You have one great game that is the best of both worlds which is really astonishing.
The basic structure of the game is that you are a bounty hunter and you get paid more for capturing enemies alive. So rather than attacking enemies until they are dead, you merely stun them so you can suck them up with a special vacuum thing and take them back to town to collect your money. Something great about this game is that it has been designed in such a way that you rarely have to backtrack and see the same scenery more than once. You are assigned a bounty in a town (and there are several towns), and then you set off on the designated path to capture your bounty. Once you capture that bounty/ beat that boss, a new path opens up that leads back to town so you don’t leave the same way you came in. Then, you get a new bounty and you set off in a different direction on a different path. You are always going somewhere new which is fun.
The towns are populated by a chicken-like race of creatures called Clakkerz. You can interact with them and really do anything you want to them and they will react differently towards you. They will hide if you hurt them and will even warn other towns if you are particularly cruel. They will also help you out if are nice about it. Playing with the locals is half the fun in this game.
