Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee Remastered
Take A Munch On The Wild Side
The Oddworld series has attaint cult classic status since the original titles released on PlayStation, Abe’s Oddysee, and Exoddus during the mid to late 90s. The combination of puzzle-solving and platforming on top of its quirky characters, setting, and the story made Oddworld a very, well, odd series. Its uniqueness was what brought its popularity among the circle of players who gave it a chance and it was enough to sprout a third sequel, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee.
Munch’s Oddysee’s release was, well, odd considering that it was released on the Xbox as a platform exclusive title, which was peculiar due to the series origins on the PlayStation. It was also the first game to be fully rendered and playable in 3D, taking advantage of the specifications of the Xbox which far exceeded what was originally possible on the PlayStation. The gameplay was also altered, for some being “simplified,” as while the core elements of previous titles remained, it was more forgiving in its approach.
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee Was The First To Go 3D
The core gameplay of Oddworld involves Abe, the main character of the series, as he saves his alien friends and family from the clutches of a rival alien organization. The said organization wishes to turn Abe’s alien race into either food or eternal slavery, which means that it is up to Abe to free them from total death and their unfavorable circumstances. In the first two games, this was possible by Abe calling his friends as he frees them, using them for assistance to solve puzzles, clear gaps, and make it to Point B in one piece.
In Munch’s Oddysee, Abe is tasked to free Munch, a diminutive alien of the same race as Abe, while also freeing Munch’s familiar friends who are all captured. Conversely, Munch, who is broken free thanks to the mutual aid of Fuzzles, must escape, with Abe and Munch’s goals eventually overlapping. Both characters utilize similar mechanics shown in Abe’s Oddysee and Exoddus but are a little bit different due to the differences in the two characters.
Abe Isn’t The Sole Star Of The Show
Abe, being heralded a hero among his peers, has gained the support of his alien allies, which allows them to follow Abe as a follower with a simple call. As Abe finds more allies, he can order them to hold their position or interact with various glyphs that are used for chanting. These chants open doors activate mechanisms and other features depending on the level. Abe can also throw his allies over obstacles and hazards, as the allies are so lazy that they refuse to act without input from Abe.
Combat is done similarly as Abe doesn’t do the attack, but rather on command he can order his allies to attack hostile targets. Included in this game are power-ups that can give Abe the ability to jump greater heights towards hard-to-reach areas or a speed boost allowing him to outrun dangerous threats.
The Rage Of The Fuzzles Are Anything But 'Fuzzy'
By the time the player gets to control Munch, they would have gotten the basics down with Abe, as his gameplay is similar although Munch can recruit these tiny fuzzballs known as Fuzzles. Like Munch, Fuzzles are imprisoned and Munch must save them not only to make his journey easier but also to improve his “karma” system. This is a reference to previous titles where the number of allies Abe saves reflects on his karma, with high karma and low karma determining the ending he receives at the end of his journey.
There are differences in gameplay, specifically due to the stature of Abe and Munch. Munch is not as agile or tall as Abe, meaning he doesn’t traverse as fast while also not being able to jump as high as Abe. He is far better at handling combat situations as the number of Fuzzles can overwhelm guards.
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee Ages Fairly Well 20 Years Later
The Switch port is an amazing way to try out an Oddworld classic without compromise and players who are unfamiliar with the other games in the series can quickly be caught up to speed thanks to its “recap story” feature.
While the full motion videos run at a 4:3 ratio, the rest of the game runs in HD natively, offering crisp graphics to a game that was already visually impressive thanks to the original Xbox hardware. The zaniness of Oddworld shows itself in Munch’s Oddysee which, while fans consider it to be the “weak” one of the series, is still an enjoyable one for newcomers to start in.
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee Remastered is available on the PC, Switch, and Mobile