Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath

I reviewed this game on Gamefaqs but admittedly I didn't complete it until now. Now that I completed it, I have a new outlook on the game and it's actually one of the best games that I've played.

I never owned an X-Box but I did buy this game in hopes that I would play it on my sister's X-Box. I never did. Finally, years later, I played it on my phone and I must say that this is probably one of if not the best games I played in awhile.

You play as a big lion like creature named Stranger who is out collecting bounties to pay for an unknown surgery. Later in the game, you come across a bounty on a Steef which would pay for the bounty, and the story goes on from there.

At first, I thought the game was boring and I didn't really play it until many months later. When I finally got into it, I got used to the controls and became better at it. Then I learned that this is a pretty fun game. The object is that you go into different towns and choose which outlaw you want to go after at the bounty store. They can either be captured dead or alive but it's more moolah if he's captures alive.

Then you go to the path where the townspeople tell you to go to and find the outlaw. There are different things that happen and each outlaw is unique in their own way. Once you learn the game's functions, however, it becomes a breeze on how to take each one down. Sometimes it can be difficult like one that has these shields you have to take out, or one that has armor on them but after tinkering around, you should have no trouble in figuring them out.

This is also a long game. Sometimes you might think you are near the end, but the game keeps going. I'm actually sad that I beat it as I enjoyed playing and even occupied myself in social gatherings with this. Oddworld has such a unique world with unique characters and Stranger is a pretty interesting protagonist.

I heard this game didn't sell well which is a surprise. I never got into the other Oddworld games but this one drew me in. It's a shame there wasn't a sequel to this as I would have loved to continue Stranger's adventures. It's a fun game and I would love to see a reimagined remake or a full-fledged sequel.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is one of the few titles that can truly validate video games as a form of art.

The game-play could not be better. The seamless blend of first-person shooting and third-person platforming perfectly compliment the flawless level design and original game mechanics.

The graphics are beautiful; crisp textures, an unmistakeably "Oddworld" style, and environments that will leave you breathless.

The storyline itself is a work of art. With well written dialog, a protagonist that you can't help but get attached to, and shocking twists that will haunt my memory for years to come, this game sets a new standard for interactive entertainment.

As unfortunate as it is, there is no multi-player. Of course this will lower the replay value, but it should not diminish your enjoyment of the game.

The Next Oddworld: I read a previous comment about the next Oddworld, and I have to break some bad news. Fangus was can celled. It seems likely that the project will be revived in the future, but if so it will be a while.

Stranger's Wrath is easily one of the best games I have ever played. The story and pre-rendered cut scenes are amazing. Oddworld games are known for their great storytelling and memorable characters, and this game is no exception.

Where this game differs from the previous Oddworld games is the gameplay. Previous games were nearly pure plat-formers, but Stranger's Wrath is more of an action/shooter.

The ability to switch between 1st and 3rd person perspectives is perfect. I love running around in third person like a classic action adventure game... as soon as I spot danger and I can instantly zoom into first person and voilà, the game suddenly becomes a 1st person shooter. The feeling is amazing.

Incredibly immersing, wonderful story, voice acting, characters, level design, everything.

I rank this game up there with Halo and Ninja Gaiden, also xbox exclusives, a 3 of the very few games that I actually go back to time and time again.