Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition

I've played all the Oddworld games... This is the worst in the series. There are bugs in the game from when it originally dropped on just the EGS. This game could have been great if they just did some updates, but it's just not good. If you would like to play a definitive Oddworld Experience play "Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty", it is everything great about Oddworld 2-D with the modernized graphics. This game is a waste of money even on sale.

Hello. Hello. Follow me. Okay.

Причини нелюбові та змішаних оцінок до цієї я частково знаю, але не розумію. Одні загімнили бо вона була спочатку в epic game store (одна з найтупіших причин, та що ти хочеш від американців). Іншим не сподобалось що гра була скоріше 2.5 а не 2-вовимірна як оригінальні ігри, проте який в цьому сенс якщо воно всеодно грається так само? Ще просте нерозуміння що це гра. Вона продовжує сюжет Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee і замінює собою Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus? Чи лиш переосмилює його? Бо і в цій грі та Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus в основі сюжету був напій який пили Мудакони і викликав звикання. З тією різницею, що в оригіналі це виглядало більш жостко через те з чого його робили і хто витягував інгрідієнт, а тут більш жахливо через те що він робить з тими хто його п'є. Скоріш за все це було переосмислення. Щей продажі були не дуже, через гру по підписці в PlayStation, згадані мною спочатку продажі в епіків, і маємо взагалі невеселу картину. Гра не провалилась повністю, але моглаб краще окупитись. В мене теж є свої претензії, переважно в технічному плані, проте для мене гра хороша. Тут краще керування ніж в Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, і від тебе не вимагають хірургічної точності. Тут світ виглядає куди більшим, з вищим розмахом, і цікавіша картинка. Є на що глянути, є де оцінити краєвиди. Відеовставки так і взагалі в плані графіки можуть нагадати Pixar в їх кращі роки, і якби вони розказували жостку історію. Гра була досить амбітною, і видно що вони її намагались зробити більшою. Нажаль це їй не зіграло на руку. Звісно вона не ідеальна, в мене сильно горіло від деяких технічних моментів. Наприклад від того, як себе можуть вести Мудакони коли ти їх ведеш, чи наказуєш їх щось робити. Бо звіснож треба кидати всі снаряди коли противника нема, тринькайте їх, в нас же їх сотні а не десяток! Звіснож я сказав всім зупинитись, піти за мною і не всі мене послухались! Чи противники які моментально починають стріляти, і влучати автоматом з бедра наче це снайпери. Або прострілювати там де фізично неможливо, об металеву плиту чи неможливим рекошетом! А щеж є моменти де треба перевести сотні мудаконів і ось це все просто ой як заважає. Момент з переходом до потяга в перший раз я не забуду, це було пекло через вище наведені причини. В грі сумано треба врятувати їх 1000 до речі, добре що секцій з переходом сотень не так вже і багато, щей після потяга наступний перехід легший та ігроладно цікавіший. Тож попри мінуси в неї цікаво грати, яб порекомендував її якщо ви любите оригінальні Oddworld, та порадив би запастись терпінням. Не тільки через те що я тут описав, ай через те, що місії тут часто довгі і великі. Крім режиму втечі Тобі, який повертає в короткі рівні з Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee назад до ферми, та розповідає як цей машиність зміг сам втекти звідти. Там що правда стара точність в проходженні повертається, проте приємно повернутись до старих місць, навіть якщо це було пекельне місце. Ностальгія страшна штука.

Oddworld Soulstorm is the sequel to oddworld new and Tasty, the remake of Abe's odyssey which I liked very much. Soulstorm is more of a reboot of Oddworld Abe's exodus than a remake of it. It is a what apparently what the developers wanted Abe's exodus to be like but couldn't do back. I have mixed feelings about Soulstorm unfortunately. The game runs smoothly and looks very nice visually especially after the latest update. The environments are good and visually nice but there isn't much nature areas like temples and necrum like in the previous games. Level design is pretty good except they dropped the ball with secret areas in this game. They are not hard to find at all and only give you health which you don't really need most of the time. The music is different in this game. There is less atmospheric, techno music. It is more ambient and moody in this game. The story is changed quite a bit and has a darker serious tone to it but overall the plot is very similar to Abe's exodus and the dialogue is quite good still. Gameplay is ok there is good and there is not so good. I didn't mind the double jump they added into this game and Abe's movement options are still there like rolling and sneaking which is cool and he can still possess sligs and now he can manually control the possession energy. He also has a stun option as well as the kill option when he wants to exit the possession which is nice to have. The karma system is still there which is nice. I also don't mind the crafting system, although the menu could be organised better and it is a bit buggy. Never the less the items are very useful but some you could argue make the game a bit too easy. Mudokens still play a bit part in this game and help Abe quite a bit as well as you having to rescue them which is nice. You can also give them items to use against sligs however the mudoken AI when it comes to using items effectively is absolutely terrible. This is one of the biggest issues in the gameplay. It pretty much forces you in certain situations where there are lots of sligs coming in multiple directions to take out the sligs by yourself or face your fellow mudokens getting killed and wasting all your items and or getting you killed as well for trusting them with using the items against the sligs. On top of that Abe's gamespeak has been simplified. Now you can only say Hello/Hello All, Follow me/Follow me all, Wait/All of you wait. All of the extra Abe gamespeak from exodus has been removed and mudokens don't have different emotional mudokens anymore or blind ones. Another thing I think takes away from the gameplay. At least the slig gamespeak is still decent and they added more variety of sligs to possess. Another big blow to the gameplay and atmosphere is the lack of wildlife in this game that the other titles had plenty of. There are no scrabs or paramites in this game or mentioned in this game at all. They replaced the fleech worms with less scary smaller type versions called sleeches. They don't look all that impressive design wise and they are only in one level. Now onto the controls. You can get used to them and they are not difficult or complicated to master however you have no ability to change them in game especially on pc and they don't explain the mapping particularly well on pc. Obviously it didn't get ported over from console to pc very well. You will get confused with the control scheme when you play on pc for the first time. Controls are also buggy when aiming and using certain items sometimes. The game has a checkpoint system again as usual in the form of glukkon sign post in each area which is good except for when a gameplay glitch occurs in a part of a game and you already hit the checkpoint sign. Cause you pretty much have to restart the whole chapter again or start a new game which can be annoying. And that brings me to the last big problem with the game is that there are quite a few troublesome glitches in this game some are to do with the gameplay like a sequence not playing out properly for one reason or another and you cant progress or a performance issue like game freezing or crashing. The worst being the game freezing during a cutscene and you can progress cause you can skip the cutscene and again you are forced to start a new game or replay the chapter which has happened to me to many times. There is also pretty much nearly zero technical developer support now for this game online now. In conclusion I would give this game a 7/10 and personally if it wasn't for the annoying mudoken AI and bad bugs and performance issues which cause me to not be able to finish the game and loose interest in it, I cannot recommend this game on pc. Maybe on console I would at least be able to finish the game but you would still come across the mudoken AI issue with lazy inadequate item throwing.

Just play Abe's Exoddus instead. Incredibly mediocre game full of every possible poor design choice that could be made. After seeing how long the ladder defense section at the trellis was I uninstalled. They honestly should not have even bothered to make this. It's like they want you to have a bad time playing it.

I really do like it, it has a more modern storytelling and gameplay, I played all of the OG's when I was a kid. I also played New 'n' Tasty but this one for some reason just feels so good.

No where as good as the first two games. They put too much stuff in this one, it doesn't feel the same as the older ones. All they had to do was make the games like the older ones with better graphics, instead this one feels more about running and jumping around rather than figuring out puzzles and saving mudokons.

Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition looks good! But the controls are sloppy and it just doesn't play well. I'm not a fan. Not recommended

Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition is an ambitious cinematic platformer that attempts to transform a beloved cult franchise into a larger and more modern experience without abandoning the strange identity that made the series memorable in the first place. Instead of delivering a straightforward remake of Abe’s Exoddus, the game expands the narrative into a darker and more dramatic journey focused on revolution, survival, and freedom. The result is a title filled with impressive atmosphere, emotional storytelling, and creative mechanics, even if the experience occasionally struggles under the weight of its own ambition. The story places Abe in the center of a growing uprising after escaping the horrors of industrial slavery. No longer just a frightened worker trying to survive, Abe becomes a reluctant symbol of hope for the Mudokons who remain trapped under the control of massive corporations. Soulstorm explores themes of greed, addiction, manipulation, and exploitation through the bizarre world Oddworld has always been known for. The corporations continue to function as grotesque representations of unchecked capitalism, while the Mudokons represent an oppressed workforce struggling to reclaim its freedom. The narrative becomes surprisingly emotional at times, especially as Abe begins to realize that rescuing individuals is no longer enough. Entire populations now depend on him, and the game constantly reinforces the pressure and responsibility tied to that role. Visually, Soulstorm is one of the most cinematic entries in the series. The environments are massive compared to earlier Oddworld games, featuring enormous industrial complexes, dangerous wastelands, moving trains, underground facilities, and heavily polluted landscapes that feel both horrifying and strangely beautiful. Lighting effects and camera angles create a dramatic presentation that often resembles an animated dystopian film more than a traditional side-scrolling adventure. Every location feels intentionally designed to emphasize the cruelty of the world, with giant machinery, toxic fumes, and decaying infrastructure constantly surrounding the player. The game’s art direction succeeds because it fully commits to its grim industrial atmosphere while preserving the dark humor and weirdness that define the franchise. Gameplay expands significantly beyond the mechanics of earlier Oddworld titles. Stealth remains one of the central pillars, but Soulstorm also incorporates crafting systems, scavenging, exploration, and larger-scale encounters involving groups of followers. Abe can collect resources from the environment and combine them into useful items such as smoke bombs, stun devices, explosives, and healing supplies. This crafting system adds flexibility to the gameplay and allows players to approach situations in multiple ways. Some players may choose careful stealth and avoidance, while others rely more heavily on traps and aggressive tactics. The ability to improvise solutions gives the game a stronger survival element than previous entries in the series. The level design also feels far more expansive than before. Many stages encourage exploration through hidden areas, collectibles, secret Mudokons, and optional objectives. The game rewards curiosity, and players willing to thoroughly search each environment often discover additional resources or alternate pathways. The inclusion of badge systems and progression goals gives every chapter extra replay value, pushing players to improve rescue counts, gather more items, and complete additional challenges. This modernized structure helps the game feel larger in scope while still preserving the classic side-scrolling formula at its core. One of the game’s strongest features is the expanded interaction between Abe and the Mudokons he rescues. Followers now move with greater intelligence and respond more naturally to commands, making rescue sequences feel more dynamic and engaging. Escorting large groups through dangerous environments adds tension because players must constantly think about protecting everyone rather than focusing only on themselves. Moments where entire groups narrowly escape disaster create some of the game’s most satisfying sequences. The Quarma system also returns, rewarding players for compassionate decisions and punishing excessive violence. These choices affect outcomes and reinforce the game’s recurring themes about morality, resistance, and responsibility. The Enhanced Edition improves the overall experience considerably compared to the original launch version. Controls feel smoother, technical stability has improved, and several frustrating gameplay issues have been adjusted or refined. Additional content and gameplay enhancements help the game feel more polished and complete. While some rough edges remain, the Enhanced Edition demonstrates a clear effort to improve the title and respond to criticism from earlier versions. Despite its many strengths, Soulstorm is not always easy to enjoy. Difficulty spikes can become overwhelming, particularly during sections built around strict timing or repeated trial-and-error problem solving. Some encounters feel intentionally punishing, forcing players to repeat sequences multiple times before discovering the correct solution. Checkpoint placement occasionally contributes to frustration, especially when lengthy sections must be replayed after small mistakes. The platforming can also feel slightly inconsistent at times, which becomes problematic in a game demanding precise movement during dangerous scenarios. Pacing is another area where the game can struggle. Certain chapters maintain incredible tension and cinematic momentum, while others slow down considerably with repetitive objectives or extended stealth sections. The game’s ambition occasionally works against it because it tries to balance cinematic storytelling, puzzle-solving, stealth gameplay, resource management, and large-scale rescues all at once. Not every mechanic feels equally refined, and some players may find the constant system juggling exhausting over longer sessions. However, what ultimately makes Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition memorable is its personality and commitment to artistic vision. Very few games are willing to embrace such strange world-building while simultaneously delivering social commentary, dark satire, and emotional storytelling. The game feels handcrafted rather than manufactured to fit modern trends. Even its flaws reflect how ambitious the project truly is. Soulstorm constantly takes risks with its mechanics, presentation, and narrative themes, and that willingness to experiment gives the game a unique identity that stands apart from safer modern platformers. For longtime fans of Oddworld, the game offers a dramatic reinterpretation of one of the franchise’s most beloved stories while greatly expanding the scale of Abe’s journey. For newcomers, it provides an unusual but fascinating introduction to a world unlike almost anything else in gaming. It may not achieve perfection in every area, but its atmosphere, creativity, emotional storytelling, and unforgettable setting make it a compelling experience from beginning to end. Soulstorm is chaotic, strange, difficult, and occasionally frustrating, yet those qualities also help make it one of the most distinctive cinematic platformers released in recent years. Rating: 7/10

I love the Oddworld series, but this game might as well be called "Soulless Storm". Okay, perhaps that's a bit harsh since I know they tried, but let me explain my thoughts in this review: Oddworld Inhabitants was a studio I once held in very high regard and respected a lot, but this is probably one of their most misguided games yet. I first started with New N’ Tasty, going back through the previous games, then playing this game on PS4 and giving “Enhanced Edition” a shot on PC now. It’s not outright bad, but insulting to Oddworld fans and casual players alike. The main menu and logo represents what this game is all about. Shaved down, boring, copying other popular games, stripped of identity, overly realistic, felating it's own graphics, and most of all: NOT ODD! THE IDENTITY OF ODDWORLD STRIPPED AWAY: Gamespeak? Stripped down to bare minimum with no depth. There isn't even a gamespeak menu anymore. Emotions affecting gameplay: completely gone, and all the creative possibilities it had are gone too. Possession puzzles: dumbed down and repetitive, despite introducing a new chaining mechanic that is only used once. Enemy and puzzle variety: Double gone. Hope you like Sligs and Slogs only! Minimal or Diegetic Hud: NOPE. A hud that is both over informative, too small to read at a split second glance, and mostly unnecessary. All of this information was displayed much more eloquently in the previous games. There is even an OBJECTIVE POP UP, IN A LINEAR 2D PLATFORMER. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Good Music that fits in with the environment: Nope! All generic ambient "music". Quiksave: Gone when it is needed most, as this game is prone to glitching out or changing its rules suddenly. Interesting environments: It's mostly Earth-like locations now! They betrayed 5 of the 6 Oddworld art design rules, only focusing on realism. The levels are also overly long and have SO much filler. Otherworldly sound design: gone and way out of balance in many places even after all the pathes. On top of all this, Game text, UI, and play area is WAY too small. There is no reason for the Hud and text to bee this small, and there is no option for larger text. So much for "looking out for the little guy" when I can’t even see the guy because he’s so little on screen. I had to walk up to my big screen TV to even read the text several times. Also no Texture or Model quality settings, which there is little reason not to include these days. The game also has no zoom in option and makes poor use of contrasting colors (if any color at all in some places) making it had to see what you are even doing or what is around you. Everything is so muted, especially compared to the old Oddworld games which used color smartly so Abe was almost always visible against the colored backdrops. The game also has a shoehorned in crafting system, which could have easily been replaced by just finding the existing items around. Remember how Lorne Lanning didn't want Abe to have weapons because it would trivialize the puzzles? Well this game is proof of that. The items made from crafting materials give so much freedom, you can just use dominant strategy and solve puzzles and combat encounters the same exact way every time. What is also shoehorned is the Youtuber voices which don't match Oddworld voice acting AT ALL. It's like most didn't even try. A couple of the Youtubers they included aren't even Oddworld fans! For a series that once was praised for immersion, this comes off as... bad. I only just played Exoddus for the first time recently, and I will be the first to admit that Exoddus, the game this is loosely based on, wasn’t perfect. It’s puzzles were overly punishing and many moments focused on having split second reaction time and wrestling with the controls. This game actually makes a great improvement to the overall controls and gamefeel, making it feel much more natural and less frustrating to just move around. Legit I would like to see this refined in future titles to make it even better. But for a reimagining of Abe's Exoddus, a game that was initially rushed and crunched with a tight budget, this $15,000,000 budget reimagining game with way more time is just flat out worse. You could make a game a lot better than this with less than $1,000,000 if you were smart about it. But nah, gotta put all the money into seeing each individual wrinkle on a characters skin rather than a complete game right? I REALLY hope this isn't the new direction for the series. It feels like Lorne Lanning is more focused on realistic graphics and copying movies than having good interesting puzzles or crafting a unique world. They even straight up disregard established lore and story in Abe's Oddysee/New n' Tasty, retconning some beats and trying to make Sligs more sympathetic despite willingly participating in genocide. In addition to this, the uniqueness of Glukkon designs are gone. Instead of having unique color schemes, they are now just based off white guys. If I were more cynical, I might say that no longer is the message that “greed corrupts all and ruins lives”, the message is now “if you are born a certain race you MUST be evil”. That is not a good message to send out. This is really hit home by the fact that most cutscenes are UNSKIPPABLE, which is unacceptable in the modern age. I know they worked really hard on them, but they go on WAY too long and are really boring to sit through most of the time, being drawn out to the point of absurdity. I loved the old cutscenes because they were enjoyable, impactful, and didn't waste words or try to copy movies. The plot is no longer about social commentary poking at our reality, and Abe is no longer an unlikely hero supported through gameplay, now he's a whiny superhero with a magic mcguffen on a more generic quest, a thing we've seen before thousands of times. The originals were not like this. Abe in gameplay and cutscenes were the same, and made him much more likable. Now he is a weapon tossing action hero in gameplay, but whiny and helpless in cutscenes. He's so mellow dramatic, lingering on the smallest things, and behaves completely differently to all previous games. It made me legitimately DESPISE Abe in this game. I consider myself over sensitive and weak in the face of danger, but even I have to say Abe is no longer relatable or all that likable. I don't know about you, but seeing Mudokans with their eyes stitched shut and Mudokans being so sad they can commit suicide IN GAMEPLAY is much more impactful than a 4 minute cutscene of a nameless mudokan spewing out repeated dialogue over and over. Exodus was much more effective in storytelling with much less time, and I only just played it for the first time recently. All of this combines to make me think they completely missed the design philosophy and point and soul of the early Oddworld games, so much so it almost feels like a completely different series. If I didn’t know Oddworld Inhabitants were involved in this, you could have told me this was made by an EA or Ubisoft studio, and I would have believed you. To further compound this, let us not forget that Lorne and Oddworld Inhabitants took bribes from the corrupt AI conglomerate known as Epic to have this game as a temporary Epic store exclusive. I can't tell you how this spits in the face of everything Lorne once stood for. It's a betrayal of the most ironic kind. Despite my criticism of this game and Lorne's obsessions, I'm still rooting for Oddworld Inhabitants. Just please, make a smaller but smarter put together game next time. And stop trying to copy other games. Be true, be honest, be Odd, be Oddworld.