ddworld: Abe's Oddysee is the first game in a five-part series--The Oddworld Quintology--from Oddworld Inhabitants. In this first installment, players take on the role of Abe, a formerly mild mannered Mudokon floor waxer who used to work at RuptureFarms, until he found out what was really going on. It seems Abe's boss, Mullock The Glutton, is having problems keeping profits up at the meat farm, mainly because the main products--Meeches, Scrabs and Paramites--are on the edge of extinction.
But Mullock has a new product in the offing, one that's guaranteed to drive profits up. The problem for Abe is that New 'n' Tasty will be made out of Mudokons! When Abe learns of this nefarious scheme one night while working late, Mullock has him thrown in chains. But Abe manages to escape, and now it's up to him to find a way out of RuptureFarms and free his fellow workers.
The game itself is a relatively straightforward 2D action adventure--like Flashback or Out of This World--with a few twists. For one, Abe rarely uses weapons, instead relying on innate abilities that include walking, running, jumping, rolling, hoisting, throwing, sneaking, chanting and talking. The chanting and talking are special abilities that allow Abe to talk to fellow workers, activate escape portals, possess enemies and perform other unique actions, such as hissing and farting. In addition, he'll also meet up with his trusted mount Elum, who is "cranky, stubborn, selfish, and smells like a burst sewer pipe."
Arrayed against Abe are the "odds," enemies that range from "gunned-up slugs" called Sligs to "relentless nightmares" called Scrabs (that are also terrific dancers). As Abe makes his way out of the farm--primarily through puzzle solving and good timing--he will learn more about what's going on, meet wild Mudokons, learn new abilities, and eventually undertake a rite of passage that includes meeting Big Face.
Pretty odd, but pretty good
Abe's Oddysee is such a wonderful game that it's hard to figure out where to begin lavishing the praise. Players will likely first notice the astonishing graphics throughout, ranging from the title credits to the cut scenes, and including such relatively minor details as explosions (debris actually seem to whang off the inside of the TV screen) and the way Abe drops off a ledge. Every part of the game is rendered with a rich, impeccable precision that makes Abe's Oddysee darn fun to watch, no less play.
But unlike so many other "pretty" games, Abe backs up its good looks. As mentioned, much of the game involves problem solving, and the solutions are usually as ingenious as they are amusing. What's more, just when gamers think they've figured something out, they'll usually hit an unexpected--and often hilarious--twist that will keep them coming back again and again. And as the game progresses, Abe will pick up more special abilities and skills that he'll need to solve the even tougher problems that always seem to lurk on the next screen (or occasionally in the background of the screen Abe is already on).
The downside to Abe--and it's one that several gamers have complained about--is that its innovative game play makes for a steep learning curve. This initial difficulty in figuring out how to play is aggravated by a save feature that often forces players to redo difficult sections. Although most gamers will eventually get into the swing of things, Abe can be discouraging at first blush. Fortunately players are given an infinite number of lives, which helps them through the rough spots.
That problem aside, Abe's Oddysee is one of the most inventive and intriguing games to come along in recent years, and it's sure to be a hit with gamers of all kinds. In fact, it could well rank as the top game of 1997, and that's good news for game players considering there are still four more installments to come.
