Some platformers are not like the others, are they? Some platformers are just unusual. Odd, you might say. Some of these odd platformers star an equally odd character in the form of a Mudokon called Abe, and one of those games is Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus.
The original game, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, sticks out in my mind for its visual style. It and its sequel here are odd. They are platform puzzlers staring alien creatures whose mouths or eyes have been sewn shut by their captors, who are using them as slaves to mine their own ancestors' bones for use in an energy drink, SoulStorm Brew.
In order to free our fellow Mudokons, we must navigate them towards portals made of birds, while obviously trying not to be caught or killed by the Glukkon guards. The plot, like the game, is odd, so let's find out where the sequel takes us.
Fun Times
The backstory you need to know is that Abe knows what's going on and is on a mission to stop it. He's joined by some friends but their usefulness might be up for debate, but it soon doesn't matter as we get separated by falling off into the unknown like the clutz we are, landing - helpfully - at a tutorial screen.
They're placed everywhere in the early stages of the game, and while there is an in-universe explanation for them (they usually display informercials about the products this slaver company make), they do tend to stick out like a sore thumb sometimes and break the immersion a little.
Not that you're truly immersed in the plot when this is so obviously a puzzle platformer first, and a story a distant second. Abe might have valid reasons for saving Mudokons, but players only see steps of a puzzle that need to be solved before moving into the next section of the level.
The puzzles require you to alter the environment or navigate through it safely, enlisting the help of fellow Mudokons along the way using a number of dialogue options and contextual actions. You can run, jump and roll around the place as expected, as well as sneak through the shadows around enemy guards, but your goal is to free slaves, and they'll be involved in these puzzles in some way.
You might have to eliminate hazards before an escape route can be cleared, but often you'll be telling them what to do with simple commands, like 'wait', 'follow' and 'work'. If that sounds cold or robotic, an early puzzle might convince you that the character of these Mudokons matter.
A cloud of laughing gas consumes one screen, and you can lead a couple of Mudokons to cleaner air, but they're giggling like fools and they need to a get a grip on the situation. The handy info screen will give you a pointer as to what to do: you need to slap some sense into them.
So you slap them, and they're cured of their affliction... but now they refuse to follow you. You've slapped them. Slap them too much and they might even slap you back. You need to apologise for what you've done, so you say sorry, and just like that, they're back on your side, ready to follow your every action and work towards their freedom.
New to Exoddus was the quick save feature, making puzzles a lot easier to complete, should you find yourself in the presence of unhelpful Mudokons. They're tricky to get into position sometimes. Maybe my timing is off with them, or I'm not used to the buttons, but I can see some troubles ahead.
They are pretty reliable, and you don't have to do much to get them on board with your plans, but one wrong button press means you end up slapping them, and they get pissed, and by this point, the guard has come back around and is intent on putting you both back to work... Things can go wrong.
Each area has a set number of Mudokons, and you'll hopefully free them all. The backstory video does mention that players weren't so successful at doing so in Oddysee, even going so far as to say that watching them die in as many different ways as were possible was an entertaining endeavour. But let's not put any suggestions into your head...
One Mudokon was happily working away in between two anti-personnel mines. I guess he was one of the blind slaves. Anyway, deactivating the mines was childs-play: hit the button when the mine is green, don't hit it when it's red.
Frustration
I should have used a quick save. Abe was chucked back to the beginning of the level. I couldn't be bothered to go through it to try again - even if it were only minutes lost.
Final Word
As unique as Oddworld games look and feel, they're also as off-putting to me because of their gameplay. I know that I don't have the patience to get through these games. I know that I'm going to get frustrated at mistiming jumps or rolling into danger or insulting a Mudokon by farting in front of it - yeah, that's a thing too, sorry I forgot to mention it - and I can't see the games being rewarding enough for me to push through all that.
I like stories, that's for sure, and while Exoddus has a story, it's one that I can comfortably read about, leaving the puzzly gameplay bits to those who want to be challenged.
I don't know how challenging it gets. I don't know where the game will take players. I don't think I ever will. Even with a video playing off to one side, all I'm seeing is an elaborate string of puzzles and pretty weird environments.
That's not a bad thing, necessarily; I still think you should find out what it's like, preferably first hand, but I'm not quite sold on the idea that it is a must play.
Fun Facts
After the success of Oddysee, the publishers pushed for a sequel. A very quick, Christmas window sequel. Nine months later, in November that year, Exoddus was on the shelves.
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, developed by Oddworld Inhabitants, first released in 1998.
Version played: PC, 1998.
Version watched: PlayStation, 1998 (Dfactor Longplays)