I’ve developed a habit of diving back intoclassicsthat emerge as part ofPlayStation Plusin recent months. Rarely do I ever intend to finish these games or even play them more than a few short minutes, it’s rather to briefly remember how far the medium has come and why the likes of Armored Core, Pursuit Force, and Mister Mosquito mean something to me.
TakeOddworld’s Abe’s Oddysee and Exoddus, two games first released in 1997 and 1998 that have since become cult classics of the original PlayStation era. you’re able to see why, with a lovable alien protagonist who sets out to save his people from an oppressive factory with the powers of possession and flatulence. They’re some of the first games that I ever remember playing, and to this day they’ve stuck with me as influential masterpieces.
Oddworld’s PlayStation Debut Has Stood The Test Of Time
While I wasn’t especially taken with the more recentSoulstorm, there is something special about Oddysee and Exoddus that goes beyond simple nostalgia.
Lorne Lanning and all the developers behind him used the limitations of the original PlayStation to their advantage through the use of pre-rendered backgrounds and limiting each moment of action to a single screen that all interconnected to make up the levels you’d explore.
This made the actual pixel elements stand out all the more, while on modern displays both games looka little ropey,although back in the 1990s it only added to the mystique of this dark, mysterious world.
There was no telling what waited after each screen transition and whether you’d find a few friends waiting to say hello or a slig ready and willing to blow your brains out. Few locations are safe in Oddysee and Exodus, and even if you find temporary salvation, haunting sounds that echo throughout each environment stop you from ever feeling truly relaxed.
There’s a lo-fi approach to its design nowadays that was a necessity three decades ago, and it’s one of few games of that era I can pick up and still feel right at home with.
It is hard as nails though, and with no checkpoints, a single death can set you back tens of minutes if you aren’t careful. Thank god for Exoddus introducing quicksaving.
And Its Gamespeak Mechanic Is A Core Part Of That Legacy
Oddysee and Exoddus would be accomplished 2D adventures even without the legendary gamespeak mechanic, but it elevates it to something that shouldn’t have been possible on the original PlayStation. Abe isn’t one for violence, and aside from having the opportunity to throw rocks, bombs, or weaponise his farts into psychic explosions, he has no way to stand up for himself.
Get caught by an enemy, and it’s game over. Time to start again. Tackling each and every puzzle requires you to scope out a situation and figure out exactly what path can be taken to avoid an early demise. This is where gamespeak comes in.
By holding a shoulder button and pressing a selection of different face buttons, Abe can let out a number of unique phrases and demands. He can say hello to a fellow mudoken, make them follow in his footsteps, work on the spot, or look out for incoming danger. They are sort of simplistic on their own, but are combined to interact with each environment and make Abe feel like a natural-born leader eager to save his fellow slaves.
Later stages set in long-forgotten temples have you interacting with spectres of Abe’s ancestors with a series of whistles. You must match their rhythm and sequence to proceed.
Oddyssey was fairly simplistic with its use of gamespeak and kept it limited to Abe and the whistles mentioned above, but its sequel stretched things out to Paramites, Scrabs, Sligs, Glukkons, and more. Abe is capable of possessing his enemies, and they have voice lines you must also take advantage of to trick adversaries or progress through certain levels.
It expands on a system while keeping its fundamentals untouched, and there was something so impressive about a mechanic like this being so seamless all those years ago.
Unlike so many other classics available on PlayStation Plus, Abe’s Oddysee and Exodus have the trend of being archaic software that I play for a few minutes before leaving them behind, and it’s all thanks to a central mechanic that was years ahead of its time.
