Live bounties are, of course, much harder than dead ones and require more strategic thinking. Bringing in a live target nets you considerably more money than a dead one, so it’s usually in your best interest to keep them alive. The larger the town, the more complex the bounties become, allowing for level-based pacing.īounties can be collected whether the target is dead or alive. Once all of the bounties in the area are collected, you move on to the next. Bounties are taken out in each town and lead you to different areas in the vicinity. Missions take place in towns that serve as hubs. Structure is set up to offer some freedom while at the same time keeping the pacing clearly in a level-based environment. The story is generally good, and includes a nice twist that changes at least part of the game’s feel. This sets up the game’s main premises, capturing bad guys and collecting the prices on their heads. As the story progresses, you eventually learn that Stranger is in need of a mysterious life-saving surgery that, unfortunately, costs 20,000 bucks – money he doesn’t have. You are the Stranger, a bounty hunter with a mysterious past, essentially making him Oddworld’s answer to Star Wars’ Boba Fett. The combination sounds odd, but so did the idea of mixing peanut butter and chocolate. Stranger’s Wrath is no different, combining elements of 3D platformers with those of an FPS. The original game in the Oddworld series looked like a platformer, but concentrated more on the puzzle elements. Oddworld games have always been about giving players something a little different than what they expect to get. This makes turning on the subtitles a necessity. In addition to all sounding the same, the recordings are low quality and sound very muffled, leading to missed story and mission objectives. Every chicken-person you come across sounds just like the previous one. ![]() Other than Stranger, every voice sounds the same. Voice work is very weak in terms of performance and recording quality. If there’s one flaw in presentation, it is sound. Even with the western spin, the game is still clearly based on Oddworld – complete with mobile-home wagon trains and “live” ammo that moves and even talks back to you. Fans of the Oddworld series shouldn’t worry themselves with the game’s new look. ![]() Smooth animation and a sharp looking main character help to really push the game into the upper echelon of Xbox games. ![]() It’s no ideal vacation spot, but it’s still nice to look at. Towns are rundown and connected by barren wastelands. The look is more Eastwood than Wayne, translating into dark, gritty environments. While the game is a true technical marvel with few load times, its the style that really helps to set the game apart from other action games. With a western theme comes the obvious western look. It’s not a “true” western, but manages to do things that other games completely missed the wagon on, making it one of the more authentic western experiences to come along. This is part of what makes Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath such a surprise entry. Some, like the recent Red Dead Revolver and Dead Man’s Hand, tried their hardest, but fell short of the mark. There’s been a trickle of western themed games over the past few years, but none have really done the concept any justice.
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