Oddworld: Soulstorm

When you think of flagship PlayStation titles, many spring to mind. For a certain era of gamer, we would wager that Abe’s Odyssey would be right up there. This PS1 classic managed to offer a 2.5D dark comedy puzzler game which was equal parts witty, funny, clever and unsettling. Since then we have had a few more outings within this series but few have really tried to reinvent the core gameplay of the Oddworld series. Now we have Oddworld: Soulstorm, a game that will almost certainly stick to the formula but offer a much more polished, refined and deep experience than ever before.

This game plays like puzzle titles like Limbo, Inside, Little Nightmares and 7th Sector. Yet it also has aspects that are reminiscent of 2.5D platformers like Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, Tomba or the bonus sections of Crash Bandicoot. This game aims to be a nostalgic look back at a classic title through the lense of 2021 but will it live up to the high standards of this marquee Playstation series. We find out in our review of Oddworld Soulstorm.

Fresh Yet Familiar

The storyline that you will navigate throughout Soulstorm isn’t too far removed from the one we encountered a few decades ago. You are a slave, you find out you and your pals are going to be made into chow and you make a hasty exit in any way you can. Only this time, you build an army in an attempt to lead a revolution. Its an expansion of the simplistic narrative from before and it’s just enough to keep players invested.

However, it will be obvious what has had the biggest facelift within this game and that is the visuals. This game happens within a 2D plane but the visuals don’t look stuck on. They are fully rendered, look amazing, have incredibly detailed textures. All of which culminates to offer a visual showcase which is affectionately being referred to as 2.9D. It’s a sight to behold and makes use of the next gen hardware very well.

A Deeper Experience

When we played this game format for the first time in 1999, it was so new and inventive. However, twenty years on, it was in need of some tweaking. So the developers have done just that, adding more mechanics for the player to get stuck into. You’ll have more abilities depending on the party of Mukodons you have around you. You’ll have a load of collectables to uncover throughout your run. You’ll have a genuine progression system that will keep you hooked and motivated during the stories run. Plus, the game has a much better stealth system, meaning you can play the game in a variety of different ways, leading to a more emergent gaming experience.

As a whole, you have much more options this time around. You can play offensively, defensively, be sneaky, use abilities to get out of trouble or you can use your environment to your advantage. In short, it feels like more of a sandbox experience than a one note puzzle and it makes the format feel brand new even in 2021.

The Verdict

Its very surprising that a simplistic and straightforward format like this could grab the attention of the gaming community. However, when you get your hands on Oddworld: Soulstorm, you immediately understand why this game has managed to stand the test of time. The game respects what works within the series, tweaks the weaker or more forgettable aspects. Then they make the game beautiful, add more core mechanics and then polish the rest right down to the finest detail.

Pros:

• Mindblowing 2.9D visuals
• Gameplay that offers players more options and play styles than ever before
• A deeper profession system

Cons:

• Collectables do seem thrown in as filler content