Oddworld: Soulstorm doesn’t impress in PlayStation Plus

Oddworld: Soulstorm is the most recent entry in the long-running franchise and a reimagining of kinds of Abe’s Exoddus from 1998. I wasn’t extremely conversant in the sequence aside from listening to about it in passing, however I do have a comfortable spot for side-scrolling platformers, so when Sony introduced that Soulstorm was launching into PlayStation Plus on PS5, I used to be wanting to strive it out. It’s… okay.

I’ve seen a number of critics extra conversant in the sequence reward Soulstorm’s improved platforming, and if that is true, that is really actually regarding to me. I discovered the platforming in Soulstorm to be quite stiff and janky. Without nice precision, I ended up dying all too usually when I’d miss a soar or fall off a ledge solely to search out myself nose to nose with a Slig. Abe’s arms are not any match for a gun.

Soulstorm’s platforming is outwardly an enchancment, and that issues me.

Thankfully, you might have numerous instruments at your disposal — water to place out fires, stun mines, flares, and so on. — to assist you. Not to say issues like tape that can be utilized to tie up the Sligs after you knock them out or crafted objects just like the Bouncy Candy that can be utilized to hit Sligs from a distance. It took some getting used to the merchandise wheel it’s important to pull up and goal the objects themselves with out unintentionally throwing them, however they grew to become instrumental in development. I feel it might be near-impossible to finish Soulstorm with out them.

The stage design is a standout facet of the sport, and I like how every little thing flows collectively once you’re platforming by way of a stage. The 2.5D atmosphere is meticulously crafted and truthfully simply appears to be like superb, even the darkish caverns and muddy browns of the opening.

An enormous ingredient of Soulstorm is its Quarma (karma) system. Save your fellow Mudokons, and also you obtain constructive Quarma. Let them die (or kill a ton of enemies), and you will get unfavourable Quarma. This is okay in idea, however I simply grew to become pissed off with it in observe. While Mudokons can climb and soar to keep away from enemies, they’re nonetheless just about helpless if a Slig sees them. One of the primary ranges once I was tasked with saving 200, I saved simply over 40. The relaxation have been gunned down in their try to flee. No matter what I did, I may by no means work out how to cease the Sligs from killing so many. As quickly as I took one down, it appeared two extra would seem.

And in the case of its story, I’m fairly impartial on it. It picked up proper after the earlier sport, so I used to be undoubtedly out of the loop, however there are sufficient contextual clues that you’re going to perceive the fundamentals. Your mileage will range on how a lot you recognize Soulstorm and all of its features, each good and unhealthy.

I wish to reiterate as a result of I do know some individuals will take challenge with this, however that is how I view Soulstorm as a newcomer to the sequence. As others can attest, longtime followers may very well see Soulstorm as a giant step ahead. I am unable to see the enhancements when that is the one Oddworld I’ve identified. And I notice a part of the attraction and appeal to Soulstorm will probably be that nostalgia. That stated, this simply might present that it is higher suited to followers of the sequence and possibly not for everybody else.