home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
BigMax 18
/
BigMax nº 18.iso
/
JOGOS
/
ABEODD
/
NOVO DOCUMENTO TEXTO (4).TXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1998-03-18
|
8KB
|
91 lines
rocessing plant in the entire galaxy - is not the place to be if
you're a veggie. Which the hero of this game, Abe, most
certainly is not. Abe is a Mudokan, a race of green-skinned
aliens that have been enslaved by the evil Glukkon to work
inside their ghoulish slaughterhouse. He's also a fully fledged
meat-eater, having tasted Meech Munchies (sadly
discontinued due to the extinction of the Meech), chomped on
Paramite Pies (mmmm) and occasionally tucked into Scrab
Cakes.
With Scrab stocks plummeting and Paramites on their way out
too, Rupture Farms are on the lookout for a tasty alternative,
and - as Abe inadvertently finds out - Mudokan meat is next in
line for 'processing'. Cue much bother as Abe makes good his
escape, with the evil ruling Glukkon and their sinister army of
robotic guards hot on his heels.
Comedy arse gas
When the excellent opening video subsides, control of Abe
reverts to the player and the game moves seamlessly to a
familiar side-on platform format. It's here Abe's problems really
begin.
Trapped inside a labyrinth of machinery and monsters, Abe
must lead his Mudokan co-workers to safety through the power
of his own voice. Gamespeak, as Abe's in-game vocal
repertoire is known, is activated by hitting various keys on the
numeric pad (if you're playing with keys, that is) and can be
useful in a number of situations. The phrases 'hello', 'follow me'
and 'wait' are self-explanatory and come in handy very early on
in the game, but growls, whistles and the occasional fart
(complete with comedy arse gas) serve their purpose later on
when Abe escapes the confines of Rupture Farms. There's
also a multi-faceted 'chant' which does everything from ring
bells to take over the body of an enemy (tres cool). It's all very
cute and will no doubt have the girlies cooing in the
background as you play.
However, little else in this platform adventure could be
described as cute. Oddworld is inhabited by some of the most
disgustingly hostile creatures ever seen in a computer game,
all of whom will tear Abe's head off given half a chance. There
is help pretty much the entire way through the game, although
progress does seem to rely on trial and error, which involves
much replaying of levels and gnashing of teeth. All this can be
frustrating at times, especially when Abe is plonked right back
at the start of a level when he dies. But fortunately Abe is an
agile creature and if you spend time learning how to control
him there's plenty of magic to uncover throughout the game.
Looks the business
The developers have created an outstanding visual
environment for Abe to leap around in. Gigantic buildings and
grandiose statues work well to put across that 'discovering a
lost civilisation' feeling. They've also made good use of depth
and movement - check out the cool speed blur for aesthetic
attention to detail.
The shroud of darkness enveloping many of Oddworld's
gigantic levels is inspiringly atmospheric - and having to use
that darkness by dodging in and out of shadows to avoid the
enemy is even more inspiring. Some in-game situations can
be very tense, as well as quite chilling, at times.
There are buckets of brilliant touches, from the hugely comical
and violent explosions, to the point in the game where you get
to ride an Elum, a docile mode of transport and constant
source of fun. The whole game is impeccably presented. Even
though much of it is shown in only two dimensions it never
looks dated. The music is spot on, the animation second to
none and for a change the pre-rendered movie sequences
actually add to the overall experience. In short: Abe's Oddysee
looks and sounds bloody brilliant.
Put those hours in
What prospective buyers should watch out for, though, is the
level of commitment this game requires. It is hard. It can hurt
you. Psychologically. You have to be prepared to put the hours
in - especially later in the game - as well as be ready to
compensate for a few of the game's misgivings. The slowdown
- particularly when Abe enters a new room - does invoke the
odd bit of panic (a dog's bollocks system may help, although
the game still 'reared' on our office P200), and the lack of a
proper save system may be a little too much for some ("back
to the start?! You f*****g b*****d! You b*****d!" will become a
bit of a catchphrase for some people), but if you can handle
these problems then Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is an
interesting enough game to warrant your attention.