Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee is a puzzle/cinematic platformer game made by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It was released in 1997.
The game centers on the eponymous Abe, a meek Mudokon slave at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory. When he discovers that he and his fellow Mudokons are to be slaughtered to make a new product, Abe decides to escape and liberate as many enslaved Mudokons as he can. The player assumes the role of Abe as he attempts a perilous quest to emancipate his downtrodden people.
Abe’s Oddysee is a two-dimensional platform game in which players take control of the character Abe to travel across separate screens solving puzzles, navigating obstacles, and avoiding enemies. Abe can die in a variety of ways, such as being attacked by an enemy, touching a hazardous obstacle, falling from too great a height or into a bottomless pit. If Abe dies, he will respawn at the last checkpoint. As well as jumping to navigate areas and crouching to roll under obstacles, Abe can break into a run to jump over large gaps or escape enemies, or tiptoe to avoid disturbing enemies, adding a stealth element to the game. Abe can use throwable objects such as meat, rocks or grenades to bypass enemies or destroy obstacles, though grenades have a timer and will blast Abe into pieces if the throw button is held too long.
Abe has the ability to telepathically control Sligs, a type of enemy non-player character, but can only use this in safe areas; in most areas, flying orbs, known as chant suppressors, will stop Abe from using his telepathy by zapping him. Once Abe successfully possesses a Slig, he can control their movements to attack other enemies, use gamespeak that can only be used by Sligs, activate mechanisms too dangerous for Abe, and destroy the Slig when he no longer needs it. Abe’s body is immobile and vulnerable while possessing another character, and if his host is killed, control will return to Abe.
Along the way, the player encounters other Mudokons that he can rescue. By holding down the GameSpeak button and pressing various commands, Abe can command them to follow him, stay put, and activate mechanisms, as well as praise or scold them. Sometimes Abe will have to go through certain procedures to persuade a certain Mudokon, such as responding to whistles. Mudokons can be rescued by safely leading them past traps and enemies to bird portals, which can be activated by chanting. If the player rescues at least 50 Mudokons (of the possible 99) during the course of the game, the Mudokons rescue Abe in the good ending of the game.
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee was widely acclaimed for having innovative gameplay, good art direction and engaging cutscenes; however, its difficult learning curve and system of only saving at checkpoints received criticism. By December 2012, the game sold 3.5 million copies worldwide, thus making it one of the best-selling PlayStation video games of all time. It was the first game in the planned five-part Oddworld series, which includes the direct sequels Abe’s Exoddus (1998), Munch’s Oddysee (2001) and Stranger’s Wrath (2005). A remake of the game, titled Oddworld: New ’n’ Tasty!, was developed by Just Add Water and released in 2014.
Source: Wikipedia