Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Encyclopedia
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is an action-adventure game
developed by Oddworld Inhabitants
and published by Electronic Arts
for the Microsoft
Xbox
. Music for the game was written by composer Michael Bross. It was released on January 25, 2005. A version for the PlayStation 2
was planned, but cancelled.
The game details the adventures of Stranger, a fearsome bounty hunter
. Throughout the game, Stranger pursues and captures outlaws in order to collect bounties. The goal is to ultimately earn enough moolah (in-game money) to pay for a mysterious life-saving operation. One of the most notable features is the "live ammunition" system, which is literally ammunition made of living creatures like fictional insects and small mammals, each with different uses and effects against enemies.
The game is re-released as part of the "Oddbox", a newly announced collection which includes all the Oddworld games released so far. It was scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2010 on Windows through Steam, but became available 20 December 2010. Development team Just Add Water are currently preparing an updated version of the game for release on the PlayStation 3
.
The premise of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is that the bounty hunter Stranger must earn moolah (in-game money) by tracking down outlaws with bounties on their heads and apprehending them, bringing them in dead or alive. The game utilizes both third
and first-person
perspectives. In third person, the player controls Stranger when travelling long distance, platform jumping, rope climbing and melee combat while first person is like that of first person shooter games where ranged weapons are used. Enemies can be approached head on like a straight up action game or stealthily by hiding in long grass out of enemy sight (as indicated via mini map) and luring foes away from or toward the player. Once enemies are encountered, they can be killed or knocked down/stunned temporarily; in this state they can be captured, thus earning more moolah than if they had been captured dead. Upon an attempted capture, Stranger is unable to perform other actions and thus is vulnerable. The player has two status bars, health and stamina. When damage is taken, the health bar drops; if it fully depletes, it will result in the death of Stranger. Stamina drops when the player performs actions like melee attacks or falls from a great height. While it refills itself over time, it can be used to shake off health-bar damage, thus healing the player, but draining the stamina quicker.
One of the game’s main features is the Stranger’s crossbow
that is used in a first person perspective that literally uses live ammunition in the form of using small fictional versions of real creatures as projectiles for differing effects. Live ammunition can be bought from the game’s vendors or found scattered throughout the game world (except for Zappflies, which the player has an unlimited supply of). When acquired, two different kinds of ammo can be assigned to the crossbow at any given time for two kinds of firing attack. There are nine critters in total that can be used as ammo, such as Stunkz
for stunning large groups of enemies, Thudslugs
that work as cannon balls
, Boombats
that work as rocket
s, and Wasps that are fired at foes like a sniper rifle
.
The game incorporates many role-playing
elements in the form of earning moolah with each bounty fulfilled allowing it to be spent on upgrades such as crossbow, ammunition, storage and armour upgrades and other items such as binoculars
and knuckle dusters.
The game begins with a bounty hunter
, known only as the Stranger, catching various Outlaws and criminals to try to raise money for a mysterious operation. Later on, he hears a story about a town of creatures called Grubbs that is being tormented by a demon. The town used to be protected by a race of creatures called the Steef, but they are extinct.
When the Stranger arrives in the town, he discovers that the river near the town has been dried up by a dam, which was built by a person called Sekto. It is revealed that Sekto is responsible for the extinction of the Steef. Sekto is offering a bounty for the Steef, believing that there are still a few around. Sekto believes that the Stranger knows where the Steef are hiding, so he hires an outlaw named D. Caste Raider to capture the Stranger and interrogate him. During the interrogation, Raider discovers that the Stranger is a Steef. After this revelation, the Stranger escapes from Raider’s hideout and makes his way to the Grubb’s town.
When the Stranger meets the Grubb leader, he discovers that Sekto is the demon that stole the water from the Grubbs. The Stranger then confronts Sekto. As they battle, the dam is destroyed, flooding Raider’s hideout. As Sekto lies dying, they discover that he is a Steef, possessed by the demon. The Demon is then seen swimming away from town in the river.
and 88 out of 100 at Metacritic
. It later was nominated for and won numerous awards for multiple media outlets. It was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Animation at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
' Interactive Achievement Awards, Best Artistic Graphics at GameSpot
and Best Cinematics and Best Character (Stranger) at G4
, while it was runner-up for Most Innovative Design on Xbox at IGN
and won Best Xbox Exclusive Game from Play Magazine
and was listed in Game Informer
's Top 50 Games of 2005 and Stranger included in their Top 10 Heroes of 2005.
Stewart Gilray (CEO of Just Add Water) has stated
“Since word got out that we’ve been working with Oddworld Inhabitants there have been many rumours circulating about what we’re working on. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is the first project in what we believe will be a long and fruitful relationship. Having the chance to update this great title and release it on PS3 is just a brilliant opportunity, not least for us, but for the fans too.”
The game will be released on the PlayStation Network on December 8, 2011, and will include enhanced 720p visuals, more detailed character models, re-mastered dialogue, 37 achievement Trophies, bonus material and support for the PlayStation Move peripheral.
The PC port of Stranger's Wrath was released on Steam on December 20, 2010 as part of "The Oddboxx", a collected anthology of all four Oddworld games. It is a direct port of the original 2005 Xbox game, with added support for Steamworks Achievements. A patch containing the enhanced content is planned to be released 2-3 months after the PlayStation 3 version is released. In November 2011 before the release date is announced, a XMB Dynamic Theme and LittleBigPlanet 2 costume based on Stranger's Wrath was released on the PSN.
A Playstation Vita version was recently announced during the Playstation Vita event in London on November 23, 2011. The title is in development though not a launch title.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
developed by Oddworld Inhabitants
Oddworld Inhabitants
Oddworld Inhabitants Inc. is an American video game developer founded in 1994 by special-effects and computer-animation veterans Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning. The company is primarily known for the Oddworld Quintology, a series of award-winning video games about the fictional planet of Oddworld...
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
for the Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. Music for the game was written by composer Michael Bross. It was released on January 25, 2005. A version for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
was planned, but cancelled.
The game details the adventures of Stranger, a fearsome bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
. Throughout the game, Stranger pursues and captures outlaws in order to collect bounties. The goal is to ultimately earn enough moolah (in-game money) to pay for a mysterious life-saving operation. One of the most notable features is the "live ammunition" system, which is literally ammunition made of living creatures like fictional insects and small mammals, each with different uses and effects against enemies.
The game is re-released as part of the "Oddbox", a newly announced collection which includes all the Oddworld games released so far. It was scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2010 on Windows through Steam, but became available 20 December 2010. Development team Just Add Water are currently preparing an updated version of the game for release on the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Gameplay
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
and first-person
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
perspectives. In third person, the player controls Stranger when travelling long distance, platform jumping, rope climbing and melee combat while first person is like that of first person shooter games where ranged weapons are used. Enemies can be approached head on like a straight up action game or stealthily by hiding in long grass out of enemy sight (as indicated via mini map) and luring foes away from or toward the player. Once enemies are encountered, they can be killed or knocked down/stunned temporarily; in this state they can be captured, thus earning more moolah than if they had been captured dead. Upon an attempted capture, Stranger is unable to perform other actions and thus is vulnerable. The player has two status bars, health and stamina. When damage is taken, the health bar drops; if it fully depletes, it will result in the death of Stranger. Stamina drops when the player performs actions like melee attacks or falls from a great height. While it refills itself over time, it can be used to shake off health-bar damage, thus healing the player, but draining the stamina quicker.
One of the game’s main features is the Stranger’s crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
that is used in a first person perspective that literally uses live ammunition in the form of using small fictional versions of real creatures as projectiles for differing effects. Live ammunition can be bought from the game’s vendors or found scattered throughout the game world (except for Zappflies, which the player has an unlimited supply of). When acquired, two different kinds of ammo can be assigned to the crossbow at any given time for two kinds of firing attack. There are nine critters in total that can be used as ammo, such as Stunkz
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
for stunning large groups of enemies, Thudslugs
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
that work as cannon balls
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
, Boombats
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
that work as rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s, and Wasps that are fired at foes like a sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
.
The game incorporates many role-playing
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
elements in the form of earning moolah with each bounty fulfilled allowing it to be spent on upgrades such as crossbow, ammunition, storage and armour upgrades and other items such as binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects...
and knuckle dusters.
Story
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
, known only as the Stranger, catching various Outlaws and criminals to try to raise money for a mysterious operation. Later on, he hears a story about a town of creatures called Grubbs that is being tormented by a demon. The town used to be protected by a race of creatures called the Steef, but they are extinct.
When the Stranger arrives in the town, he discovers that the river near the town has been dried up by a dam, which was built by a person called Sekto. It is revealed that Sekto is responsible for the extinction of the Steef. Sekto is offering a bounty for the Steef, believing that there are still a few around. Sekto believes that the Stranger knows where the Steef are hiding, so he hires an outlaw named D. Caste Raider to capture the Stranger and interrogate him. During the interrogation, Raider discovers that the Stranger is a Steef. After this revelation, the Stranger escapes from Raider’s hideout and makes his way to the Grubb’s town.
When the Stranger meets the Grubb leader, he discovers that Sekto is the demon that stole the water from the Grubbs. The Stranger then confronts Sekto. As they battle, the dam is destroyed, flooding Raider’s hideout. As Sekto lies dying, they discover that he is a Steef, possessed by the demon. The Demon is then seen swimming away from town in the river.
Reception
Upon release, Stranger's Wrath received much critical acclaim with an average critic score of 87% at Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
and 88 out of 100 at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. It later was nominated for and won numerous awards for multiple media outlets. It was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Animation at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences , founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998...
' Interactive Achievement Awards, Best Artistic Graphics at GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and Best Cinematics and Best Character (Stranger) at G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
, while it was runner-up for Most Innovative Design on Xbox at IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and won Best Xbox Exclusive Game from Play Magazine
Play (US magazine)
Play was a U.S.-based magazine focused on video games, anime, manga, film, DVD, television, comics, music and media. Published by Fusion Publishing, Inc. since 2001, Play magazine also had a separate Internet presence on its website, Play Online...
and was listed in Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
's Top 50 Games of 2005 and Stranger included in their Top 10 Heroes of 2005.
HD Remake
An upgraded port of Stranger's Wrath was announced in 2010 for release on PC and PlayStation 3, developed by the team at Just Add Water.Stewart Gilray (CEO of Just Add Water) has stated
“Since word got out that we’ve been working with Oddworld Inhabitants there have been many rumours circulating about what we’re working on. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is the first project in what we believe will be a long and fruitful relationship. Having the chance to update this great title and release it on PS3 is just a brilliant opportunity, not least for us, but for the fans too.”
The game will be released on the PlayStation Network on December 8, 2011, and will include enhanced 720p visuals, more detailed character models, re-mastered dialogue, 37 achievement Trophies, bonus material and support for the PlayStation Move peripheral.
The PC port of Stranger's Wrath was released on Steam on December 20, 2010 as part of "The Oddboxx", a collected anthology of all four Oddworld games. It is a direct port of the original 2005 Xbox game, with added support for Steamworks Achievements. A patch containing the enhanced content is planned to be released 2-3 months after the PlayStation 3 version is released. In November 2011 before the release date is announced, a XMB Dynamic Theme and LittleBigPlanet 2 costume based on Stranger's Wrath was released on the PSN.
A Playstation Vita version was recently announced during the Playstation Vita event in London on November 23, 2011. The title is in development though not a launch title.