Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 86
  3. Negative: 7 out of 86
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  1. TheChato
    Nov 21, 2013
    9
    I wasn't expecting much of it, but what a pleasant surprise! I've never thought that a game would ever combine TPP and FPS so well. The pace is kinda slow at first, but it picks up really nice. It's challenging enough to be interesting without be frustrating. It's shooting mechanics are pretty engaging, and manage to be different without being completely alien. Both the stealth and theI wasn't expecting much of it, but what a pleasant surprise! I've never thought that a game would ever combine TPP and FPS so well. The pace is kinda slow at first, but it picks up really nice. It's challenging enough to be interesting without be frustrating. It's shooting mechanics are pretty engaging, and manage to be different without being completely alien. Both the stealth and the action are pretty well balanced and you can pretty much develop your own way to play, with a lot of room for experimentation. The level design is always throwing something new in the mix, with environments that at first seem to be the same, but with something new to spice up things a little. It starts up like a bland game, but it grows on you pretty nicely.
    It's a little great game that anyone that enjoys good solid action should play.    … Expand
  2. Kaprawiec
    Oct 20, 2014
    10
    I didnt have so much fun with a single player shooter for a loong time. This game is absolutely brilliant, starting from great world concept, excellent story with quite nice twists in it, excellent humour and the best of it fantastic gameplay. Developers had quite amazing gameplay concepts, when I thought i'll get bored from hunts, which are fantastic imho, the game switched from slowI didnt have so much fun with a single player shooter for a loong time. This game is absolutely brilliant, starting from great world concept, excellent story with quite nice twists in it, excellent humour and the best of it fantastic gameplay. Developers had quite amazing gameplay concepts, when I thought i'll get bored from hunts, which are fantastic imho, the game switched from slow paced planned attacks on hunts to run-an'-gun-fun with frantic pace. The graphics are a bit old, BUT very climatic and overall i loved it, as i loved the change of the western to viking style. You always have something new to play with, its amazing how much fresh content they packed in this game - i cant remember in which game simple moving from town to town been so much fun, while hunting for ammo. And the combat in 3rd person is also fun especially when You get charge later on, i was happy like a kid when i was chargin in to the middle of 10 enemies ramming them into previously set traps.
    Also! In some of the reviews I've read complains about bugs - in my whole walkthrough which I enjoyed from start to finish I didnt notice single glith. Dude writing that review is sooo wrong, boss fights are actually awesome, I had no problem to guess what i must do to kill any of them. Its plain obvious. That guy just played to many COD games in which Your brain just vegetates or hes not the bright type..
    To sum the fun of it, i was playing Wolfenstein new order on my xbox and Oddworld on VITA - Ive already finished Stranger and I stucked somewhere in Wolf which is so boring and soo much worse gameplay wise compared to Stranger.
    Verdict: I just love this game. And i'd love to see sequel of it. Its just perfect from me, not a copy paste product like most of AAA titles.    … Expand
  3. xxAcesHighxx
    Jun 21, 2013
    9
    After what's felt like forever, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD has finally made it's way to Playstation Vita, and you know what, it was totally worth the wait.

    For those not 'in the know' regarding the Oddworld games, and moreover, this one in particular, Stranger's Wrath is a kinda Rango meets Ghost Busters meets Dirty Harry combo that indie outfit Just Add Water (JAW) seamlessly    After what's felt like forever, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD has finally made it's way to Playstation Vita, and you know what, it was totally worth the wait.

    For those not 'in the know' regarding the Oddworld games, and moreover, this one in particular, Stranger's Wrath is a kinda Rango meets Ghost Busters meets Dirty Harry combo that indie outfit Just Add Water (JAW) seamlessly marries together beautifully. Indeed JAW must be congratulated for bringing the raw essence of each into one utterly cohesive whole. Don't worry, you'll know exactly what I mean when you play it.

    I loved every last minute of playing through this great game once more, but as is almost always the case, it's isn't perfect. Noteworthy are the slightly floaty controls that will take a little getting used to, and of course, Stranger's Wrath may well have been treated to a fresh lick of hi-def paint and had the 'HD' suffix slapped onto its moniker, but there's no getting away from the fact that it's still a seven-year-old, last-gen game. However, once you begin to look past these shortcomings and allow yourself to sync into it's wonderfully unique groove and trust me, you will there's absolutely stacks of fun to be had from this rather fabulous FPS/3PS cult favourite; the wild west adventure that really does mean it when they say 'live ammo'.

    Whether you're well acquainted with JAW's Oddworld series or perhaps have never even heard of it, I wholeheartedly recommend jumping into the Stranger's cowboy boots and giving it a whirl without delay. Until Killzone: Mercenary releases later this year at least, Stranger's Wrath HD is arguably Vita's standout shooter, and as such, I highly doubt you'll regret giving it a shot.

    8.5 out of 10

    [PLEASE NOTE that as Metacritic doesn't facilitate 0.5 increments for it's User Reviews, I have rounded my score to 9.0. Trust me, Stranger's Wrath is a wonderful game, and a lot closer to a 9.0 than it is an 8.0].    … Expand
  4. Stianenko
    Dec 30, 2012
    9
    Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is beautiful and fun as the original plus the fact that you can enjoy it on the amazing OLED screen of the Ps Vita, with new textures and 3d models. The gameplay is solid and challenging, the graphics are nice (except for some textures that could be polished a little more) and the music does her job well.
    The free-rom shape of the game and the 1st person    Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is beautiful and fun as the original plus the fact that you can enjoy it on the amazing OLED screen of the Ps Vita, with new textures and 3d models. The gameplay is solid and challenging, the graphics are nice (except for some textures that could be polished a little more) and the music does her job well.
    The free-rom shape of the game and the 1st person shooter/3rd person platform structure makes it enjoyable for everyone. An amazing handheld experience and easily one of the best Vita releases yet.    … Expand
  5. a_bad_one
    Sep 10, 2013
    7
    This game is over rated! Not that the core gameplay isn´t fun, because it is actually lots of fun.
    But while Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD being a port from the 2005 Xbox release by the same name, well minus the "HD" Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD really shows sign of it´s old age. You will see lots of poor texturing, boring and uninspiring level design and recycled use of enemies.
    Even    This game is over rated! Not that the core gameplay isn´t fun, because it is actually lots of fun.
    But while Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD being a port from the 2005 Xbox release by the same name, well minus the "HD" Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD really shows sign of it´s old age. You will see lots of poor texturing, boring and uninspiring level design and recycled use of enemies.
    Even though this game is fun to play it really shows it´s old age through out!    … Expand
  6. lloydy280
    Dec 22, 2012
    9
    Best game on the vita - really!

    I created an account to write this. I might love my vita but dudes, its tough love, it rarely loves me back :) I'm talking games man, I have tried most of them and Gravity Rush is my current favorite as the most immersive console like game but its a labour of love... this is the first game I have played that isn't, its just great! About the game: the    Best game on the vita - really!

    I created an account to write this. I might love my vita but dudes, its tough love, it rarely loves me back :) I'm talking games man, I have tried most of them and Gravity Rush is my current favorite as the most immersive console like game but its a labour of love... this is the first game I have played that isn't, its just great!

    About the game: the IGN review of the HD release of the game (which it posted for the vita release) says it all but ignores the fact its on vita. I found it made it a bit harder, the analogue sticks mean I had to turn down the sensitivity, some of the textures are a bit less detailed as well but u have decent sized environments, fps third person gameplay with some strategy elements (in the loosest sense but combining ammo to set mines and traps). This game shows the vita can deliver on its promise of a great handheld experience, lets all stop pretending its a mini PS3 and judge the hardware on what it actually is... Dear Sony, drop the hype and get more ports like this happening - its awesome!    … Expand
  7. Solm
    Jan 17, 2013
    10
    Just add water have done a great job of converting this game to the vita. You can tell they took their time and got it right. It's the best shooter on the vita, no contest imo. Even if you have the ps3 version it's still worth purchasing for the vita.
  8. TheQuietGamer
    Feb 16, 2014
    9
    An absolutely amazing HD port. I honestly had a hard time believing this was originally a 2005 Xbox game because of how well this game has aged. Everything here feels modern and in a lot of ways ahead of it's time. Thanks to the fantastic work with the new HD graphics, this is a game that both looks and feels like it hasn't aged a day.

    The game's seamless ability to switch between two    An absolutely amazing HD port. I honestly had a hard time believing this was originally a 2005 Xbox game because of how well this game has aged. Everything here feels modern and in a lot of ways ahead of it's time. Thanks to the fantastic work with the new HD graphics, this is a game that both looks and feels like it hasn't aged a day.

    The game's seamless ability to switch between two styles of gameplay, 3rd person platforming and 1st person shooting, at any time is incredibly impressive. It's that sort of innovation that makes this game feel fresh after all these years, and in a lot of ways more fresh than a lot of more recent games of the past few years. With excellent controls, fantastic level design, great story, and overall superb core gameplay, this is an incredibly impressive title that I highly recommend you play. I do feel like the enemy types are recycled a bit too much, but this is a minor flaw considering how much fun the core combat system is. The boss battles in particular are an excellent part of this game.

    If you have not yet played "Stranger's Wrath" then there is no better time than the present. This HD port does the game well, and being able to take it on the go is a real treat. This is an old school game from the last console generation that manages to best a whole heck of a lot of modern games from this console generation. All I can say is I had an absolute blast with this game and am highly impressed with it. Definitely one I recommend.    … Expand
  9. x2495iiii
    Jan 21, 2014
    3
    It has a lot of promise, and could be really fun, but it's obvious it wasn't well tested AT ALL.

    For starters, the stranger is a total wuss. A single enemy can kill him in seconds, quicker if it's a high-level enemy, and nearly instantly if it's a boss. Speaking of which, nearly all the bosses have a ridiculous gimmick which makes them invincible for one reason or another while they    It has a lot of promise, and could be really fun, but it's obvious it wasn't well tested AT ALL.

    For starters, the stranger is a total wuss. A single enemy can kill him in seconds, quicker if it's a high-level enemy, and nearly instantly if it's a boss.

    Speaking of which, nearly all the bosses have a ridiculous gimmick which makes them invincible for one reason or another while they use their overpowered attacks to kill you faster than you can move or recover. Earlier I fought a boss who shot at me with a perfectly accurate rifle that took 1/5 of my health with each shot, and he shot about twice a second. Currently, I'm at a boss who is only vulnerable from the back, but he moves faster than me, can kill me in three hits, and every hit of his knocks me down. I'm lucky to last a minute against him, let alone do any damage. And I'd seriously like to beat the crap out of the programmer who wrote the hints that they give you if you die against a boss three times. Instead of something moderately helpful, like "the fence can't be destroyed, use that to block the missiles" or "try using explosive bats to knock him from his perch," they always say incredibly obvious things that have already been explained multiple times.

    And there are plenty of bugs to make things not so enjoyable when not being humiliated by the poorly thought-out boss fights. Try exiting the general store and watch as the Stranger gets stuck in the door on his way out and reverts to his falling animation for a solid minute or two. Open a door behind which two enemies still in their "T" poses spawn and slide out to greet you. Try running through the Port Authority and watch as the world tries desperately to load faster than you can move. And I hope you like the sound of the single voice actor they got to play every npc in the game, since you'll be hearing those npcs play identical looping overlapped conversations every time you walk through town. And that's if they say anything at all. Sometimes they move around like they're talking, but say nothing, even if you're trying to get advice or directions from them. And of course, like all poorly tested games, the subtitles don't match with the game audio.

    It's really got a lot of potential, but the bugs and the broken bosses make it a chore to play. I'm glad I didn't pay for it, since this really doesn't deserve any money or praise until it's fixed, and since it's been re-released several times, I doubt that'll happen.    … Expand
  10. loadstone007
    May 26, 2013
    6
    I fully regret purchasing this game. Controls are very annoying and the gameplay is mediocre. The graphics are good, though. Do yourself a favor and get Guacamelee! instead.
  11. Volbeat
    Nov 21, 2013
    6
    The oddworld series is known to many people and has come to be known as a classic series. Stranger's Wrath is no different. The Story is interesting but slow and boring but the gameplay is fun. The HD needs to be greatly improved. The graphics are ok but still looks like a PS1 game. This classic game is a fun time killer but if you like the Oddworld series then this a must have.
  12. guaripolo
    Aug 4, 2015
    9
    Amazing game. Maybe the graphics aren´t top notch, but the gameplay is superb. The game have a little issues with the camera and some times with the online multiplayer (ping issues), but its one of my best game experience this year. Beware, highly adictive.
  13. LeonardoCeth
    May 14, 2018
    9
    Poor controls and ageing level design are mere scratches in the porcelain surface of this near-perfect masterpiece of game narrative.

    Don't worry if you have never played another Oddworld game - this self contained experience is brimming with character and charm. This sci-fi story of a Wild-West Bounty Hunter struggling to stay alive might start simply, but soon branches out into a    Poor controls and ageing level design are mere scratches in the porcelain surface of this near-perfect masterpiece of game narrative.

    Don't worry if you have never played another Oddworld game - this self contained experience is brimming with character and charm.

    This sci-fi story of a Wild-West Bounty Hunter struggling to stay alive might start simply, but soon branches out into a compelling, continent -spanning epic, exploring themes of freedom, justice, social prejudice and self-worth.

    To say any more about the plot would be spoiling the magic, but do yourself a favor and check it out. (It's definitely worth persevering through it's clunky controls and more difficult, poorly designed missions just to see how this original story unfolds.)    … Expand
  14. Rayzival
    Sep 24, 2020
    10
    Stranger's Wrath was already a great game and with this version it got even better, the story of the game that holds you, and a good gameplay without a doubt one of the best games on the portable console.

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PS Vita Game of 2012
38
#38 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2012
18
#18 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Apr 4, 2013
    80
    More than seven years on and Stranger’s Wrath is still fresh. Apart from some annoying pop-up tutorial boxes on PS Vita and some niggling issues when retrieving ammo, it’s still unabashedly brilliant. A must buy for sure. [March 2013, p80]
  2. Everyeye.it
    Mar 18, 2013
    75
    Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is a game that feels the weight of years. Far from being unplayable or not attractive, you can not cross over the imperfections of the control system, on a plot that is not too daring and partly on a too-flat concept level design.
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  3. Worth Playing
    Feb 8, 2013
    75
    Despite feeling slightly dated, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath still manages to impress on the Vita's small screen.
    Read full review
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