Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

 PlayStation
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. Gaming Age
    100
    Abe also manages to remain challenging while never becoming irritating. Words cannot express how important this is. [Overall Score = 97]
  2. PSX Nation
    95
    If not for "Final Fantasy 7" this would probably be my pick for game of the year.
  3. Absolute Playstation
    90
    The game is just designed and presented so damn well, that it hooks you in and keeps you coming back for more. It's one of those rare games that require players to think before they react.
  5. GamePro
    90
    Despite its flaws, Abe’s delivers a combo of innovative, strategy-filled gameplay and eye-popping graphics that makes tolerating these problems worthwhile.
  6. Games Domain
    90
    It doesn't really break any new ground, but it's very compulsive playing (it's got bags of that 'just one more go' syndrome) and it's just good fun to play.
  7. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    85
    "Out of this World"-style gameplay never looked so good. [Jan 2004, p.188]
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  8. GameSpot
    84
    Abe's really is the ideal platformer, balancing its action and puzzle elements perfectly to make the game intelligent, engaging, and, best yet, fun.
  9. Gamezilla!
    82
    A very difficult game that was frustrating almost as much as it was fun.
  10. IGN
    75
    While the look of the game may seem a step back, the intelligent level design and well-thought out puzzles push it two steps into the future.
  11. All Game Guide
    70
    Handles quite well and that's especially important as many of the puzzles require split-second timing and instant controller response.

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PS1 Game of 1997
3
#3 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1997
7
#7 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1997

User Reviews

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User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 192 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 171 out of 192
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 192
  3. Negative: 6 out of 192
  1. Shrykull
    May 13, 2012
    10
    The art is amazing, the voice acting was top notch for it's time, and the creatures are genius.
    It's the best platform game I've ever played    The art is amazing, the voice acting was top notch for it's time, and the creatures are genius.
    It's the best platform game I've ever played and it's difficulty is may put off a more casual audience but there will never be a time when it is unfair on you, when you make a mistake and die you always think to your self "Ok, that didn't work but now i know where I went wrong". It's a masterpiece and you should pick it up seeing it's quite cheap on certain services.    … Full Review »
  2. skim123
    Aug 31, 2011
    10
    I just finished this game after downloading it on my PS3....and it's one of the best games ever made. If you have a PS3, get this off PSN.I just finished this game after downloading it on my PS3....and it's one of the best games ever made. If you have a PS3, get this off PSN. The amount of thought that was put into this game puts modern games to shame. In an age of mindless, dumbed-down games that tell you exactly what to do, this game actually makes you think and figure things out. It will be hard to play a mindless modern game after having my brain stimulated by this brilliant game.

    This game was made in a time when game companies didn't dumb down their games for 11-year-olds...back then, game companies made games how they wanted to make them and they weren't afraid to make their games difficult. Sadly, no one will ever make a game like this again...game companies today cater to dumb people who want to mindlessly mash buttons without ever using a brain cell. Oh well, at least you can still get it on PSN.    … Full Review »
  3. ImJTHM
    Jan 15, 2014
    3
    I apologize, but I just don't understand how this game is dubbed a "classic".
    I was turned onto this game by a friend of mine, who referred    I apologize, but I just don't understand how this game is dubbed a "classic".
    I was turned onto this game by a friend of mine, who referred to it as "Nintendo Hard". Great! I thought, because I tend to really enjoy games to challenge me.

    However, after playing this game for around 30 minutes, I wanted to shove my fist through my screen.

    Before I get to that, I just want to praise this game's presentation. It is GORGEOUS. The game is just oozing gorgeous little details, the sense of humor is dark and spot-on, and Abe, as a character, is just such a sweetie that you just want to give him a big hug.

    However, for me, the major breakdown is in the gameplay. First off, as mentioned before, this game is HARD, and I do not say that lightly. This game is unreasonably difficult with absolutely nothing to make it less frustrating. Abe can only take a single hit from any source before dying, checkpoints are extremely far apart at times, and there is nothing worse than dying, being impatient, then sprinting back onto the screen that killed you, only to trip and fall onto a landmine or into the path of a hungry Slog. This particular aspect is made 10 times worse by the lack of an autosave.

    Another aspect of this game is its abuse of secrets. Now, I love secrets, but these ones are more or less mandatory for getting the game's "Good" ending, and are even more difficult than the rest of the game. Once again, this problem is compounded by the irritatingly unclear checkpoint system. Also, these secret areas are not just off the beaten path and hidden just offscreen. They are hidden in places that literally nobody in their right mind would ever attempt to look, and some require extremely complex commands to access, such as killing an enemy with an object in a strange way to destroy an anti-chant device to possess another enemy to crouch behind a barrel,which opens the door somewhere else. At times, they are literally that complicated, and due to the uncontrollably awkward checkpoints, if you accidentally kill the enemy to possess, you will never get another chance, because the game has autosaved.

    Anyway, back to the massive difficulty. Abe's control doesn't feel tight; in fact, it feels like Abe is just a bit hungover as he walks. Bump into a wall while sprinting? Likely just caused instant death by whatever monster is chasing you. Forget to manually uncrouch before moving? Abe will roll extremely quickly, likely into the enemy you were attempting to avoid. Deaths like this account for much of my frustration with the game, because I never felt like they were my fault. I felt like Abe was ignoring what I said, or that I couldn't see the edge of a platform clearly, while I was running from instant death enemies, and had exactly 0.4 seconds of reaction time for Abe to jump.

    I know it sounds like I'm complaining a lot, and I really am, but this game is one of the most unreasonably frustrating games I have ever played. I adore Abe's Exodus and Munch's Oddysee, but this game is just too difficult to recommend for anything other than someone who doesn't mind grinding their teeth to splinters or just playing trial-and-error until the game is finished.

    Trust me, if you can help yourself, just look up the cutscenes online and go straight to Abe's Exodus, and you might save yourself a few gray hairs.    … Full Review »
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