Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

 PlayStation
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
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  1. 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 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    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.    … Expand
  2. alexandrea
    Nov 25, 2021
    4
    I want to love this game but i just don´t understand the love for this game.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. PSX Nation
    95
    If not for "Final Fantasy 7" this would probably be my pick for game of the year.
    Read full review
  2. 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.
    Read full review
  3. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    85
    "Out of this World"-style gameplay never looked so good. [Jan 2004, p.188]
See all critic reviews »