Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD

Stranger's Wrath HD keeps showing that its offering was very original in 2005, and now, with this new edition, it doesn't feel outdated and at the same time it improves resolution, fps, loading times and add new features as movement control when aiming... Some details don't hide its age, but it's a great adventure, and this is its best version.

I'm very happy that the wait was worth it. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is still a unique experience that manages to blend its platforming and FPS gameplay mechanics pretty well. There are some parts that haven't aged as well as others, but if you're looking for a game where you fire smack-talking chipmunks at criminals with names like Joe Momma, then this will fit perfectly on your Nintendo Switch.

Ultimately, this Switch port of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is seriously worth considering if you’ve never played the game before. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD remains original, engaging, fun, and humorous. It feels nearly as fresh now as it did 15 years ago – though I’m not sure if that’s a compliment to the game or an indictment of the games industry. Either way, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD deserves to be loved, so give it a go. The Switch is as good a format as any to play it on. In fact, it might even be the best. Only its inflated price should make you think twice.

Some parts of Stranger’s Wrath could use an upgrade. Its actual upgrade system never requires you to pinch your pennies and bring in targets alive, a few of the ammo types don’t work as well as they should, the stealth never seems to work, its ending goes on for too long, and the world could use a bit more life. Yet, true to its name, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is a strange game that still sticks out because of its unusual but fantastic tone. It’s strong enough to deserve a sequel or actual remaster from the ground up but, given the unlikelihood of that, a strong port will have to do.

Quotation forthcoming.

Strangers Wrath still is a crazy-good action-adventure with a quirky main character. Some details like the odd controls didn’t age that well, though.

Stranger’s Wrath is back with a decent remaster that works well on Switch. Some aspects of the game haven’t aged very well, but the adventure is still quite enjoyable and unique.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is a frantic game thanks to its combination of genres and a very fluid gameplay. Unfortunately, its mechanics may become repetitive in the long run. However, Stranger's charisma makes the game fun from start to finish.

Overall, there isn't much that one can fault in Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD on the Switch. It runs and looks improved on all fronts, and it features a game that is interesting and fun to play. It's quite dated in some respects, such as the audio, controls, and overall design. While this is unlikely to scare away fans of the series, newcomers should probably be aware that this is a diamond in the rough with more than a few sharp edges. Just like 15 years ago, though, this is still a trip worth taking.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath offers one of the coolest reload mechanics in gaming history when it has you rustle up your own ammo. Lack of interesting puzzles make this feel more like an FPS with a good story when compared to previous entries in the series.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is still a good game, thanks to its unique style and a compelling, slow, fascinating weird-western narration. The charming adventure of the Stranger it's a manifesto of the most ambitious visions of early 2000s and, despite some technical flaws and some naive choices, it's still surprisingly fresh and elegant. The Switch porting could have been slicker and better, because framerate issues and clumsy controls in a remastered in 2020 are not acceptable anymore.

Despite being a game that’s now 15 years old, [Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD] has been adapted to the Switch fantastically.

Despite his cartoonish and childish design, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath delivers an outstanding and mature experience but suffers from technical issues compared to the PC version.

If this will be your first time playing Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath then you'll definitely have a fantastic time with its original gameplay formula and quirky Western world. However, there's no reason to double dip if you already own it on another console.

Stranger’s Wrath’s HD port feels a little dated despite the performance improvements, but it’s still a blast to play. The charming characters, impressive worldbuilding and unique gameplay design pull through to offer up perhaps the best version of this Oddworld entry.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath on Switch it's beautiful, it's fun and - yes - it's insane, but it just feels a bit old.

The story didn’t move me too much, but Stranger’s journey was an entertaining one from start to finish. I wish the boss fights could have been a bit stronger and the port needs some more work before it becomes truly perfect, but I’d easily recommend this to someone looking for a shooter on their Nintendo Switch that stands out amongst the rest.

We are getting a 'great game' in its time, an advance to its time, and you have to play it to know what we mean. Although the graphics aspect is simple and its mechanics have aged, it is still enjoyable on Switch.

Complaints aside, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is a fun, unique take on shooters. Given that the HD remaster is around a decade old, Stranger’s Wrath does look and feel a little dated. However, if you can look past its age, there’s still a mighty fine experience to be had here.

Players looking for a classic 'Oddworld' game might be disappointed with Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath. The game has its own identity while still remaining part of that unique universe, and that somehow makes it even more appealing – giving players a world to explore that feels much bigger than what you see of it. While the game has aged well for the most part, some imperfections have become more obvious with time. The stealth mechanics are nowhere near as fine-tuned as they should be, and can be ignored completely without compromising the player's experience. A lack of instruction in the latter part of the story could also cause frustration, and the slapstick drop of falling from a height will never be something that fits with the game's overall tone. Despite these rough edges, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is still a joy to play on Switch, and if you didn't experience it the first time around, it's well worth a look now.

Stranger’s Wrath HD, remastered and enhanced for the Switch, does some things better that its previous iterations, but fails in other aspects. Totally recommended to Switch owners who have never experienced the game before, and to long-time fans as well, but until the next Oddworld adventure arrives, it might be best to search for the game somewhere else.

For the more dedicated fans, or newbies willing to discover a glorious saga ready to relaunch, however, it will take a little more motivation to justify the € 30 required, perhaps not just a few for a review of gaming history certainly appreciated, but not then so essential.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is an enjoyable remaster which has managed to age with grace, bringing back a classic feeling that isn’t too dated and is just as easy to play now as it was back in 2005. With excellent controls and a smooth blend of FPS and third person platforming adventure gameplay, the game’s only real faults come from repetitive and lackluster dialogue, and a rather barren landscape that reveals its age a little too well, but overall left me with a great experience that newer gamers really ought to try.

Stranger's Wrath is charming, but it is getting a bit dated. This game used to be unique, but it seems very monotonous now. If you are huge fan this shouldn't be a problem, but we would not recommend it to newbies.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD brings to Nintendo Switch a nice story and some interesting ideas, but also all the weaknesses of the original game, that feels very outdated.

Although some elements have aged well, large swaths of the game design serve more as a look back at 2005 than a modern piece of entertainment. That being said, if like me you have a penchant for the strangeness of the sixth generation of gaming, you’ll likely be able to see Stranger’s Wrath for what it represents. Like many remasters from this era, it is best played with its original release era in mind.

Stranger's Wrath was a great game... fifteen years ago. It's still good, but after so long it does not age well enough to warrant the $30 price tag. It is a bit too simple and repetitive to be fully redeemed by its careful design. It is still a surprisingly entertaining romp, and will likely provide a lot of fun for younger players or nostalgic fans. By modern standards though, there are plenty of better games out on the Switch that have a similar level of polish but feel smoother to play and benefit directly from being on a portable console.

The port itself is perfectly fine, working well in handheld mode on the Switch. Load times are short and all the game's functions map well to the Joy-Cons. So, if you're looking to play Stranger's Wrath on the move and you've not picked it up on mobile, this is a great option. It's just that, while I'm a big fan of Stranger's Wrath, and I'm looking forward to returning to Oddworld with Soulstorm, as good as a game as this once was, its shine has dimmed over the years.

Stranger's Wrath was indeed a pure gem when it released in 2005, was very welcome on other systems and you can have the fondest memories of it. But the stranger looks and feels very old as it comes back on Nintendo Switch. It still has a good heart but doesn't really shine anymore in terms of graphics or gameplay. Still, it has this fantastic western atmosphere. And it is a part of video games history that has to be known. But mostly that makes us hope for some kind of makeover, Abe style.