Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD

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.