This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2017) |
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Oddworld Inhabitants Art Co., Ltd (GBA) Just Add Water (PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita) |
Publisher(s) | Microsoft Game Studios (Xbox) THQ (GBA) Oddworld Inhabitants |
Director(s) | Lorne Lanning |
Producer(s) | Shane Keller Brian Urquhart |
Designer(s) | Jeffrey Martin Brown Lorne Lanning |
Programmer(s) | Charles Bloom Erik Yiskis |
Artist(s) | Farzad Varahramyan |
Writer(s) | Chris Ulm |
Composer(s) | Michael Bross Tommy Tallarico (opening cinematic cutscene) |
Series | Oddworld |
Engine | NetImmerse [ citation needed ] |
Platform(s) | Xbox Game Boy Advance Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 PlayStation Vita iOS Android OS X Nintendo Switch |
Release | November 15, 2001
|
Genre(s) | Platform |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is a 2001 video game, released for the Xbox. It is the third game made by Oddworld Inhabitants, the second chapter of the Oddworld Quintology, following Abe's Oddysee , and the third overall Oddworld game.
Originally announced as a title in development for PlayStation 2, it was instead released exclusively as one of the launch titles for Xbox. While an "Oddboxx" containing the first four Oddworld games was originally intended for a holiday season 2009 release on Steam, the fourth game in the series was not released until December 20, 2010 on Steam, over two years after the first three. The game received generally positive critical reviews around the time of its release, though retrospective and reviews of the game's ports have been more mixed to negative.
Munch's Oddysee features a selection of new species: the Vykkers, who act as researchers and conduct immoral experiments on other species; the Gabbits, a frog-like species that has been nearly driven to extinction thanks to Glukkons harvesting them; and the Fuzzles, a puffball-like species that the Vykkers frequently experiment on, causing them to be highly aggressive. The game's main protagonist and narrator is Munch, a Gabbit who is captured at the beginning, but subsequently breaks free thanks to a device that grants him new powers. While his story focuses on him rescuing Fuzzles and the last eggs of his species, the game is also joined by the Mudokon hero Abe, who assists in this task in order to find the eggs of unborn Mudokon being held by the Glukkons. The main antagonists of the game include the Vykkers researcher Humphrey, his colleague Irwin, and the Glukkon queen Lady Margaret, both of whom seek to stop the duo while achieving their own goals.
Following the destruction of RuptureFarms and SoulStorm Brewery, [lower-alpha 1] the Glukkons commercially harvest the froglike Gabbits nearly to extinction, harvesting them for their eggs, to create a caviar-based delicacy called "Gabbiar", and their lungs, needed to replace their own because of their excessive chain-smoking habit. Munch, the last surviving Gabbit, is captured and brought to Vykkers Labs, a floating research fortress, where the Vykkers prepare to convert him into a slave to find animals for them, to allow them more time for their research. After having an electronic device attached to his head for that purpose, Munch finds he can use it to help break free captured Fuzzles, who help him to break free from his own confinement. At the same time, the Mudokon hero Abe is instructed by the "Almighty Raisin", an ancient oracular creature, to find and rescue Munch upon learning of his predicament. Abe reaches the Lab, just as Munch manages to escape via a waste chute, and work together to return to the Raisin.
Upon returning to see him, the Raisin reveals that both need to work together to get back into Vykkers Labs, where Abe can find the eggs of unborn Mudokons that he needs to save. Although not willing to return, Munch learns that the only way to save his species from extinction is to recover the last can of Gabbiar in existence, which is due to be auctioned in the Labs. The duo discover that the only way to infiltrate the Labs and the auction is to assist a lazy Glukkon named Lulu, who desires to achieve a fortune from other Glukkons and elevate himself to the highest social rank amongst his species. To assist in this, the duo track down and force various wealthy Glukkons to donate their money to Lulu's accounts, swiftly making him a multi-millionaire. Lulu then heads to Vykkers Labs to bask in his new-found fame and wealth, to which Abe and Munch use the opportunity to break into the Labs. What happens next depends on the overall level of Quarma the player has attained by this point.
If the player fails to rescue enough Fuzzles and Mudokon scrubs, attaining less than 50% Quarma, the duo find themselves ambushed by the Fuzzles, who turn on them for not rescuing their kind from the Vykkers. As a result, Abe is killed and has his head displayed as a trophy, while Munch is killed by the Vykkers while extracting his lungs for the Glukkon queen, Lady Margaret. If the player achieves the level of "Black Quarma" (10% Quarma), it's revealed additionally that the Gabbiar has been eaten and the Mudokon eggs have hatched into a new labor force.
If the player has saved a reasonable number of Fuzzles and Mudokons scrubs, attaining 50% Quarma or more, the duo begin working to rescue the eggs of the Mudokons before the auction is to take place, sending them to a transport commandeered by Abe's fellow Mudokons. Eventually, the duo manipulate Lulu to attend the auction and take part in it, with Abe managing to maintain control on him long enough to win the auction. In the resulting chaos, the duo rescue the can of Gabbiar and escape from the Labs. On the ship, As the duo leave across the skies, Abe and Munch watch as Vykkers Labs is destroyed by explosives planted within by the Fuzzles, and witness a second moon in the sky bearing the footprint of the Gabbits on its face. If the player achieves the rank of "Angelic Quarma" (90% Quarma), it is revealed that in the aftermath of the destruction of Vykkers Labs, and the liberation of the Mudokon scrubs, Fuzzles and Mudokon eggs, the industrial economy is thrown into disarray with stock prices falling exponentially, and Lulu -who has been reduced to begging following his bankruptcy from winning the auction- is blamed for it.
Munch's Oddysee was the first game in the Oddworld series in 3D, unlike the 2D Abe's Oddysee and Abe's Exoddus.
Abe's chant possession ability (enabling the player to control NPCs) was also changed: in Munch's Oddysee, it appears as a small ball of energy which the player controls, and must be earned by the collection of the spherical 'spooceshrubs', which may also be used for opening some locked doors. Other new features include Abe's ability to pick up objects and people, and different vending machines, which supply new abilities for a brief moment. The most significant new feature is the ability to switch control between Abe and Munch. Munch has his own abilities, such as using his sonar to control the Snoozers from the control panel, as well as pick up grabbers. He can also swim in water, while Abe can not. In the game's booklet, it warns that Abe can only possess Industrialists, but in gameplay, the player can possess all the creatures permitted in Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, and, for the first time, Slogs (the reptilian hounds kept by the industrialists as guards), though the options for controlling non-Industrialists are very limited, and usually result in the victim's destruction.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2013) |
Oddworld Inhabitants' Lorne Lanning's original vision was to create a series of five video games, the Oddworld Quintology, with each game introducing a new hero who would join the existing band of revolutionaries on their journey to put an end to the exploitation of cultures, people and the natural world by profiteering capitalists. Munch's Oddysee is the true second Quintology title. In 1998, after the release of Abe's Exoddus, work started on Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee in earnest. The gameplay moved from 2D to 3D, the platform from PlayStation 2 to Xbox, the publisher from GT Interactive (taken over by Infogrames) to Microsoft in October 2000. [3] Microsoft wanted to market the game to casual game players and proposed that the game be called Abe & Munch's Fun Adventures. [4]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2013) |
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2003. It was developed by Art Co., Ltd and published by THQ. It is a top-down 2D Platformer and the third and currently last Oddworld game made for a handheld console. This port is more family-friendly, with no gore and profanity. The story was also changed to be much simpler compared to its console counterpart.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2013) |
An upgraded port of Munch's Oddysee was announced in April 2011 for release on PlayStation 3, developed by the team at Just Add Water. The game was released on the PlayStation Network and include enhanced 720p visuals, more detailed character models, remastered dialogue, and bonus material. [5] Just Add Water later confirmed that both Oddworld Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath would be released on the PlayStation Vita. [6] On November 30, 2011, a LittleBigPlanet 2 costume of Munch was released on the PlayStation Store. The game was released on December 19, 2012 in Europe, and on December 24 in North America.
On February 25, 2016, Oddworld Inhabitants announced a public beta for a re-working port for the PC version of Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. The port made by Square One has released on macOS, iOS, tvOS and Android. This is for the Steam version for Microsoft Windows. The new port will clear up all bugs that the original version had. [7] A port for the Nintendo Switch was also released on May 14, 2020. [8]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2013) |
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
GameRankings | XBOX: 79% [9] GBA: 49% [10] |
Metacritic | XBOX: 80/100 [11] GBA: 44/100 [12] VITA: 72/100 [13] NS: 59/100 [14] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Next Generation | [15] |
TouchArcade | [16] |
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee received fair to positive reviews from critics upon its release in 2001. [9] [11] More critical of the title, GameSpot gave the game a 7.9, stating "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is a very smart game with great puzzles, yet there's not enough variety in those puzzles to keep it completely entertaining throughout." [17] IGN gave the game a 7.4, saying "The final product comes off as anything but polished, and suffers from a lack of variety, and an overabundance of repetition that keeps this game from truly shining like I wished it would. As much as I like the characters and the design of the new Munch game, I'm still hoping for the true spiritual sequel to my good old Abe." [18]
Next Generation reviewed the Xbox version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Munch isn't a typical platformer, but it's still completely entertaining, unique, and highly recommended." [15]
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Munch's Oddysee for "Outstanding Achievement in Animation" during the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; [19] it was also nominated for "Innovation in Console Gaming" and "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction", [20] but these went to Pikmin and Ico , respectively. [19]
Retrospectives and reviews of ports of the game have been more mixed to negative, with some critics considering it to be the worst game in the Oddworld series. [22] [23] In a 2020 review of the Nintendo Switch version, Nintendo Life remarked that the game was the worst in the Oddworld series and criticized the level design, control, and the unpolished feeling of the game. [23] COGconnected, in a 2020 review of the Switch version, praised the game's options and pick-up and play feel, though they criticized the "repetitive" puzzle design. [24] God is a Geek also criticized the game's camera, control, environments which they labeled as "bland" in a 2020 review of the Switch port. [25] The Switch port was also criticized for not updating the game's control options and for keeping bugs that were present in the Xbox version in the game. [26]
The Switch and Vita ports of the game that were released in 2020 and 2014 have Metacritic scores of 58 and 72 respectively, indicating "generally mixed reviews." [27] [28]
Oddworld is a video game series and fictional universe, created by developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. The series has been released on various platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Game Boy, Windows and Wii U.
Hitman is a stealth game franchise created by Danish developer IO Interactive. The player controls the contract killer Agent 47, who travels the world to assassinate various targets who are assigned to him.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation game console, and computers running MS-DOS and Windows. A Game Boy version was released as Oddworld Adventures in 1998.
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus is a platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. Although the game is a sequel to the video game Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, it is considered a spin-off title in the Oddworld series, and not part of the Oddworld Quintology. It was released in November 1998 for the PlayStation video game console and in December 1998 for Microsoft Windows. A Game Boy Color version, titled Oddworld Adventures 2, was released in 2000. The PlayStation version was re-released on the PlayStation Network in October 2009.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a 2002 platform video game developed by Krome Studios and published by Electronic Arts for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox systems. The game was remastered in HD for Windows and was made available through Steam in 2016. A remastered version published by Krome Studios was also developed for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Nintendo Switch version released in North America in March 2020, and in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand the following month. The PlayStation 4 version was released on 25 July 2020. The Xbox One version was released on 14 October 2020.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is an action-adventure video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox. It is the fourth overall entry of the Oddworld series. It was released on January 25, 2005.
Madden NFL 2003 is an American football simulation video game based on the NFL that was developed by EA Tiburon and Budcat Creations and published by EA Sports. The 14th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game features former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk on the cover. This edition of Madden was the first to have EA Trax, the Mini Camp mode, and to feature Al Michaels as play-by-play announcer, who took over for Pat Summerall. Although it featured the expansion Houston Texans and the relocation of the Seattle Seahawks to the NFC, it was actually the second to do so. The game was released on August 12, 2002, for the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The PlayStation version also includes the Sega Genesis version of John Madden Football 93.
Lorne Lanning is an American game designer, director, writer and voice actor. He is also co-founder and president of the video game developer Oddworld Inhabitants. He is best known for creating the Oddworld series including the games Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! and Oddworld: Soulstorm.
Commandos 2: Men of Courage is a real-time tactics video game, developed by Pyro Studios, published by Eidos Interactive, and released on September 20, 2001. It is a sequel to Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and the second installment of the Commandos series, and is the only strategy game of the series to be designed not only for Microsoft Windows, but also for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game sees players taking control of a squad of commandos, along with various allied units, as they sneak behind enemy lines to accomplish various missions in World War II, between 1941 and 1944, that will help them to thwart the war efforts of the Germans and the Japanese. The game features several improvements to the gameplay from its predecessor, including the ability to use enemy weapons and explore interior locations, the inclusion of three new commandos, a number of new skills for the original six members along with their other abilities, and new pieces of equipment to help overcome the enemy.
There have been numerous Monopoly video games based on the core game mechanics of Parker Brothers and Hasbro's board game Monopoly. They have been developed by numerous teams and released on multiple platforms over 35+ years.
Oddworld Inhabitants Inc. is an American video game, film and television company founded in 1994 by special-effects and computer-animation veterans Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning. The company is primarily known for the Oddworld, series of video games about the fictional planet of Oddworld and its native creatures. The series debuted with Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee in 1997 and continued with Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee in 2001 but the studio has also developed standalone titles Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus in 1998 and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath in 2005.
Ellen Meijers is a Dutch video game music composer and audio designer who worked for such companies as Apple Inc., LucasArts, Oddworld Inhabitants and Crystal Dynamics.
Oddworld Adventures 2 is a Game Boy Color platform game developed by Saffire and published by GT Interactive in 2000. It is a spin-off off the Oddworld series based upon the title Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, released in 1998.
Darksiders II is an action role-playing hack and slash video game developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ. It is the sequel to Darksiders and was released in August 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and as a launch title for Wii U upon the console's North American and PAL regions release in November of the same year. The story follows the efforts of player character Death to clear the name of his brother, War, who stands accused of wiping out humanity. On a total budget of $50 million, it was one of the most expensive video games to develop of all time.
Just Add Water (Development) Limited is an independent video game developer based in Leeds, England. Founded by Stewart Gilray in 2006, Just Add Water has worked on different titles for the PlayStation 3 and Windows, notably the Oddworld series. They have teamed up with Oddworld Inhabitants to recreate the series in high definition as well as working on new installments in the series.
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! is a 2014 cinematic platform video game developed by Just Add Water and published by Oddworld Inhabitants as a "ground-up remake" of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. The game was released in North America on 22 July 2014 and in Europe on 23 July 2014 for the PlayStation 4. The title was also released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U. It has been ported on iOS and Android and released worldwide on 14 December 2017. A Nintendo Switch version was released on 27 October 2020.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is a 2021 platform game developed and published by Oddworld Inhabitants. The game is the sequel to 2014's Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! and a re-imagining of 1998's Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus as it was originally envisioned. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows in April 2021, with an enhanced edition released in November 2021, alongside versions for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. A port for Nintendo Switch, subtitled Oddtimized Edition, was released in November 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition is a 2018 action role-playing game co-developed by XPEC Entertainment, SummerTimeStudio and publisher Square Enix. The title is an abridged version of the 2016 title Final Fantasy XV, remaking its storyline, graphics, and gameplay for mobile devices. Originally released for Android and iOS, it was later released for Windows 10 through the Microsoft Store, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The console versions were released under the title Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD. Split into ten chapters, the game follows protagonist Noctis Lucis Caelum and his party across the world of Eos, with players navigating semi-linear environments and fulfilling quests to advance the story. The first chapter is available for free, while subsequent chapters must be purchased.
Disney's Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 side-scrolling platform video game developed by Digital Eclipse for the Game Boy Advance. Based on the Disney animated film Lilo & Stitch, it was first released in North America on June 7, 2002 by Disney Interactive, with Ubi Soft publishing the game in Europe on October 4, 2002.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)This article possibly contains original research .(October 2007) |