When theOddworldseries of platform games debuted in 1997 on PC and the original PlayStation, it became somewhat of a phenomenon. In total, there were four titles released in the original series, which stopped receiving new entries in 2005, to the disappointment of many Abe fans. So whenOddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty,a full remake of the first title, released in 2014, a lot of gamers were excited that the franchise might see a revival. ButOddworld: Soulstorm,a remake of the second game, didn’t see the light of day until nearly seven years later, and its launchleft two portions of the gaming population feeling somewhat left out.
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It’s likely, therefore, that many PC gamers and fans of theOddworldfranchise will be glad to hear that the Epic Games Store exclusivity deal ends soon. A video released by developer Oddworld Inhabitants on April 20 is titled simply, “Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition –COMING SOON TO STEAM.”The short trailer then displays a few of the awards andhigh review scoresOddworld: Soulstormreceived, montages cutscenes to show off the impressive next-gen graphics, and showcases the title’svaried gameplay.
Although a sequel to the 2014 remakeOddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty,Oddworld: Soulstormis a reimagining ofAbe’s Exoddusrather than a direct remake.Abe’s Exoddus,the original second entry in the series,has always been considered a spin-off title.Soulstorm,on the other hand, is sometimes given the subtitle, “As originally envisioned.” The game features entirely new areas, introduces game mechanics not present inAbe’s Exoddus,and some parts of the title look completely different from the original. Soulstormhas been described by the developer as a “complete story retake inspired by our original tale.”
The version of the gamecoming to Steam in the near future will be theOddworld: SoulstormEnhanced Edition that launched in November 2021. This version has tweaked gameplay mechanics, improved enemy and follower AI, as well as seven months’ worth of extra polish. The enhanced edition of the game also features two exclusive bonus levels: Vykkers Labs for Xbox and Toby’s Escape for the PlayStation and Epic Games Store versions. It’s unclear whether the Steam version will also feature Toby’s Escape, though it seems safe to assume that it will.
Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Editionis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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