Genre Buster
The Xbox® has been home to many great games that represent the pinnacles of achievement in their various genres: Halo® 2 dominates first-person shooters, Ninja Gaiden® owns third-person action,Red Dead Revolverwas a truly great Western as well as a unique third-person arcade-style shooter. The Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®series and other Clancy games represent some of the finest military action in gaming, and Dead or Alive® Xtreme Beach Volleyball is, dare I say, the greatest volleyball, vacation, and friendship simulator ever devised by human hands, an opinion I shall take to my grave. And so on and so on.
So, how do you classify a title that takes elements of all these different game types (except maybe the vacation simulator) and turns the end result into something completely unique? You can call that title a Genre Buster—or, more specifically in this case, you can call it Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath™.
Howdy, Stranger.
It's a Shooter!
First and foremost, you're tempted to put Stranger's Wrath solidly into the action-shooter category. You've got a smooth first-person shooter view that you use through most of the game, with a standard targeting reticule and the like. But that's where the similarities end. Instead of switching weapons, you collect (like coins in a platformer) your literally living ammunition as you go along. Only a couple of ammo types are what you'd call typical projectiles: the zappfly and the thudslug. The rest all do unique things, like lure enemies away from the pack or attach to their heads and chomp on their tiny brains. It's one part crossbow, one part James Bond.
Yes, it's a shooter, but it's also …
It's Third-Person Action!
If you try to play Stranger's Wrath as a straight-up shooter, you're probably going to get frustrated pretty quickly—but that's just because the game is not a straight-up shooter (you picking up a theme here?). You have two viewpoints, and you need to use them both to progress through the increasingly tricky levels. It's darn near impossible to make certain jumps without snapping the camera back, but beware—in third person, you have no crossbow, and Stranger's spin and slam attacks are much more like those of a classic platform character. Wait, did I say "platform"?
It's a Platformer!
Stranger's Wrathhasn't left the Oddworld traditionalists in the dust—instead, the puzzle-oriented elements of the old platform-y Oddworld games have been incorporated into the third-person action elements and, most notably, in the boss fights. Every boss requires different tactics and strategy to defeat him or her, and you often have to figure out your plan of attack while you're being shot at, bombed, both, or worse. Don't be surprised if, after the first couple of bosses, you end up reloading the rest several times. It's often the only way to figure out strategies that work.
… a third person platformer …
It's Stealth Action!
The stealth action part of Stranger's Wrath is clear when you take a close look at your in-game radar and see that an enemy's cone-shaped field of vision shows up on the screen. This is all you need to see to realize that combat in Stranger is not just about running, gunning, and combinations thereof. It requires real planning whenever possible. Always take on enemies one-on-one if possible, like Sam Fisher would.
… a game that requires stealth …
It's All of the Above, plus James Bond Gadgets!
In the end, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is in a class all by itself. The rich, twisting storyline and semi-open structure (you're free to wander each village as much as you like, upgrading Stranger as you see fit) is even reminiscent of an RPG, though I don't think there's enough room in this article for yet another genre.
… and an unforgettable experience!
Hard-to-classify games sometimes get overlooked, and it would truly be a shame if you missed out on Stranger's Wrath. Take a chance, even if (perhaps especially if) you've never been to Oddworld before. No matter what type of gamer you are, you're going to like it here.
By Ben Barker
