Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath (Finally) Coming to PC

After years of console exclusivity, Oddworld Inhabitants' action-puzzler Munch's Oddysee (an original Xbox launch title from 2001) is being ported...

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After years of console exclusivity, Oddworld Inhabitants' action-puzzler Munch's Oddysee (an original Xbox launch title from 2001) is being ported to the PC alongside its Western-themed shooter Stranger's Wrath--the studio's second Xbox-only release.

Munch's Oddysee (2001) and Stranger's Wrath (2005)

"We are in the process of converting Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PC, so that all four of the major Oddworld games will be re-releasing this winter in a package called 'The Oddbox," Oddworld's Lorne Lanning told Bitmob. "This will be the Abe games, Munch, and Stranger as one package for Steam's digital distribution network, as well as a few other digital distribution outlets."

The first two entries in the Oddworld franchise, side-scrolling puzzlers Abe's Oddysee and Abe's Exoddus, were re-released on PC via Steam and Good Old Games back in 2008, with Lanning confirming that the original PS One versions will be available "very soon" to PlayStation 3 and PSP owners through the platforms' online PlayStation Store.

Stranger's Wrath marked a departure for the traditionally third-person franchise, as the bounty hunting title saw players frequently shifting between first- and third-person gameplay. The first-person view was akin to a traditional shooter, while the third-person view provided faster movement but only allowed a few basic melee attacks.

And while Munch's Oddysee is among the select original Xbox games that can be played on the Xbox 360 via backwards compatibility, Stranger's Wrath never made the cut--in other words, it's been trapped on the original Xbox for almost five years now.

As for new entries in the series, Lanning noted that "we hope to have an announcement soon, but I've been saying that for awhile now so I'll just shut up and hope for the best."

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    October 9, 2009 9:29 AM

    Can they fix up the PC ports of the first two games while they're at it? The Gamespeak controls are horrible and can't be customized, and there's no real gamepad support (bless you Joy2Key).

    • reply
      October 9, 2009 10:13 AM

      I got the steam version but haven't really played it because of the controller issues.

    • reply
      October 9, 2009 10:29 AM

      Whats this with a controller issue? So are they virtually unplayable??

      • reply
        October 9, 2009 10:43 AM

        The big problem is that Gamespeak commands are on the number row. Keep in mind that the PS1 version had a context-based one where you used the face buttons while holding down L or R. L1+Square makes a whole lot more sense than just pressing 5 out of context.

        The rest of the game controls fine, but their button choices are a little iffy (in some cases, the X button literally translates to the X key).

        • reply
          October 9, 2009 11:39 AM

          Just get a gamepad - it supports the exact same original control scheme with a bit of configuring.

          • reply
            October 9, 2009 8:55 PM

            Really? I haven't tried it since getting a gamepad. This is good news.

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