Why Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath Needs a Sequel After 20 Years

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Over the past three decades, gamers worldwide have been captivated by the peculiar, zany, and frequently amusing industry-leading games from the Oddworld series, with one game in particular gaining cult status: Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath. On January 25th, Oddworld Inhabitants’ fourth major release in the Oddworld series will mark its 20th anniversary, having first been released as an exclusive title on Xbox in 2005. Different from other games in the Oddworld collection, Stranger’s Wrath is a mix of first and third-person action-adventure gameplay rather than the series’ usual 2D platform viewpoint. Although Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath didn’t achieve the same financial success as other games in the series or similar action-adventure titles, it still warrants a sequel.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath Explained

All “Oddworld” video games are based on the planet named Oddworld, inhabited by various unique and quirky species. Most “Oddworld” games like “Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee” and “Abe’s Exoddus” unfold within massive industrial facilities where the main characters aim to liberate oppressed or subjugated natives from corrupt corporations in capitalist dystopias. In contrast, “Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath” is set in a more expansive, rural landscape reminiscent of old Western movie settings, with industrial areas just starting to encroach upon the nearby communities. It’s also important to note that “Stranger’s Wrath” is located on the western side of Oddworld’s main continent, Mudos, while all other “Oddworld” games occur in East Mudos.

In contrast to portraying characters as rebellious workers or slaves in previous Oddworld games, Stranger’s Wrath presents players with the role of the Stranger, a enigmatic character reminiscent of Clint Eastwood, who is a feline-humanoid bounty hunter armed with a versatile double-barreled, semi-automatic crossbow. As the Stranger, you are assigned to capture multiple lawbreakers scattered along the Mongo River to accrue enough money, which serves as the regional currency, to cover the cost of a crucial operation. Concurrently, the native inhabitants of Western Mudos, the amphibian-like Grubbs, are being oppressed and displaced from their territory by the bird-like Clakkers and Sekto Springs Bottled Water Company. The Water Company has dammed the Mongo River, leading to the drying up of Grubb lands and depriving them of fish as their primary sustenance.

The Unique Gameplay of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath

In contrast to the puzzle-solving and exploration-focused style typical of most Oddworld games, Stranger’s Wrath offers a more combat-oriented experience that switches between first and third-person perspectives. The game is played from a third-person view when the Stranger is walking or running, but it shifts to a first-person perspective when using the crossbow. Players can attack enemies or destroy objects with a spinning move similar to Super Mario Galaxy, but most combat revolves around the crossbow. Instead of shooting regular bolts, the crossbow fires small creatures, each with distinct abilities. Throughout Stranger’s Wrath, nine types of live ammunition can be hunted, fired, and upgraded.

Among these unfortunate beings, you’ll find creatures such as the Bolamites, capable of immobilizing foes within a massive web upon being launched, the cunning Chippunks that entice adversaries, the Stunkz that discharge foul gas causing enemies to retch, and the Zappflies that can momentarily stun, lightly wound, and activate specific mechanisms. In between battle sequences, the Traveler is free to explore quaint towns, engaging in conversations with locals and detained outlaws before buying gear or enhancements for future skirmishes, particularly boss fights. As the game progresses, the Traveler will acquire a sizable rowboat equipped with an automatic turret for river and coastal combat engagements.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath Ending and Impact

The finale of ‘Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath’ uncovers several surprising truths. It’s exposed that the proprietor of Sekto Springs Bottled Water Company, Sekto, has almost wiped out a horned, feline centaur species called Steef through hunting. The protagonist, referred to as the Stranger, is offered 20,000 moolah for capturing one Steef to cover his surgical costs. However, the Stranger gets captured and disrobed by D. Caste Raider, revealing that he himself was a Steef who had removed his horns and underwent surgery to fuse his front and back legs, concealing his true identity. The Steif is subsequently saved by Grubb rebels, who equip him with Steef armor and a new crossbow for the battle against Sekto and his company. In the end, the dam collapses, Sekto is defeated, and it’s revealed that he was an Oktigi, a squid-like creature controlling Olden Steef.

In the year 2005, the game “Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath” was launched and received critical acclaim for its gameplay, visuals, and character development. However, due to ineffective marketing by the publisher, Electronic Arts (EA), it only managed to sell approximately 600,000 copies by the 2010s, resulting in a commercial flop. Remarkably, “Stranger’s Wrath” gained cult status, leading Oddworld Inhabitants and Just Add Water to release a high-definition remaster of the game for PlayStation 3 and PC in 2010, which was subsequently ported to various platforms including PlayStation Vita, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, mobile devices, and more. Despite plans for sequels and spiritual successors like “The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot”, they never materialized due to financial obstacles.

A Potential Sequel to Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath

In the finale of ‘Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath’, Sekto swims off, leaving Stranger and the Grubbs behind, heading for some mysterious location. Even though the dam was destroyed, Sekto remains a danger because he might control another creature and rebuild his empire, seeking revenge on the people of Mongo River. A possible sequel, ‘Oddworld: Stranger’s Destiny’, could see Stranger tracking down Sekto to put an end to him and his destructive environmental impact forever. This hypothetical sequel would preserve the distinctive gameplay style of ‘Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath’ and continue the series’ tradition of portraying amusing creatures as local inhabitants fighting to free their home from industrial pollution.

Come January 2024, Oddworld Inhabitants unveiled intricately crafted 3D representations of the Stranger on their official platform, but the reason behind this reveal remained a mystery.

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2025-01-25 13:34