3. Oddworld: Abes Oddysee
The Original
Heres a creepy little goody. The Oddworld series has survived a good long run in comparison to the last two games Ive discussed. And its because theres a certain appeal to this dark and brooding world. The story revolves around Abe, a mudkon slave working for a vicious corporation, RuptureFarms. One day Abe discovers that RuptureFarms are losing money on their current food export and are about to roll out a new productmudkon pops. Essentially Abes species are going to be killed off and turned into food. Pretty harsh huh? Its even worse given that the packaging for mudkon pops is an image of a mudkon head impaled on a stick. This dark and brooding story already provides us with plenty of unique reboot material. The setting of the dank and gritty factory creates an amalgamation of noir and fantasy that has been replicated by plenty of video games since. The game was criticised for an incredibly difficult learning curve and a save system that will result in hair loss. But it was praised for some unique gameplay that balanced puzzles and platforming perfectly. The graphics were considered excellent at the time but now pale even in comparison to other, later, PSOne titles. The game spawned one direct sequel, Abes Exodus and then two spin-offs: Munches Oddysee and the first person shooter/free roam game Strangers Wrath. Unfortunately, we have seen nothing of Oddworld since 2005. The Potential Reboot
Personally, I think that Abes Oddysee has the most potential for a reboot because of the story possibilities and the unique setting. Imagine what current-gen graphics and modern developers could cook up for this concept. I say we could afford to scrap the side-scrolling element in this case and create a guided narrative through the factory and surrounding environment. I imagine we could see a dark and brooding atmosphere and, with a few new plot elements, a shocking and original storyline that keeps gamers invested in the characters. With high definition graphics the factory would become a terrifying reality and it would be easy to create a linear gameplay utilising the indoor scope of the factory. Where the game ventures out of that setting, the developers could allow some limited free roam to occur and even throw in some old school gaming easter eggs. Im salivating just thinking about it.