Between the bleak dystopian setting, the need to rely on your wits more than your brawn to survive in a hostile world, and the complete lack of a UI that helps things feel more immersive, Abe's Oddysee wears the "Another World" influence proudly on its sleeve. It does have much stronger puzzle elements compared to Another World's largely trial-and-error gameplay, and that mostly works in this game's favor.
The puzzle elements largely revolve around manipulating the various hazards and hostile creatures in order to make it through the levels in one piece, whether it be sneaking past two fiercely territorial scrabs as they fight to the death, luring an enemy into a land mine, or 'possessing' a slig to have him take out some of the threats ahead. While some of the puzzles do get quite difficult, the AI is remarkably consistent and the various enemy types will always behave in a very predictable way which means you will actually get better and better at the game mechanics the more you play (as opposed to the rote memorization of 'gotcha' moments that plague many similar games).
The puzzle mechanics are greatly enhanced by the game's great sense of atmosphere, and in how much personality they infused into the enslaved Mudokons (who you spend most of the game trying to rescue). These ugly adorable flatulent dudes with the minion voices retain their spirit and sense of humor even in the face of frankly horrific treatment, and it gives the setting a very distinct and somehow very effective fusion of humor and tragedy. More importantly, it enhances the gameplay by giving you 'puzzle pieces' that you actually care about. Sure, you can get to the next area by using the other slaves ashuman mudokon shields but it'll also make you feel like a dick; conversely, when you find the perfect solution to set all the slaves free and (often barely) just survive yourself, it's doubly satisfying.
This ties in very well with how the game cleverly sidesteps my frequent gripe with puzzle games: the difficulty. Puzzle games have it tough because unlike other genres, you either know the solution or you don't, and there's no in-between; this makes it difficult for games to find the tiny middle ground between "braindead easy" and "so difficult that you get stuck and consult a guide". Abe's Oddysee has its share of difficult puzzles, but the majority of those are optional and just lead to you being able to rescue more Mudokon slaves (who as we've established, you tend to feel honor-bound to try to save). What this means is that you will want to save as many slaves as possible, but if you find yourself really stuck you can just continue with the main game without having to consult a guide.
Abe's Oddysee unfortunately also suffers from a common issue with similar games: the stiff controls. For the most part they don't spoil the experience, but there are just a few too many time-sensitive situations that you need to rush through and demand near frame-perfect timing that I can't also give the game a free pass on that.
In the end, the frustrating moments were far outweighed by the game's strengths. When I used the experience gained in my first playthrough to save more Mudokons the second time through and was rewarded with a different better ending, it gave me a real sense of accomplishment (and guilt about the two guys I allowed to get beaten to death). I'm looking forward to playing its sequels!
The puzzle elements largely revolve around manipulating the various hazards and hostile creatures in order to make it through the levels in one piece, whether it be sneaking past two fiercely territorial scrabs as they fight to the death, luring an enemy into a land mine, or 'possessing' a slig to have him take out some of the threats ahead. While some of the puzzles do get quite difficult, the AI is remarkably consistent and the various enemy types will always behave in a very predictable way which means you will actually get better and better at the game mechanics the more you play (as opposed to the rote memorization of 'gotcha' moments that plague many similar games).
The puzzle mechanics are greatly enhanced by the game's great sense of atmosphere, and in how much personality they infused into the enslaved Mudokons (who you spend most of the game trying to rescue). These ugly adorable flatulent dudes with the minion voices retain their spirit and sense of humor even in the face of frankly horrific treatment, and it gives the setting a very distinct and somehow very effective fusion of humor and tragedy. More importantly, it enhances the gameplay by giving you 'puzzle pieces' that you actually care about. Sure, you can get to the next area by using the other slaves as
This ties in very well with how the game cleverly sidesteps my frequent gripe with puzzle games: the difficulty. Puzzle games have it tough because unlike other genres, you either know the solution or you don't, and there's no in-between; this makes it difficult for games to find the tiny middle ground between "braindead easy" and "so difficult that you get stuck and consult a guide". Abe's Oddysee has its share of difficult puzzles, but the majority of those are optional and just lead to you being able to rescue more Mudokon slaves (who as we've established, you tend to feel honor-bound to try to save). What this means is that you will want to save as many slaves as possible, but if you find yourself really stuck you can just continue with the main game without having to consult a guide.
Abe's Oddysee unfortunately also suffers from a common issue with similar games: the stiff controls. For the most part they don't spoil the experience, but there are just a few too many time-sensitive situations that you need to rush through and demand near frame-perfect timing that I can't also give the game a free pass on that.
In the end, the frustrating moments were far outweighed by the game's strengths. When I used the experience gained in my first playthrough to save more Mudokons the second time through and was rewarded with a different better ending, it gave me a real sense of accomplishment (and guilt about the two guys I allowed to get beaten to death). I'm looking forward to playing its sequels!