Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee Commentary

[@m.k9372]

Dont stop making these types of videos. Super good content and insights.

[@MrDaveBadger]

Brilliant video, you've clearly got talent for this kind of thing - put this on as background noise but was glued to the screen the whole way through, definitely looking forward to your next one

[@meredithunit]

I absolutely enjoy the way you present the topic and dig in. I love videos of this type and you do it very well, glad to subscribe!

[@NeatChill]

I really enjoyed this video playthrough with commentary. You put in so much effort, I can't imagine how long it must have taken to script out your thoughts and analysis, and all very relevant to the gameplay going on and the series as a whole.

[@lyadh0451]

This is a great video, Oddworld is one of the most interesting games I have played, and you did both Matthewmatosis' format and the game's quality justice, hope to see you cover exoddus one day

[@vladsaioc6269]

Thank you! I don't have concrete plans for Exoddus at the moment, but if I do, it will probably be a slightly different format. The issue is that it's both a longer game, and I already covered some common points here.

[@dr.ogremitsu-77]

Loved this video. Would be cool to see an exoddus video next.

[@Mama_Peach]

This is a masterpiece. Thank you for producing a great video ❤

[@WillGains]

I’ve been looking for a video like this! I’ve watched many retrospectives on many other games but never found a complete Odyssey walkthrough❤

[@chanpasadopolska]

I have beat almost entire Oddysee without knowing that you can start to roll during running, I think that I learned about it somewhat at the very end... I have add extra difficulty by that, but man I remember when I stuck at one place and I went for vacation in Bieszczady mountains for two weeks without playing, I was thinking about this game a lot and about the part I got stuck.. After two weeks when I got back to home at 4am I turn on computer and pass the stage after second try implementing strat that I developed just thinking about it. Great, great game. It's even teaching you that being a good person is beneficial since you have to save Mudokons to see good ending.

[@vladsaioc6269]

Neither Oddysee nor Exoddus do a good job of explaining that mechanic, which is rather unfortunate because it really opens up movement flow. Completing Oddysee's temple nests without it must have been rough... can you recall which strats you used?

[@chanpasadopolska]

​​​​​​@@vladsaioc6269During your video I have noticed there is a tip at 01:01:00 but it's totally optional to run and not just stop and roll, so me as a kid with very basic English could not read it at all or don't understand the sentence, propably I have just not processed it... I remember Paramonian Nest as time consuming, especially screen at 1:43:12 and next.. As for strats there was mostly time to stop and roll if you used every second wise, but there were also jumping over the enemies back and forth, especially with slogs

[@ennayanne]

I didn't know that either, took me forever to beat scrabanian nests lol

[@WarriorofLiberationNika]

Absolutely excellent video and analysis of this. I'm a big fan of Matthewmatosis' work as well, and it makes me happy to see others inspired to make similar commentaries. Oddysee seriously doesn't get enough credit for just how special and beautiful this game, from visually to narratively. It's a true work of art, and I feel one of the earliest examples of that in gaming. I've been a fan of Oddworld for two decades and even I didn't realise just how much consideration was taken into the design of this game, so thank you for that. Hope to see more like these from you!

[@vladsaioc6269]

Thank you! Out of curiosity, which design considerations were you thinking of when you said that?

[@WarriorofLiberationNika]

@@vladsaioc6269 The section about how possession is possible from the beginning but never conveyed to the player until they escape Rupture Farms was particularly striking to me. I always grew up knowing about that mechanic already since I played Exoddus first, but never realised that it's intentionally withheld from the player until that point. You made a really good point about how giving the player that ability is far more powerful of a message than simply not allowing them to use it until it's time. It's a great way to drive home a message of the "strength being within" Abe from the beginning; but that he simply just has to realise it.

[@leomartz33]

A three-hour video about a gaming masterpiece, we used to have colorful platform games on Playstation, then seeing a game like Oddworld arrive in the 90s that stood out from its universe and its atmosphere, it was revolutionary. Great video, absolutely amazing!

[@lexecomplexe4083]

This game was so enchanting as a child. Abe's silly quips live rent free in my head. I wish we could get a game with Abe, Munch, and Stranger together. All 3 of their debut games (and unfortunately Munch and Stranger's only games) were instant classics that still hold up well today.

[@vladsaioc6269]

Unfortunately I am quite critical of Munch's Oddysee in this video, because I thought it deviated too much from the tone in the original (though props for its bad ending; it's by far the darkest). I hope that won't detract from your enjoyment too much.

[@ennayanne]

​@@vladsaioc6269Munch's Odyssey sucks

[@CroydonDeBruyn]

Great video bro, loved this game as a kid. The nostalgia 😢

[@theyapper1337]

I was just thinking of Matthewmatosis' Dark Souls commentary and thought I should do one for Abe's Oddysee as it's one of my favourite games. So happy and surprised that someone beat me too it! What an awesome job, mate!

[@vladsaioc6269]

@theyapper1337 I can't deny that throughout the year it took to complete this, there was some worry I might get beaten to the punch, but I'm glad to hear more people think this game deserved this commentary style. I hope you enjoyed it!

[@theyapper1337]

@@vladsaioc6269 Nah mate, you had this one in the bag. There was so much interesting stuff you packed into this video that I wouldn't have thought of at all. Looking forward to whatever your next video is :)

[@thegammelier]

Hey! Working on my own Oddworld series retro and wanted to say this is a good vid! You pointed out some things I didn’t pick up on with my own recent playthrough

[@vladsaioc6269]

@thegammelier Looking forward to it! The game is so rich in details, it's always interesting to hear which ones people find surprising, if you don't mind sharing.

[@theyapper1337]

Definitely the most memorable part of this game for me was the Monsaic Lines area of the game. You're introduced to an area so different from the factory and the bordering stockyard, it has so much story telling through the background art alone. Even in Abe's native land, it's hostile and unwelcoming as fuck. Which makes sense both atmospherically and gameplay wise if Abe was raised in Rupture Farms. Not to mention it has some of the best music in the game.

[@HarpoCoatl]

Great video! Looking forward to the next one.

[@andapen]

What a great video

[@chrisbowerman988]

Thanks for this. I remember reading an interview with Lorne in a magazine many moons ago where he was talking about wanting to create full on ecosystems in game that could be rejuvenated from industrial pollution, and the gameplay effects of creating habitats for intelligent and non intelligent life. Man had some crazy ideas. Still haven't tried the newer games and I might not. Abe's are pretty much perfect as is.

[@vladsaioc6269]

Glad you enjoyed it. Also, I agree that not only is this ecosystem-centric approach technically demanding, but it also divorces you from the personal experience I found so gripping in Oddysee and Exoddus.

[@SpAMCAN]

Great video. I'd love to see a similar breakdown on the later titles. I absolutely agree that Abe's Oddysee nails the message behind the game better than Exoddus, even if Exoddus is arguably more "fun", and Munch only falls off a cliff as far as the atmosphere and message are concerned. Visually, Exoddus has had the biggest impact of any game on my own level design/visual design sensibilities, and I was heartbroken to see what Soulstorm did to some of the environments when "reimagined" - the inside of the Brewery itself being the biggest letdown.

[@vladsaioc6269]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I'd like to tackle Exoddus (maybe with SoulStorm together) at some point, once I get the time. Granted, with Exoddus and Oddysee I have a pretty long personal history, whereas Munch and Stranger would be tougher to get into. For now I'll just say that, for me, Exoddus artistically performed best in its middle portion: FeeCo., the Barracks, and Bonewerkz (my favorite), whereas the brewery I found kind of boring visually in the original too (but competent, unlike SoulStorm). This might seem like a contradiction, since Bonewerkz is also "boring", but to me the difference is that Bonewerkz is "evocative boring":the dusty look, the bricks peering underneath the cracked stucco. The Brewery seems a bit "random" by comparison. You get the occasional brew barrels, but I'm not really getting a "feel" for the area. Maybe I'm missing something critical, so I'd love to hear your take on it.

[@ennayanne]

​@@vladsaioc6269That's a good point. Structurally the brewery is basically RF2 again, but it drags on for so long that it feels meandering at many parts. I think the visual design of the area evokes that too. All of AEs screens were kitbashed together from prophouses and you can't really notice that except imo in the brewery where it becomes obvious after a few hundred of the same looking assets but no context as to where in the building you actually are. AO also did foreshadowing really well with the temples because a lot of its spaces were actually built in 3D, unlike with Exoddus.

[@Oddworldmaniac]

this video was incredible! i can't imagine the amount of work it took.....so i will now ask if you plan to do this for more oddworld games, or just more games in general honestly i'd watch anything

[@vladsaioc6269]

Thank you! Yes, I have more ideas I'd like to explore, some involving, but not strictly related to Oddworld, with varying levels of depth. The only issue is sadly time.

[@unity6926]

101% completion? what do you mean..

[@vladsaioc6269]

I explain at roughly 1:33:30.