Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee - Original Playstation 2 Tech Demo

The original pre-rendered demo of Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee for Playstation 2.

[@Xxjoseph1029xX]

The reason I liked this way better than the one we got was, because they kept the style of the old games even in a 3d environment. Even the sligs were smoking! Just looked more grimy, more brutal, y'know? Rip.

[@kimitachi22]

i agree , it feel much more organic more mature , and the camera 3d precalculed is more focus on strategy compare to the final game in full 3d on xbox

[@henrikr7445]

Indeed, this gave clear vibes of Oddyseé and Exoddus in 3D. The atmosphere, the desire to think outside of the box and stay unique compared to other games, and the fantastic music.

[@eKoush]

rip. I remember hyping it up and thinking: "oh wow, they got it absolutely right!" With Munch they kinda got it all wrong. I never even managed to play the whole game through. I considered myself the biggest fan back then, so that means a lot that I wasn't able to.

[@henrikr7445]

@@eKoush I don’t blame you. I was a huge fan myself but with Munch’s Oddyseé the series had lost its peculiar nature and Oddworld was consigned to the mainstream bin. Gone was the spirit in favor of easily accessible action, further expanded upon in the silly western shoot em’ up whack em’ up Stranger’s Wrath (ugh..) Yeah Oddworld really took a sky dive and crashed into the ground for toddlers to play with.

[@Kapoue1996]

@@henrikr7445 Not too sure what you mean by that. I think that Munch's Odyssey and Strangers Wrath are both pretty good game imo. But hey, maybe you just don't like it when game series tries new thing.

[@A1phaDrag0n]

Oh man, we had so much hope back then

[@pikawesome1]

0:30 that hamster wheel looking thing the mudoken is in is the same thing thats in the soulstorm trailer.

[@Molluck1]

Oh that's right !

[@mcdeemcg8296]

Nothing is ever wasted

[@henrikr7445]

Even if these were pre-rendered visualisation vids for marketing purposes, you can sense the magic from the original Oddworld development team that brought us Oddyseé and Exoddus. Then came Munch’s Oddyseé on XBOX.

[@eKoush]

It feels like they haven't realized, even 20 years later, what we were asking for. It is right there in these teasers. Everything is in there.

[@henrikr7445]

@@eKoush exactly, and they did those videos for a reason right? They had a vision, so why didn’t they follow up on it 🤦‍♂️

[@hououinkyouma3864]

@@eKoush SOulstorm was one of the most disappointing game ever for me. How could they lost touch THIS HARD?

[@ealing456]

​@@eKoush very true. I think Stranger's Wrath is on par in its tone with the bizarre wonderment that Oddysee and Exoddus created but Munch, New N Tasty and SoulStorm all miss the mark

[@raincin]

@@hououinkyouma3864 It really sucks. First, and only game I've ever bought on launch.

[@ObservantDog]

I still hope we get "Hand of Odd" someday.

[@snakevaevictis]

This seems so much better than what we got on XBox.

[@ebridgewater]

Xbox*

[@alexchavez4978]

X-BOX**

[@charlieduffney138]

snakevaevictis i feel like they could’ve done that on realtime pc computers instead of consoles.

[@Tony-112]

@@alexchavez4978 XOBX

[@adidas1984x]

No way the Xbox looks so much better

[@jung-zen]

This franchise needs resurrection, and an ambitious open world game in the Abe + Munch universe.

[@henrikr7445]

YES! Bring us an open-world OW game with scrabs and paramites roaming the landscapes.

[@hankdynamo200]

That would be awesome!

[@adamthedude9997]

I saw this when I just owned a PS1 and Xbox was just about to be released, I was blown away when I saw the mudokens walking across the desert

[@enricomazzarellosimracing6502]

this tech demo it is much better quality than the final release on XBOX, specially the framerate, and also the colours,. in the XBOX game, the game was suffering of a big lack of colurs

[@KamikaCZdze]

This was supposed to be a strategy game from the Oddworld universe called Hand of Odd and it was meant for PS2. It was cancelled though, probably due to how PS2 was hard to work with in those days and due to the amount of time they had, so they at least emulated some of the features into Munch's Oddysey, which was in the development at the same time, that's the reason why it looks so similar to what we got.

[@beelzeboss9631]

No 99% of this was supposed to be Munch's Oddysee

[@dealyboyz]

I always looked forward to Hand of Odd I was especially excited for it because you could pick a side. Sounds like it could have potential hopefully they revisit the idea in the future!

[@beelzeboss9631]

@@dealyboyz I doubt they will to be honest

[@GLBlackestNight]

It was actually cancelled because Lorne met Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick in the bathroom while taking a piss and Bobby told him the genre was dead and he shouldn't make it. Lorne took it to heart and it got scrapped.

[@Reddest1000]

@@GLBlackestNight It isn't Actually Dead. Oddworld Inhabitants and Lorne Lanning Actually Keep The Game In Case If They Need It To Continue Making it Or Not?

[@Cyber_Smoke]

It's not from munch it's a cancelled game called Hand of Odd, unfortunately there is quite a lot of cancelled odddworld games like squeeks odyssey.

[@3rdworld-witch527]

This Type of game that inspired full adult swim shows ❤❤

[@Deliveredmean42]

Jebush, didn't expect the console was able to do this early in it's life cycle. And then I realize it was pre-rendered lol

[@ryno4ever433]

Most of this appears to be in engine.

[@ryno4ever433]

I see now that the description says it's pre-rendered.

[@Deliveredmean42]

@@ryno4ever433 Yep, cheeky of the devs to do them, since apparently this save them from their salary being cut lol

[@melonytoni9016]

whats the point of a tech demo if its pre-rendered.

[@Deliveredmean42]

@@melonytoni9016 That's probably it, only the devs knew it was pre-rendered and fool the suits lol

[@Alexp37]

Thank you a lot for this!

[@JetSetWave]

Damn dude, Abe really be out here murdering people.

[@DeltaRaptoran]

Yeah... I can't shake off the memory of the two sligs laughing at their dead brother

[@gottfriedhub]

@@DeltaRaptoran rough species

[@gammadio976]

Not all of this is from Munch's Oddysee, some of this is from the cancelled Hand of Odd. Munch's Oddysee borrowed some elements from Hand of Odd

[@henrikr7445]

Yes, and Hand of Odd was intended as a RTS if I’m not mistaken.

[@aviarturo5563]

i realize it's kinda randomly asking but do anybody know a good site to stream new tv shows online?

[@ricardoaydin6061]

@Avi Arturo try Flixzone. You can find it on google =)

[@daltonmarcellus8702]

@Ricardo Aydin Definitely, I've been watching on FlixZone for since april myself =)

[@aviarturo5563]

@Ricardo Aydin thank you, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D I really appreciate it !

[@PellaeonEU]

We need a classic Oddworld game based on this.

[@esppiral]

This is way beyond of what the PS2 can do

[@gabbls_]

Probably one of the millions of reasons why it was canceled, lol.

[@mariapocalypse6314]

I think it could have handled it, maybe with lower resolution textures and more basic lighting. I remember when the press thought MGS2 was faked when they first revealed the footage. Some of the clips look a bit too good, but I think the one of the slig running in to sound the alarm looked like something the ps2 could handle (again with lower Res and poly assets especially in the distance, and massive loading times between the indoor and outdoor environments) (Yes I know these weren't really "tech demos", they were never designed with any hardware in mind, then just promoted them as ps2 demos)

[@Reddest1000]

Oddworld Hand Of Odd Supposed To Come Out Already But Activision CEO Bobby Told The Genre is Dead. Well It Isn't Dead He Just Thinks It is But it Isn't.

[@emoldandriel]

Wow! I love Oddworld and never saw this footage. It looks that they had the idea to have some kind of resource management mechanic.

[@lubedupduke]

Soulstorm is their vision

[@PhilipsLS1300]

that was actually an idea for an RTS game but it was scrapped. A couple of Oddworld games were scrapped in the early 2000's and only Strangers Wrath made the cut

[@ld-tl4rf]

なんでデモのほうが製品版より出来がいいんだよ…

[@user-rb5jj8ge2r]

Retail is shit

[@hotcoldman77]

Still looks amazing in 2024. Imagine how it looked when it was revealed

[@SlothyTheDemon]

I think if they ever do a reborn with this game like they did with exoddus wich became soulstorm this is what we ate getting plus the original munch's oddysee it just would be fucking awesome

[@DavidCalderonProgram]

They could definitely use this for Munch's Exoddus if they make it!

[@hankdynamo200]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@mr.g-sez]

@@hankdynamo200 there can not be a munch's exoddus. munch is the last of his kind. we don't even know what happened with the gabbit eggs. but a exoddus with gabbits would be awesome...

[@watowata5963]

@@mr.g-sez yeah exodus means people btw

[@Janhouu]

This looks more like a PS3 game

[@ShadeMeadows]

This is Dang Awesome~

[@JamesPlaysGames95]

🎵But if you close your eyes 🎵

[@SlothyTheDemon]

So what happened

[@xlee771]

People tend to forget this has nothing to do with PS2 it's just footage they made showing what they can do with their new engine.

[@BobTheBuilder294]

I just finished replaying Munch's Oddysee. Its a lot more lacking than i remembered as a kid. This ps2 version seems like a mix between Metal Gear and Age of Empires or something.

[@michaelhobbs3426]

That poor glukon got thrown out the window by Abe liked it serves him right.

[@beelzeboss9631]

That's how they got away with showing footage, they had to do tech demos instead

[@charlieduffney138]

We need an open world oddworld game based around this.

[@hotcoldman77]

We need a AAA open world Oddworld game like this. Would be so bloody cool

[@Nov-5062]

Stranger's Wrath is the closest thing to this description.

[@MariusMerchiers]

Looked incredible for ps2, better than the release on Xbox.

[@MrSapps]

cause its all pre-rendered

[@maximlopez6777]

@@MrSapps nice to see you here Pauls :) good luck for the exoddus engine :)

[@deadseaz_]

IM SBOBBNH IM SO FGUKCING CRYING CPLEAE

[@Justin-ro2hd]

I just made the dance from mudokons dancing in paramonia,be cautioned too at the dance

[@kaschtelator]

und das alles war nicht in der finalen version ? das is echt schade aber das wär was für ein munch 2 :D oder?

[@FifthOfNovember_Original]

The Munch Oddysee we got, it's a weird buggy mess for sure... and I would have loved to see at least some of these demo features in the released title. But there's still some tiny bit of charm left in the game that makes me want to revisit it on the original Xbox every once in a while. I also got the game for PS Vita, which somehow is in ever worse state than the original Xbox release :f

[@JamesPlaysGames95]

This tech demo looks better than the real game. What a shame Microsoft and EA screwed OW inhabitants

[@MrSapps]

because its pre-rendered, so it isn't a "game" as such, just an FMV

[@henrikr7445]

Yep, better graphics or not, these clips showed a more mature, more unique game as opposed to the final product on Xbox that often felt like a giant OW DLC skin-pack plastered over a different game.

[@5xg378]

Wasnt this for Hand of Odd?

[@hunterpaynekeyes162]

Damn they are an ambitious bunch aren't they?

[@henrikr7445]

Or rather “were” imo. Munch’s Oddyseé on XBox was a dumbed down, simplified and fast- paced platformer with the OW stamp on it, where Abe now collects mushrooms just like Sonic collects rings and Crash Bandicoot collects/eats apples. Coming from the development team that gave us the previous two phenomenal games, the result on Xbox was beyond thrash as an OW game and decent as a platformer for kids.

[@eKoush]

@@henrikr7445 damn Henrik. I know exactly, what you're talking about. I was shocked to see, what Munch happened to become. I also think that the entire fanbase changed from there on. We got sidelined and the new fans came to oddworld through Munch. I thought with soulstorm, they got the memo and would revisit this footage for inspiration. But Soulstorm is still nothing like that.

[@henrikr7445]

@@eKoush I feel like it’s a simple business strategy from the devs to play the safe card by imitating action-oriented mainstream games. At the time of writing this, I’m attempting to give Soulstorm a chance but the gameplay, while really fun to be honest (as is Mario gameplay fun) , is an insult to the original Exoddus, and this is supposed to be a “reimagining”(!) unbelievable... Abe (now having comically oversized eyes) can perform double jumps and flips mid-air, and crafts gadgets like in TloU that are accessible in a weapon wheel stolen from Doom. Sligs have health bars and some of them are armed with coloured guns like in Fortnite, while other’s fly around with jet engines and are armed with big miniguns, because it’s cool right? 🤦‍♂️ The screen is often cluttered with neon- and disco lights in different colours, while stuff explodes all over the place. I’m not making this up, It’s a mess. Fun, but dumbed down gameplay.

[@henrikr7445]

If only Oddworld Inhabitants got it together, brought back key people from the original two games and really tried to follow up on their original vision, I’m certain it would be a success. If not immediately, then something that slowly blooms up again as something unique, unlike anything else on the market today. Oddworld in all its glory again. A game doesn’t need constant action and tons of content to be successful. Look at Shadow of the Colossus and Death Stranding, _that’s_ bold game making, not this and certainly not TloU2 (yet another 3rd person slaughter simulator gameplay-wise) if you ask me.

[@ealing456]

@@henrikr7445 100% agree with you. Ideally, they need to have a slower paced game like the first two and add back the mystery of Oddworld. Give us a new character (Stranger was great imo) and a new setting. Just mix things up. I thought after Stranger we were going to get more genre-based games. Follow up a Western with a noir or something set in an Oddworld metropolis. I need that intrigue back.

[@gummymunch8858]

I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be a rts game called Hand of Odd

[@MrRenix1990]

I finally found it! I saw the very same demo on the old Game Network on Sky!!! 🤩🤩🤩

[@masterdrewt6698]

Hoollyyyy CrAP I KNEW IT!! I knew the oddworld legacy for the PlayStation 2 would happen!!….but wait…..how come oddworld inhabitants didn’t decide on releasing the game for ps2?….was it because of hardware limitation?

[@gex581990]

This was the demo for Hand Of Odd……not Munch’s Oddysee

[@medinapor]

amigo, q buen juego

[@BucketSentry]

Honestly? The greatest loss is that you couldn't pick up sligs

[@Mau5nPezz]

You can, but it’s so very unlikely to do in the final release. Either sneaking up on them (if they somehow still don’t see you with their incredible vision), or when you’re invisible you just press the jump button behind them. I’ve only ever had it work in a couple scenarios. In my experience at least.

[@Cyber_Smoke]

@@Mau5nPezz you could also slap a slig in exoddus and the glukkons the few times you can stand next to one.

[@Cyber_Smoke]

@@Mau5nPezz you could also slap a slig in exoddus and the glukkons the few times you can stand next to one.

[@eKoush]

@@Cyber_Smoke it saved my life ONCE. It was worth it.

[@asemic]

why does this video loop and repeat itself halfway through?

[@mustafa3428]

Ps2? Is there a full game, not a demo?

[@Deliveredmean42]

It was never been released on PS2. I suppose they were testing the software before either being bought by Microsoft or just went with the Xbox since it was pretty much more powerful.

[@MrSapps]

none of this was ever playable, its pre-rendered

[@jasonmatthew8650]

Lmao even PS4 can’t do foliage blowing in wind that well.

[@radzio40k]

many times it looks like RTS game

[@asemic]

where can i see more?

[@OtisLePoOtis]

GRRR

[@GEMfanatica]

0% of this was in the final crappy game

[@mr.g-sez]

i love this fake video they made. they not just fooled us they fooled their bosses too!!! and than ps2 was dumped because the xbox was more powerful. but munch's oddysee still is a good game.

[@J64866]

Looks amazing. To bad the finished game is mediocre as hell imo.

[@zerlichr426]

Probably because if you look closesly only 2 last ones are acually X-box ones. The rest are from PS2 build. It was supose to be kinda simple RTS by looking on the footage. Like you can see gathering resources, mudocs growing trees, wierd looking units etc.

[@henrikr7445]

Yes that’s a good way to put it. What we got is far from what was shown in these clips.

[@BreakOutOfYourTrance]

Seems more like Hand of Odd footage if you ask me. The cancelled Oddworld RTS.