Memorable Mechanics is a bi-weekly column highlighting memorable gameplay mechanics and level design of both past and present video games. This week I take a look at Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath, a first person shooter that defined genre conventions by giving the player a single weapon. Oh, it also only fires live animals. Seriously.
I have always been perplexed by the state of the Oddworld franchise. The three original Oddworld titles, Abe’s Oddysee, Abe’s Exoddus, and Munch’s Oddysee focused on puzzle solving and platforming in a world of unparalleled and unapologetic weirdness and originality. Strange creatures making bizarre utterances, a world that introduced new and perplexing, often hilarious, characters around every corner. For all the praise the series has earned over the last two decades, there are very few actual Oddworld games released over the course of its 20-year history. The most recent being a remake of the original Abe’s Oddysee, and the latest Oddworld game in development, Oddworld: Soulstorm, a re-imagining of Abe’s Exodus. The potential for varied gameplay experiences within the Oddworld universe is seemingly infinite, so long as the staples of what makes Oddworld a unique and puzzling place remain intact.
No entry in the Oddworld franchise is more indicative of this than 2005’s Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath. Stranger’s Wrath is a drastic shift in the gameplay that Oddworld games are known for. While much of the Oddworld aesthetic and humor returned, Stranger’s Wrath shifts the focus from puzzle solving in favor of combat. Players take on the role of a ruggedly mysterious bounty hunter known merely as Stranger, who takes on bounties of local criminals in an attempt to afford a life-saving procedure that he needs. The game spans 12 hours of bounty hunting goodness that follows an oddly engaging arc of a bounty hunter who doesn’t strive to become more than his job, yet despite his best efforts still does.
Stranger’s Wrath’s most memorable aspect is its unique approach to combat and the bizarre predicament of being a first-person shooter that features only a single gun. That might be a less than appealing concept for an FPS, and yet, Stranger’s Wrath makes it work. Stranger is armed with a wrist-mounted crossbow that he uses to either stun or kill all manner of baddies. Ironically enough, his bow doesn’t fire arrows or bolts but instead live critters found within various environments. Yes, critters, as in live ammunition that Stranger uses as ammo and each type replaces standard FPS conventions.
The most basic ammo type is the Zappfly, replacing a basic pistol, which can be quickly fired to knock out critters to store for ammo or to charge up to deal massive damage to enemies. Instead of a shotgun, he uses Thudslugs to knock enemies on their ass. Replacing a versatile machine gun are Stingbees. While there are adequate and unique deadly replacements for firearms, Stranger’s live ammunition also allows the player more stealthy options. There’s the skunk which lobs noxious fumes that make enemies vomit profusely, immobilizing them and making them more susceptible to being captured. There’s the chatty chipmunk used to lure enemies away from allies or into tall grass for stealth takedown. And if stealth isn’t your preference, you can always go with a Boombat, a bat that has dynamite strapped to its head. Because why not? The variety of live ammo types genuinely empowers the player to pursue combat how they see fit, making the crossbow one of the most versatile FPS weapons of all time.
The crossbow’s ability to load two ammo types simultaneously allows the player to alter their strategy quickly. Using one stealth and one offensive ammo type was a surefire way to be prepared for any direction that combat might go. Throw in upgrades for each ammo type and the versatility of ammo types is what made Stranger’s Wrath’s gameplay one of the smoothest first person shooters of its generation.
So, if these ammo types replace certain weapons, why go to the trouble of designing an FPS with a single gun? Lazy developers? The concept is so baffling that I would imagine some were hesitant of Stranger’s Wrath upon its release, when in fact it is what sells the entire experience overall. It is brazenly original in both concept and execution and does an impeccable job of immersing the player into the role of a rugged bounty hunter. The game evokes a western cowboy aesthetic that is further exemplified by forcing players to hunt for their ammo, requiring them to “live off the land.” The live ammunition system of Stranger’s Wrath ultimately makes its gameplay stand out from other FPS.
Part of my love for Stranger’s Wrath is how drastically different it is than any of the previous Oddworld games, yet feels right at home within the Oddworld universe. I hoped Stranger’s Wrath would be the start of a trend of Oddworld Inhabitants developing games that challenged the ideas of the types of games that could exist within that world. So long as these games retain the aesthetic and humor of Oddworld, it’s a series that has successfully experimented with straying from tradition. While I’m anticipating their next title, Oddworld: Soulstorm, I am still optimistic that future games within the Oddworld universe will be open to experimenting in unconventional ways.
Buy Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath on Humble
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