When the Oddworld series of platform games debuted in 1997 on PC and the original PlayStation, it became somewhat of a phenomenon. In total, there were four titles released in the original series, which stopped receiving new entries in 2005, to the disappointment of many Abe fans. So when Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, a full remake of the first title, released in 2014, a lot of gamers were excited that the franchise might see a revival. But Oddworld: Soulstorm, a remake of the second game, didn’t see the light of day until nearly seven years later, and its launch left two portions of the gaming population feeling somewhat left out.
Oddworld: Soulstorm launched on PS5 as a free title for PS Plus subscribers and as an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC. The PlayStation launch wasn’t necessarily surprising, given that the first two titles in the franchise had been Sony console exclusives and thus many people associated it with the company. However, the game being available on PC solely from the Epic Games Store was not particularly well received, since many gamers still feel disgruntled by Epic’s vigorous pursuit of exclusivity deals, a practice that some consider to be anti-consumer.
It's likely, therefore, that many PC gamers and fans of the Oddworld franchise will be glad to hear that the Epic Games Store exclusivity deal ends soon. A video released by developer Oddworld Inhabitants on April 20 is titled simply, “Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition – COMING SOON TO STEAM.” The short trailer then displays a few of the awards and high review scores Oddworld: Soulstorm received, montages cutscenes to show off the impressive next-gen graphics, and showcases the title’s varied gameplay.
Although a sequel to the 2014 remake Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, Oddworld: Soulstorm is a reimagining of Abe’s Exoddus rather than a direct remake. Abe’s Exoddus, the original second entry in the series, has always been considered a spin-off title. Soulstorm, on the other hand, is sometimes given the subtitle, “As originally envisioned.” The game features entirely new areas, introduces game mechanics not present in Abe’s Exoddus, and some parts of the title look completely different from the original. Soulstorm has been described by the developer as a “complete story retake inspired by our original tale.”
The version of the game coming to Steam in the near future will be the Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition that launched in November 2021. This version has tweaked gameplay mechanics, improved enemy and follower AI, as well as seven months’ worth of extra polish. The enhanced edition of the game also features two exclusive bonus levels: Vykkers Labs for Xbox and Toby’s Escape for the PlayStation and Epic Games Store versions. It’s unclear whether the Steam version will also feature Toby’s Escape, though it seems safe to assume that it will.
Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Destructoid, Steam
