Another title announced during today's PS5 reveal event was unexpected, but certainly welcome from fans of one of the PlayStation's longest running franchises. Planned for release some time this year, Oddworld: Soulstorm is the latest in the classic Oddworld series that saw a welcoming revival during the PS4's generation and looks to be making big plans for Next-Gen consoles.
Longtime fans of the series might recognize the title Oddworld: Soulstorm, as this isn't the first time that Oddworld Inhabitants has mentioned the working title. The title was originally teased back in 2016, with the next Oddworld title set for 2017, although that clearly never really seemed to pan out as expected.
Interestingly, it doesn't look like Sony is planning on making Oddworld: Soulstorm a PS5 exclusive, as it will be available on both the Next-gen console on and the PS4 on launch. Similarly, the game will also only be console exclusive for a limited time, with a PC port in the works for when the exclusivity period ends. This may hint at a growing trend to limit exclusivity in the future in order to make the games more widely available, as Horizon: Zero Dawn recently received a PC port and rumors of Bloodborne on PC continue to circulate.
Aside from the multiple ports, the announcement trailer also gave a number of story and gameplay insights into what Oddworld: Soulstream will look like when it releases. Players will continue to control Abe, the protagonist from the series, as he leads the mudokons through various levels, with differing levels of success as they can survive or die depending on how well the player controls them. This new title may be exactly what the Oddworld series needs to stay relevant as well, considering how recent Switch releases haven't seemed to have been enough on their own to revitalize the series.
With the exclusivity of Oddworld: Soulstorm extended to both the PS4 and PS5 consoles, with plans for a PC release in the future, this doesn't look like one of the launch titles expected to move consoles, unlike the upcoming Horizon: Forbidden West. Instead, this latest title is much more likely an appeal to fans and new players alike to help continue the revival that the Oddworld series has already enjoyed on the PS4. From what Oddworld Inhabitants has shown in the new trailer, the gameplay looks like an impressive side-scroller that should delight longtime fans and maybe bring in new players if certain parts of the series are added to services like PS Plus and PS Now.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is set to release for PS4 and PS5 in 2020, with a PC port planned in the future.
