Oddworld: Soulstorm: PS5 Review

Developed and published by Oddworld Inhabitants

Platform: PS5

Oddworld: Soulstorm is free to PS5 via the PS Plus Subscribers service during April 2021

Abe's back in a re-envisioning of the successful the 1998 Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, a game that much encapsulated the early lifestyle of the PlayStation console.

The sequel to Abe's Oddysee, which was remade as New and Tasty for the PlayStation 4, has a lot going for it - but it has equally as much going against it, which is a real shame to report.

After Abe and his troop of Mudokons escaped Rupture Farms at the end of New and Tasty, it would seem that all is peachy. But, while hiding out in the wastelands, Abe and his chums once again find themselves hunted by CEO Molluck the Glukkon - and things get worse when Abe uncovers a conspiracy involving the SoulStorm brew - and his compatriots...

Adopting once again, the 2.5D side-scrolling platform edges, Oddworld: Soulstorm makes great fist of its setting, with  the cameras swirling around and revealing many further areas to explore. The clever use of the setting shows off the game's scope and reveals hidden depths to what could just be a simple 

left-to-right platform game.

But the core of Oddworld: Soulstorm is once again the rescuing of Mudokons, avoiding Slig and other creatures and generally trying not to get killed in a series of escalatingly brutal traps. 

It's a charming and frustrating experience, given that this time, there's more of a reliance on the other Mudokons to try and save themselves rather than just relying on you. And that means that even with directions being yelped at them by Abe, there's still an element of chance to the game actually letting you win - which is part of the niggles that Oddworld: Soulstorm has to offer.

Stealth, platforming, puzzles and patience are the name of the game here,  but the revamp of the title has also thrown in crafting to the mix, to allow you to build up impressive supplies of arsenals as you traverse various different levels of the game. Thankfully, save points are in plentiful supply in the game, but it won't really help you if you're offed in a moment of not paying attention.

It's here that there's a minor frustration as you have to recomplete parts of the game you'd thought would have already been done - which is not a major, but if you're going for a full completion of each of the levels, can add a substantial amount of time on to your gameplay.

However, the biggest problem with Oddworld: Soulstorm is the game-breaking bugs which proliferate portions of the title for no real reason.

Whether it's possessed Sligs not doing your bidding, Abe getting stuck walking into walls, or fellow Mudokons not moving and not letting you past, or even falling repeatedly through portions of levels, there's silly little technical niggles that constantly derail the joy that Oddworld has to offer.

Even if a couple of patches have already been deployed, there's still no sign of these bugs being written out, which distracts majorly from a truly stunning title. Hopefully, the game's developers will do something about improving the gameplay, because while it's not a game-ending series of flaws, it's certainly a growing frustration the deeper into more complex levels and puzzles you go.

Ultimately, Oddworld: Soulstorm is a divisive experience.

On the one hand, Abe's return is a welcome one, and Soulstorm deserves to be applauded for its next gen take on the platform game that defined PlayStation in the late 90s. From astonishing visuals to characterful moments and heart, there's more than enough to love here.

But on the other, a series of bugs that would appear easily removable is preventing it from being hoisted into the echelons of the PS5's great games - there's character aplenty here, but the frustrations are too many to bear at times.

Oddworld: Soulstorm is free to PS5 via the PS Plus Subscribers service during April 2021.