Abe’s Oddysee Retro & Remake Review

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EU Release Date:	Sept 19, 1997 (Original) Jul 23, 2014 (Remake)
Developer:	Oddworld Inhabitants (Original) Just Add Water(Remake)
Publisher:	GT Interactive (Original) Oddworld Inhabitants (Remake)
Total play time:	1:28:00 (Level 1)

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee was a platform game in 1997 for the PlayStation and PC. The game focuses on a strange creature called Abe, a Mudokon slave in the Rupture Farms meat processing plant. After discovering that the farm bosses want to turn the Mudokon species into snacks, Abe begins an escape attempt, taking as many of the others with him as possible.

The gameplay is really quite straightforward. You move around the levels, getting the others to follow you to the escape portals while avoiding the armed-guards, traps, bombs, holes, motion-detectors, carnivorous creatures, gas clouds, electric beams and meat saws. Simple.

Life is Strange (2015) Review

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EU Release Date:	Jan 30, 2015 (for Steam)
Total play time:	20:00:00 (approx)

Life is Strange is an episodic game from the makers of Final Fantasy. The story focuses on an eighteen-year-old called Max, an awkward photography student who discovers she has the ability to rewind time. This ability is one of the game’s greatest features.

The effects of rewinding time start off quite small – say the right thing and get people to like you – but the further you go, the more dramatic the consequences until you’re the only one who can decide if another character lives or dies. And, to make things even more complicated, the actions that have positive consequences in the short term might have worse consequences later on. It’s like one of those choose-you-own-adventure books, but not quite so easy to just undo that bad choice you made ten pages back.

The game also tackles a lot of issues that few others dare. In a game that is essentially about teenagers trying to work out who they are and where they fit in, issues like sexuality, mental health and friendship are difficult to ignore. These are the issues that pre-occupy the teenage mind. Hell, these issues affect many of us well into adult life.

Of course, every game also has downsides and this is no exception. Sometimes, the dialogue is a little hammy and the lip-sync is frequently really bad. Sometimes, the choices you make seem pointless. The graphics seem a little lack-lustre (perhaps a super-high-end graphics card would perk them up, but I doubt it).What’s more, the whole time-travelling thing is completely skimmed over in the story. It’s almost as if the only reason she can do it is that she is the main, playable character.

Despite its flaws, Life is Strange is an excellent, thought-provoking game. I would recommend it to anyone. And I dare you not to still be thinking about it days later.

The Howler (2013) Review

Rating:
EU Release Date:	Apr 22, 2013
Publisher:	Antanas Marcelionis
Developer:	Antanas Marcelionis
Total play time:	00:60:00 (approx.)

The Howler is a beautiful, hand-drawn game with a simple concept from Lithuanian developer Antanas Marcelionis. Based on steampunk novel The Hour of the Wolf by Andrius Tapinas, you control a little hot air balloon above the Free City of Vilnius in 1905, piloted by Antanas Sidabras. The missions start simple with small tasks such as collecting and delivering packages over buildings, but the further you go, the more complex the tasks.

The gameplay is simple, but can be achieved in a variety of ways depending on your platform. You can click with a mouse on PC, touch the screen with a mobile device or even make noise to make the balloon rise. Then, by keeping quiet or not touching, you can let it sink again. A sharp, loud noise (or space bar, or double tap) will allow you to drop any cargo in your balloon. But your direction and speed is completely at the mercy of the winds and your balloon is delicate. Rise too high and your balloon will be lost. Hit a building and it will explode. For such a simple game, it is surprisingly challenging. Be prepared to redo some of the levels a few times before you get it right!

Float your balloon around obstacles to win.

The soundtrack to this game is subtle, but effective. During the levels, you have gentle wind effects with bird calls and the menus have a little bit of music. Other sound effects add atmosphere throughout, but in general it is a fairly quiet game… until the balloon explodes. That made me jump a couple of times.

Overall, this is a fun little game, ideal for wasting a few minutes here and there. Some of the levels can be a little frustrating, but as a distraction from other stresses in life, it’s not bad. What’s more, it’s less than £1 on Steam.