PlayStation platform-puzzle-adventure Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is being redone with a new 3D physics engine and high-definition graphics, according to series creator Lorne Lanning.
The Abe's Oddysee remake won't take the game in any surprising new directions, Lanning said. "They are not trying to reinvent any wheels. It’s like, ‘Can we make that experience in a new engine, with new tech, in the old way?’," he said.
It's not immediately clear which platforms the HD Oddysee is being planned for, or what release window the studio is targeting.
As for Stranger's Wrath, Lanning confirmed that Just Add Water is still running into roadblocks in its effort to get the game cleared for release on Xbox Live Arcade. Last September, Just Add Water reported the game was bumping up against XBLA's 2GB size limit for downloadable titles.
Last month, four upscaled Oddworld titles, including Abe's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath, were released on the PC as part of a collection titled Oddboxx.
The Oddworld remakes follow on the heels of recently released and announced HD remakes for many other recent-generation game series, ranging from God of War and Prince of Persia to Ico and Beyond Good and Evil.
More games need to do this. There are many games that are old that I can't stand to play because..they look so bad and old mechanics. People always say "You need to try Xenogears since you never played it!". Well..I tried..but PS1 graphics are so muddy and distorted now I can't tell whats what. I loved Soul Reaver on PS1..but can't play it because it looks so bad (It's just a pixelated mess) and mechanics aren't fluid.
Ironically, a lot of sprite-based and other stylistic games from the PS1 era still look okay when upscaled on PS3, as opposed to the "mind-blowing" polygonal games from back then.
I was actually playing SaGa Frontier 2 relatively recently, and it still kind of holds up.
To be honest, I see HD remakes as a waste of time and talent. If you can't see past 'low-def' graphics, you're ignoring about 25 years' worth of games.
True, but mainly they're for people who missed out on a series in the previous generation. For instance, I never had an original Xbox so I ended up missing out on Beyond Good and Evil (I know, I'm sorry).
With a re-release of it, I can finally get to play it on a current gen system.
This game being in 2D still looks great played on a PS2, I am not sure a remake is worth it, except that it may motivate younger player to try it, and discover an example of fantastic game design.
Wish more people did games like that, where you have to use your brain and you just can't shoot people.
I was actually playing SaGa Frontier 2 relatively recently, and it still kind of holds up.
Can't wait to play it though. Hopefully it will get some love this time around.
With a re-release of it, I can finally get to play it on a current gen system.
Wish more people did games like that, where you have to use your brain and you just can't shoot people.