Oddworld: Soulstorm is a 2021 cinematic platformer and puzzle adventure where you control Abe, leading an uprising of enslaved Mudokons against the industrial Magog Cartel on the planet Oddworld. The core gameplay loop involves stealth, precise 2D platforming, and complex environmental puzzle-solving, often requiring you to guide and protect large groups of followers. Distinctive features include a deep karma system tracking saved lives and an integrated crafting mechanic used to create necessary tools for survival and progression.
The gameplay experience is a demanding blend of 2D platforming, complex environmental puzzle-solving, and stealth mechanics. Players must navigate treacherous, highly guarded industrial zones while prioritizing the safety and survival of the large groups of Mudokons following Abe. A distinctive mechanic involves Abe's ability to communicate with various creatures, most importantly his fellow Mudokons, allowing him to issue commands to manipulate switches, distract guards, or clear pathways.
Progression is heavily reliant on resource management and strategic execution. Players frequently need to guide multiple followers to perform actions simultaneously to solve larger environmental puzzles. The high stakes are reinforced by the fact that failing to protect the Mudokons can severely impact the outcome of the overall uprising.
A significant feature is the introduction of an in-depth crafting system. Abe can scavenge raw materials found throughout the levels to construct essential items, such as throwable distractions, healing supplies, or rudimentary explosives. This crafting mechanic is interwoven with the puzzle design, often requiring players to build specific tools to bypass security measures or neutralize threats.
Furthermore, the game incorporates a consequential karma system that meticulously tracks the number of Mudokons the player saves or sacrifices. These choices directly influence the narrative branches available and ultimately determine the ending of the liberation effort, encouraging thoughtful, non-lethal approaches to encounters.
This title primarily combines elements from the Platformer, Puzzle, and Adventure genres. It demands precise character control for platforming segments, careful planning for intricate puzzle sequences, and a persistent narrative focus on liberation against overwhelming corporate power.
As of this overview, there have been no officially released downloadable content (DLC) packs or major standalone expansions for this main game title since its initial launch.
This game features moderate violence involving fantasy characters. Characters can be shot, causing them to flash and cry out. They can also be set alight with flamethrowers, causing them to run about before collapsing. Realistic injuries are not shown and there is little blood. The player's character can be killed by enemies or by traps, which may result in him being impaled or blasted into chunks. If this happens, he simply reappears again at the previous checkpoint. The player's character can also 'possess' certain enemy characters and use them to attack other enemy characters. When the player's character is finished with a 'possessed' character, he can make them explode, resulting in sight of chunks of flesh and bone, although there is no realistic injury detail. Cinematic scenes include a brief close-up of a gunshot wound, a close-up of the central character - unharmed but distressed - after being electrocuted, a character being kicked in the chest, and some people hanging upside down while being electrocuted, without injury detail. The game also features frequent use of bad language ('piss', 'bastard', 'screw' and 'shit').