Exclusive - Oddworld: Stranger Q&A Feature

The weird, humorous and captivating setting and cast continue on with the latest in the series OddWorld Stranger. Gamers will participate in the role of the Stranger, a mysterious bounty hunter who tracks down outlaws for moola. Combining first and third person gameplay and a massive world this game is already being marked down as a must have for 2005.

Many elements which have made the Oddworld brand so popular and unique are still on offer but expect to see many new ideas extend the boundaries within the interactive setting which range from the desolate outback to vast industrial complexes.

Derek dela Fuente spoke with Lorne Lanning, President/Creative Director, and Erik Yeo, Lead Game Designer, for Oddworld Stranger.

TVG: The Oddworld universe is truly a weird one full of crazy ideas. Where did the inspiration originally come from and how much are the ideas a collective/team exercise?

The original idea for Oddworld was a cracked mirror reflecting the â??too insane to be believedâ?? realities of our own world. I thought up much of this, but itâ??s best when the teams participate as much as possible once building a title. Guided synergy creates the strongest experience.

TVG: What has been the focus and mission plan for Oddworld Stranger and conversely are you going for a more conventional approach this time? What is the basic gameplay mechanics and direction of this offering?

There is a number of over â??arcingâ?? design goals for Stranger, both for story and gameplay. As always, we want to tell a compelling story of industrial vs. natural and we wanted the environments to feel and look right for the story setting.

For the mission plans, we spent a lot of time making sure that a given bounty mission would support both a direction action approach and more stealthy approach.

I think that players will find some of the game more conventional, like the stronger hero type, and some of the action mechanics, but much of it is not conventional. The live ammo is a very unconventional change to action games, as is the concept of enemies being worth more alive than dead. It's important that players consider their tactics if they want to earn big bucks and buy various upgrades. Stealthy approaches where you eliminate enemies one at a time will give the player higher payouts than going in guns blazing.

TVG: Please tell the readers about the would-be-hero, Stranger; how this character was put together and what traits and foibles he has to offer?

Stranger was crafted to have unique moves and abilities. There were secrets about his character which needed to be conducive to his movements as well as his attitude. We wanted a hero that could transcend normal shooting abilities, while also transcending normal navigation abilities. Combining physical melee/ramming abilities with shooting created some unique combinations that would offer the gamer more choices in how to take on enemies. There is more to his character to describe, but part of what makes him special are his secrets, so telling them now would give a bit of this away, which I wouldnâ??t want to do.

TVG: Tell us about some of the action events in the game and perhaps you can give us an insight into one of your current favourites that really captures the sprit of the Oddworld brand!

Well, I'm partial to a number of levels including some later levels that I can't reveal just yet. In the earlier portion of the game I think gamers will really enjoy the mine carts, the shoot-out in town, and the native temple. The action and the look of these areas really fit the spirit of the game and Oddworld in general.

TVG: Is there a good reason, more than the obvious one, for being able to switch from third person to first person view and are there any rules attached?

Obvious uses for new mechanics are always good, because they feel natural. However, being able to switch freely allows the players to approach the game the way they want. Third person is generally best for moving quickly and getting a better view of your surroundings. First person is where the weapons are available, so it's generally better for combat, although Stranger has a number of 3rd person melee moves.

It is also good to get behind cover in a fire fight, then switch to 3rd person to see around walls so you can see the outlaws without have to expose yourself to getting shot.

TVG: Although the game has a certain â??spaghetti westernâ?? feel to it, our hero does not carry a gun in the real sense but a kind of â??bow gunâ??. Please tell us what he can do with this and how it works and what other goodies he can use and find on his travels?

The double-barreled crossbow allows players to set up any type of combination of ammo on the launcher. One on the left and one on the right. These ammos can then be fired by pulling the corresponding trigger. You can find a variety of upgrades like a sniper scope, directional mic for listening in on enemy conversations for useful information, clip extenders, larger ammo bags, etc. Naturally, all of these cost moola so players must be careful about just killing since enemies are worth more alive than dead.

TVG: How would you best describe the game, apart from the fact it is over the top, funny and very aggressive!?

Well, since you already took away the best ones, I would have to say fun, different, and full of surprises.

TVG: Can you give a little insight or list into the diversity of some of the characters and locations on offer and does each location present a strong theme with gameplay elements pertinent to it?

Well, I can't speak about some of the later characters and locales, but each character group has their own areas and purpose in the game. For example in the dusty, desert areas, the people live in towns. They have a myriad of problems for Stranger to solve, information to give, and opinions to express. (Whether you want them or not.) Talking to them or just listening in on their conversations provides some background on the current problems.

The outlaws on the other hand inhabit the wilderness and are always up to something. They rob wagon trains, steal water facilities, etc, and their hideouts fit well into the western theme.

The natives are at the bottom of the pecking order and have lost much of their land to the other character types.

TVG: Tell us about some of the visual effects and technology â??wowâ?? factors on offer!

The programmers have done an amazing job creating a very powerful piece of technology and the artists have definitely pushed it hard. We have tri-blending, detailed light maps, normal mapping, self shadowing, particles, depth of field, reflections (the water looks great), etc. In addition, much of the world is destructible, so Stranger can smash his way through outlaw hideouts and uncover hidden moolah.

TVG: Oddworld has evolved a massive amount from Abeâ??s Oddworld. Are you eyeing some of the next gen machines like Xbox2 to create even more inventive ideas? Also how important is technology to Oddworld and its evolution?

Technology is definitely a limit for what we can create. Itâ??s a terrible limit, but one thatâ??s got to be tackled head on. We have always felt heavily restricted with each generation of game consoles. This medium is still very young and still extremely limited by technology. Unlike film, where great ideas can be manifested a number of ways, in games weâ??re all surfing the same technological threshold and thus all governed by much of the same constraints. Ideas are not the key to games today, technology still is. As a result, games arenâ??t changing that quickly. They are evolving slowly due to the nature of the console systems, their limitations, and the expense it takes to build on them.

For more ambitious ideas that could be gamesâ?¦ sure, there are a lot of those ideas that would apply to more powerful hardware. But to speak about them now, Iâ??ve learned, is counter productive. Better to show the ideas when they are ready to be born, rather than talk about them before their time.

Thank you!

Oddworld Stranger is not only full of ideas, inventive weapons, and a strong story it is also looking pretty impressive as well. There are some neat and quirky ideas immersed within the game it is almost impossible to choose from such a large list and we are sure there is a number of features still in the making. This is one game we shall be keeping tabs on!