About a year ago, Playstation 3 owners welcomed the HD version of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, something Microsoft's fans still haven't recovered from. The Vita version took its time but it is finally available now, and we thought you might like to know what we think of it. Before you start complaining, saying what Sony's handheld needs is above all fresh new exclusives, don't forget that we are talking about a game which was so unfairly received by players. Indeed, Oddworld Inhabitants' last title didn't make it big at the time, a real shame considering it should have sold so much more. Check our videos inside if you don't believe us.
Back when it was released in March 2005, Stranger's Wrath had it all: a rich, funny and appealing world, ambitious gameplay mixing TPS with FPS, and of course, incredibly gorgeous graphics to please even the most nitpicky players. The kind of game that could make PS2 owners so jealous they could even consider buying Microsoft's console. Unfortunately, mostly due to Microsoft's lack of marketing campaign, few people realized how good the game was. So good that those who completed it back then still see it as one of the best titles of last gen. Not everything was perfect though. It could have been longer and a bit less repetitive but overall it was a great experience, one to be remembered. Juts the simple fact that the second half of the adventure was completely different from the first gameplay-wise made it memorable. Well, that and its crazy ideas, like the live ammo you had to hunt in order to catch the wanted criminals you had to go after.
Graphically speaking, this Vita version pays good tribute to the original, so it looks great. Now of course, when compared to the PS3 adaptation, it lacks the smoothness of the 60 fps framerate, but it's not that big a deal in the end. To see that a 2005 game can still look good on a handheld is the proof that Oddworld Inhabitants were very talented. Gameplay-wise, touch controls have been added, to switch between the FPS view and the TPS view (you simply need to tap the screen twice), or to select your ammo. The rear pad also allows to punch your enemies when in first person view. Everything works fine, so the game basically plays like in the old days. We just had a few problems to aim properly in first person view, but it might be us. The camera can be moved freely with the right analog stick, but it can be a bit messy at times, with parts of the environment getting in the way. That being said, don't let such minor flaws keep you away from the game, especially if you have never played it before.
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