New ‘n’ Tasty, Oddworld Inhabitants eagerly anticipated remake of Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee , have finally prepared an announcement regarding the release date!
Of course, it actually turned out to be an announcement of the day they’ll actually announce the release date, but nevermind all that revolving language kerfuffle. That day is June 9th.
In a post to their blog on April 25th, Oddworld eagerly laid out news on their current progress with the update to the classic platformer; originally expected to release sometime this month. It has since been delayed to add a few extra layers of polish, getting the animations and overall gameplay up to a level befitting the next-gen retelling of a title arguably ahead of its time. (Up there, because we love you, is a 60 FPS version of the GDC 2014 gameplay trailer, because everything is better at 60 frames).
The game won’t be out before E3 – sorry – but that’s our promise in terms of letting you know when it will be.
The good news (in light of the not news) is that the extra time spent has been more than worth it, with every inch of the game having been reconsidered for the upgrade. The original Abe’s Oddysee was a twitch game that has definitely aged well on a mechanical level –but is definitely a product of its time. Fans of the 2D original wondering how the game (originally an experience comprised of many single screens) will flow in the 2.5D remake may just have their fears put to bed, as the team assures that the improvements to the graphics, along with the level design and AI at present has so far made for “an altogether smarter, more exciting experience” than before. This is fantastic news, not just to those who have never played before, but also to the returning gamers who used to cheat the limits of the screen for their Slig possessions. (They may be in a spot of next-gen trouble.)
Also revealed was the game’s pricing structure, and in what’s a great bid for the continued success of indies in a AAA world, the rejuvenated digital-only title will go for $29.99 across..every platform not named “Xbox”.
The other side of that console fence happens to be in luck in light of all that exclusivity: the game also supports Cross Buy/Save on the Playstation, meaning a purchase of any version of the game on PS4, PS3, or Vita nets them all for the curious buyer, iOS/Android style. Other platforms have no such special arrangements however, so any excitement upon seeing Abe in the App Store should be kept to a nil.
A batch of new screenshots was also thrown in for good measure by the Inhabitants; but whether or not they make what was already a pretty painful wait any less so is still uncertain.
Damn you, 60 frames.
