The plot isn't the only aspect that subverts expectations though. Some might call it a tad too preachy, but there's no denying that the core message is perhaps more impactful now than it's ever been before. It's mature stuff for a game that also has a lot of really silly moments, but it all ends up coming together to make something with a strong moral compass and a life lesson that anyone can adhere to. Stranger initially comes off as a stereotype who fits into the surroundings like a glove, but as everything becomes clearer you begin to understand the affecting motivations and conflicts that drive him forward. It's all straightforward and laid back at first, but after a damning reveal later on everything becomes far more dramatically rich.
He ain't strolling into town to make pals though, thanks to his ambition to catch outlaws and earn a ton of 'moolah' for a mysterious life-changing operation he's desperate for. Switching up the oppressive hyper-capitalistic factories for a straightforward spaghetti western theme, Stranger's Wrath puts you in the boots of the titular intimidating, deep-voiced bounty hunter named Stranger. Thankfully, Stranger's Wrath HD manages to be even better than it was 15 years ago despite its age, and this Switch port is a golden opportunity for players to experience this golden cult classic. Whether that was because of the incoming console generation or down to baffled gamers is another matter, but it's undeniable that Stranger's Wrath deserved more love. Despite getting showered with praise when it came out in 2005 only 600,000 copies were ever sold on the original Xbox, cementing it as a commercial failure. There's something uniquely odd about Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, and that's not just because of the franchise name.
0 kommentar(er)
