Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

    Thanks to the Oddworld Inhabitants the XBOX has gotten a little stranger. The Oddworld Inhabitants are known mostly for their collection of puzzle games featuring a cast of abnormal characters. Their latest addition is an adventure game, which is the first time they've been away from the puzzle genre.
     Oddworld Stranger's Wrath tells the story of an enigmatic bounty hunter with a quick temper and a shroud of secrecy. The game starts with collecting bounties on outlaws, but the story soon gets deeper when the stranger sees a doctor about a mysterious operation. Though the heroes and villains of the other Oddworld games aren't present the story runs along similar lines, the defeat of a capitalist monopoly that is committing genocide for profit.
     Stranger's Wrath is unique in that it combines both first and third person action. The third person involves traveling, melee combat, and interacting with the characters while the first person is where most of the shooting action takes place. The only down side with the controls is how little Stranger can jump and at times the sudden transition from third to first person makes turning a bit awkward.
     Stranger's Wrath is by far the most graphically advanced in the Oddworld series. The aesthetics in this game will amaze with its beautiful levels, excellent water and fire effects, and alluring cut scenes. The only disappointment regarding graphics would be the game contains few cut scenes. Though they're amazingly constructed and much lengthier than previous games I still hoped to see more cut scenes.
     As usual Oddworld Inhabitants impress with their audio skills. The soundtrack is an excellent mixture of spaghetti western, ethnic, and electronica. It sets the tone and greatly improves the feel of the game. The quality of the sound effects is equally impressive. The realistic sounds give the settings a much more realistic feel.
     The Oddworld series delivers quality, enjoyable games and Stranger's Wrath is no exception. The combination of the first and third person views, the awesome soundtrack, and the beautiful graphics all enhance the gusto of the game, making it one of the best in the Oddworld Series thus far.

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Overall Rating: 9