Xbox - The Official Magazine - UK (2019-08)

ABOVEIt’sup to

you to rescue

thesecaptive

Mudokons.

totraverseobstaclesandevenequipthem

forbattle.

Weaponsmustbecraftedfromjunk,

andcanbeusedbothtofightevilguards

ortodestroytheenvironment.Wooden

structurescanbeburneddowntoopenup

newpathways,andtowerscanbeblownup

tobringwreckagedownontoyourenemies.

Forthosea bitmoreconcernedabout

keepingtheirpeoplealive,stealthserves

asa moresubtlealternative.Insteadof

explosives,youcancraftnoisemakers,

distractingguardsandallowingyoutoslip

throughareasunnoticed.Q

otontheheelsofits

excellentAbe’sOddysee

remake,Oddworld

Inhabitantshasrevealed

a new,moreambitious

project.Soulstormis a

reimaginingofAbe’sExoddus, takingthe

conceptoftheoriginal,butmakingbig

changestothestoryandgamedesign.

Abeisnowtheleaderofa slaverevolt

againsttheevilcorporations,seekingout

andfreeinghisfellowMudokons.Those

rescuedbecomeyourfollowers,allowing

youtocommandthem,instructthemhow

In a 1984 -esqueworldwheretheAI

‘FriendComputer’controlseveryaspect

ofsociety,youareappointedasa

Troubleshooter.Yourjob?Huntdown

traitors.Thecatch?Youprobablyareone.

Thesettingoriginatesfromthebeloved,

long-runningtabletopgameParanoia. But

wherethatgamereliedonthecomedic

hijinksofplayersconspiringagainsteach

other,thissingle-playertop-downRPGcan

leanonlyonthewitofitswritingtonail

thesameatmosphere.

The 2005 cultclassiclivesagainthanksto

thisfullremake.Forthoseunfamiliar,that

meansthearrivalonmodernconsolesof

cantankerousalienCrypto,aninterstellar

warrioroutforhumanbrains.

ForthemostpartDestroyAllHumans

staysfaithfultotheoriginal,though

obviouslywithfarshiniervisuals.Butthe

devsaretweakingCrypto’sarsenaland

abilities– he’smoreagile,abletowield

psychicpowersandgunsatthesame

time,andhasevenlearnedtelekinesis.

Afterwhatfeelslikeaneternityofteasing,

we’vefinallyseenthisretroremakein

action.Crisp2Danimationreplacesthe

original’spixelart,givingamphibiousstars

Rash,ZitzandPimplemorepersonality

thaneverastheythrowoutwacky

shapeshiftingattacks.

Asyou’dexpect,thefocusis on

brawlingandhoverbikeobstaclecourses,

thoughthelatterhavebeenreimaginedas

front-facing3Dchallenges.Theylookjust

asridiculouslyhardasever,though.

ABERETURNSTOBREAKCHAINSINTHISANARCHICREMAKE

QPUBLISHERBIGBENINTERACTIVE/DEVELOPER

BLACKSHAMROCK,CYANIDESTUDIO/ETA 2019

QPUBLISHERTHQNORDIC/DEVELOPERBLACK

FORESTGAMES/ETA 2020

QPUBLISHERXBOXGAMESTUDIOS/DEVELOPER

DLALASTUDIOS/ETA 2019

QPUBLISHERODDWORLDINHABITANTS/DEVELOPERODDWORLDINHABITANTS,FRIMASTUDIO,FATKRAKENSTUDIOS/ETAEARLY 2020

036 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

E3 2019

ODDWORLD:

SOULSTORM

PARANOIA:

HAPPINESS IS

MANDATORY

DESTROY

ALL HUMANS

BATTLETOADS