Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
	Genre: Adventure Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Publisher Region Released Microsoft NA 11/06/2001

Your Account Options

You currently have no privileges related to this game profile because you are not signed into an HonestGamers account. Please log in, or click to register for a free user account.

More Reviews by
	Otogi: Myth of Demons (Xbox) Otogi is really in a league of it’s own on Xbox. The closest game to it is probably Panzer Dragoon Orta, not because the action is similar but be...
	Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance) I think of Aria as SotN-lite - a wonderful experience, one of the best Castlevanias of all time, yet it ends far too quickly. If you’re thinking ...
	Brute Force (Xbox) Brute Force would benefit so much from more open level designs. Your tactical options would exponentially increase and your enemies could do some...
	NBA Street Vol. 2 (GameCube) This isn't a basketball sim, the players don't behave like real players. Shaq will hit the occasional shot from behind the arc, little Allen Iverson will throw...
	Conflict: Desert Storm (Xbox) Conflict Desert Storm has plenty of those exciting moments that you just can't find in other genres. You're low on ammo, separated from your squad, rela...

Best Xbox Games
	Beyond Good & Evil Average Rating: 9.5; Reviews: 2
	OutRun2 Average Rating: 9.3; Reviews: 3
	Halo 2 Average Rating: 9.3; Reviews: 3
	Splinter Cell Average Rating: 9.3; Reviews: 2
	Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Average Rating: 9.3; Reviews: 2
	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Average Rating: 9.2; Reviews: 3
	Halo: Combat Evolved Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 5
	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 2
	Shenmue II Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 2
	Project Gotham Racing 2 Average Rating: 9.0; Reviews: 2

Looking for a good read?
Check out a selection from our database of more than 8000 reviews! Suskie has weighed in on The Bard's Tale for the Xbox and figures it rates 3 out of 10. What do you think? Read the review, then be sure to leave feedback or chime in with one of your own!

Staff Review

Review by goatx3
April 05, 2003

I've always liked the Oddworld series - platform games with some puzzle mixed in, packed with personality, weird humor, likeable characters, farting and serious commentary on our culture. The third installment has miraculously found it's way to Xbox exclusivity, and is making the often-not-so-graceful leap from the second to the third dimension. While the transition wasn't perfect, Oddworld Inhabitants have done an admirable job of bringing mostly everything that made the first two games special over to Munch’s Oddysee.

If you’re one of the poor souls who has missed out on the first Oddworld games, it’s okay. At the beginning of Munch’s Oddysee you have the option of watching about 10 minutes worth of outstandingly done video that explains the basic story of the first two games. The brief version: There are these greedy guys called Glukkons who will do anything to make money. Their main cash flow comes from hunting animal species to extinction in order to make yummy meat products. There’s a meat processing plant called Rupture Farms which is staffed by enslaved Mudokons (alien-looking green guys). When Abe, one of the Mudokons, overhears a plan to turn his fellow Mudokons into the next meat product, he embarks on a quest to free all of the Mudokons and do whatever he can to disrupt the Glukkons’ plans. After liberating loads of his brothers and managing to shut down some Glukkon operations, Abe becomes the hero of his people.

As you can tell from the title, there’s a new guy this time around and his name is Munch. He’s a Gabbit (a weird fish-mutant-thing with a huge head and a webbed, three-toed foot) and he’s lonely. All of his Gabbit-friends have apparently been hunted to extinction for their eggs (Gabbiar) which are the hip delicacy of the moment. Abe and Munch join forces to search for the other Gabbits, liberate anyone they can find, and free the land from the clutches of the hoggish capitalist bastards.

Munch’s Oddysee takes basic platformer elements like running, jumping and item-collecting and combines them with intelligent puzzles. Abe and Munch both have different strengths and weaknesses, so getting through each puzzle requires cooperation - you can switch between the characters with the press of a button. Abe and Munch aren’t alone - throughout Oddworld there are groups of Mudokons. They all love Abe, and will obey his every command. Manipulating them is often key to getting through the levels. Besides commanding the Mudokons Abe has the ability to chant to form a Possession Orb, which he can then direct to possess any enemy in the game. Munch has some special abilities too - thanks to a surgically implanted sonar unit Munch has the ability to electrically zap people, or control machinery like cranes, robots, etc. In short, you’ve got a lot of tools at your disposal.

Something I particularly liked was that when you’re playing there is absolutely no on-screen interface to be seen. No icons, no little menus, nothing cluttering the screen at all, which adds to the clean look of the game. The levels are big, the texture work is excellent, the characters are all excruciatingly detailed. Munch’s Oddysee gets two big thumbs up in the graphics department. The sound is no slouch either. Every character has multiple lines of speech that you can hear by pressing various buttons. It’s honestly the best voice acting I’ve heard in a game. The voices are all very funny and fit each character perfectly.

The difficulty is just about perfect. The puzzles start out pretty simple and gently slope up to the point where they require quite a bit of thought, though they’re never really true brain busters that will make you want to eat your controller in frustration. However, there were some frustrating aspects to the game. First of all, Abe has some control issues. The line between tip-toeing/walking/running is very thin. If you’re on a ledge and you just want to creep forwards a bit you can push the joystick a liiiiiitle bit too hard and Abe will go running off the ledge. Another thing that might bother some people is that once you’re far into the game the puzzles start feeling a little repetitive. There are also a couple of times where you have to undertake some pretty tedious and monotonous tasks.

Despite these flaws Munch’s Oddysee is still a very worthy game. It’s unlike anything else out there. It literally explodes with creativity, personality, and intelligence. It’s got depth and a just-right level of difficulty. Most gamers probably prefer a game that’s all fantasy, but for me it’s refreshing to see a game that isn’t subtle in it’s confrontation of real world issues. In this case the issue is the effect that unhindered greed, capitalism, and consumerism is having on our world. Call me a no-good hippy, but I actual got slightly emotional during the opening scene where Munch was in the ocean calling out for his friends that had all be trapped in nets and taken away to be used for the financial gain of others. While the issues the game takes on are rather serious, they’re presented in a fashion that will make you laugh or at least chuckle - it’s not all grim and pessimistic. So I want YOU make like Abe and RISE UP. Recycle, support organic farmers, support small businesses. Ride a bike instead of driving a car. Fight the power. Or short of that, at least play Munch’s Oddysee - it’s definitely one of the most overlooked titles on Xbox and at a bargain price of twenty dollars, you can’t afford to miss it.

Feedback

Facebook()

Forums(1)

You can click the tabs on the above bar to choose whether you wish to read comments from visitors who have posted on Facebook, or from registered site users who have left feedback on the forums. Please leave a comment of your own if you have anything to say!

Info | Help | Privacy Policy | Contact | Advertise

© 1998-2012 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site--from reviews, guides, cheats and editorials to message board posts--may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors.