ODDWORLD: STRANGERS WRATH Coming To Switch January 23rd
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is one of those games that truly deserves the title of “cult classic.” A hybrid shooter/platformer/RPG, it did everything in its power to put a twist on each of those genres. You play as the titular Stranger, a bounty hunter tasked with capturing Oddworld’s most dangerous inhabitants, dead or alive. You’ll do this using your unique crossbow, which uses live creatures as ammunition. You’ll launch thudsluggs, boombats, chippunks, and many others for varying effects. It’s a wonderfully quirky game, greatly enhanced by the distinct Oddworld setting.
Unfortunately, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was considered to be a flop. Despite selling over 600k copies with the original Xbox release, it would have needed to sell over twice that to just break even. Part of this was due to extreme production costs. The game was way ahead of its time, but also took ages to develop. Developer Oddworld Inhabitants also blamed EA for not marketing the game enough. Who’s to actually blame? I don’t know. I remember as a kid reading about Stranger’s Wrath in Game Informer years before it actually came out. When it finally did come out, it was just suddenly on shelves. So maybe there’s truth to both sides.
Regardless, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath has since seen new life a few times with various releases. The biggest release was probably the PC release in 2010, which did a lot to bring Stranger’s Wrath back into the public’s eye. It’s also worth mentioning that it might be cursed, since it saw release on the PSVita, OnLive, and Ouya. So if you see it on the Stadia, sell your Google stock immediately.
If you’re not one to believe in curses and like good games, then you’re in luck. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is coming to the Nintendo Switch on January 23rd. It’ll be available digitally for $29.99. You can preorder it by clicking here. This new edition features improved graphics and better load times. Other than that, it’s still the great Stranger’s Wrath you probably missed.
