Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee

Oddworld’s strangest rescue mission pairs Abe, the reluctant Mudokon hero, with Munch, the last Gabbit left searching for his species’ stolen eggs. The story keeps the series’ signature mix of environmental destruction, corporate cruelty, slapstick weirdness, and surprisingly sincere animal-rights anger, as the duo fights back against the industrial Vykkers. Unlike the earlier side-scrolling Oddworld adventures, Munch’s Oddysee plays as a fully 3D platforming quest across factories, coastal facilities, tribal settlements, and hostile wilderness. Its cartoonish characters and absurd gadgets make the journey feel lighter than its grim premise, but the stakes remain personal: Munch’s entire species hangs in the balance.

Play alternates between Abe and Munch, whose abilities make them useful in very different situations. Abe can possess enemies and machines through psychic chant powers, letting players turn guards, turrets, and other threats against their employers, while Munch swims freely, uses electrical attacks, and accesses water-heavy routes that Abe cannot. Levels mix platform jumps, switches, escorting rescued Mudokons and Fuzzles, scavenging currency from vending machines, and finding the right power-up for each obstacle; power-ups can grant temporary boosts such as stronger attacks, levitation, or improved mobility. Progress often depends on keeping followers alive, which gives the familiar Oddworld rescue formula a more tactical edge than a straightforward collectathon.

The defining appeal is the two-character teamwork and the delightfully bizarre world surrounding it, from sentient machines to grotesque corporate villains and oddball creatures that can become allies. Its 3D camera and movement show their age, and some puzzles rely on patience rather than elegant guidance, but the 2016 version smooths the presentation with 60 FPS support, upgraded textures and models, cleaner audio, improved cinematics, and numerous fixes. Fans of Abe’s Exoddus or other offbeat puzzle-platformers will find plenty of recognizable Oddworld personality here, while newcomers should expect an eccentric, slightly rougher 3D chapter rather than a modern action platformer.