In Oddworld: New’n’tasty, you control an enslaved Mudokon named Abe. When he finds out that his employer/master, Rupture Farms, is planning to use Mudokon meat for their recent treat. Abe takes it upon himself to save the other 299 Mudokon workers and learn more about his Mudokon legacy.
New’n’tasty is a 2.5D Platform/Puzzle that is a Remake of Abe’s Odyssey, built from scratch. The spirit of the original Oddworld with its dark and macabre humor is clearly expressed in what the developer Just Add Water has created. The unique inhabitants, creatures, places and traditions are beautifully recreated and represented with new 3D models and design improvements.
However, the controls and mechanics of Oddworld: New’n’tasty do not seem to have received the same loving attention. The platform is incredibly rigid and sometimes does not even respond to what you press. There are a few sections where you have to run at full speed and jump holes, but it took you forever to finish, because sometimes my jump command did not respond and I crashed into passed away. The Walk/Run/Crawl commands also had problems where Abe ran unintentionally while I was trying to get closer and disable a Mine.
All the control complications associated with the game’s riddle really score a point at home; the Quicksave and Quick Load controls are an absolute godsend. It can really be said with certainty that I would not be able to cope if these commands were not conveniently assigned to the minus key. This addition saved the game for me, as I was much more willing to try many different puzzle solutions without getting frustrated with having to load all the way back to the checkpoint.
With this great improvement in the quality of life, Just Add Water has optimized the original formula with other additives. There are now 299 Mudokons to save instead of the original 99, there are expanded and new secret areas, and now Abe has the ability to throw bottle caps as a distraction.
Just Add Water has done a great job of rebuilding Oddworld with the same style and spirit of the original. The scope of the remake shows that this is a real labor Of love. Unfortunately, the Gameplay part of the reconstruction leaves much to be desired and can especially be the catalyst for the rage of the game. As it is, Oddworld: New’n’tasty is an adorable reinterpretation for Fans of The original and a solid and challenging puzzle game for Fans of the genre.
