The best Oddworld game to date and the most original spin on FPS's since Perfect Dark.
I don't know where to start with my love for this game. Incredible graphics that fit the theme, storyline, mood and setting of the game? Check. Music that feels theatrical? Check. Voice acting that gives characters depth and true personality? Check.
I started out wanting this game simply due to the fact that it's Oddworld, it was featured on a cable documentary about the Xbox where we got to see its initial creative presentation to Microsoft and dammit... Stranger just looked cool as hell. Add to that that Lorne Lannings teams put out some of the most technically adept productions for any systems they work on and well, its a must get.
The first thing you notice about this FPS/platformer is that the platforming aspects don't suck. Why? Because you can pull out of first person, go to third person and play this game like you would a Mario, Blinx or Sonic game for the jumping parts. You can also put Stranger into a fast gallop to cover lots of ground, easily climb ropes and time jumps to get to difficult to reach places, all in third person.
Then the combat parts come and you switch to FPS mode. Unlike games like Halo, Doom, Quake or Unreal you carry different kinds of ammunition instead of different weapons. What makes this so integral to gameplay is that you can carry two types of ammo at a time in your crossbow. These are keyed to the right and left triggers. However you may have up to 8 kinds of different ammo in inventory from which to pick your two.
On top of that, the ammo is alive. It's actually creatures that do you dirty work. Whether it's a squirrel fired as bait to lure enemies to a certain area, a spider like critter to tie em up, a group of angry bees to sting, a skunk to make them puke, an exploding beetle to kill them outright the ammo is always the key to defeating certain situations. The ammo, when not being fired, makes noises, cracks jokes and the like. It's definitely a gaming first.
Basically the game is like many others in that it's structured and not really open ended. You go to a town, pick out your mission, upgrade your character and set off. It's just that all throughout the game you are struck by the overwhelming amount of style, work and detail that went into this game. The best example I can offer is this, instead of relying on fog or darkness to cover up limitations on draw distances Stranger's Wrath introduces a player to a dust and sandstorm filled version of an alternative old west. It seems so simple but when you see it executed you completely forget that the sand is there for a reson.
This game was a work of gamers with gamers in mind. The art is top notch and the technical accomplishments are massive. I would go as far to say this is the best looking game on the Xbox passing Full Spectrum Warrior, Halo 2 and RalliSport 2 in the visual quality department.
Stranger's Wrath isn't a walkthrough either. You will die, you will get frustrated, you may throw your controller. What's great about this though is that you're angry it's usually because you're playing it like a normal FPS going headlong into every battle thinking your reflexes will carry you through. Instead the game makes you play with a strategy like Full Spectrum Warrior.
I can't speak highly enough of this game. Is it worth $50? Well, you have to decide if any game is worth $50 first. However if any game is worth it, this one is. Even without the replayability fo Xbox Live the ride Oddworld Stranger's Wrath gives gamers is intense enough and pleasurable enough to be worth the cost of admission.
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