Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a 2D platform game from Oddworld Inhabitants, published by GT Interactive. It launched in 1997 on PlayStation, MS-DOS, and Windows, with a Game Boy version called Oddworld Adventures following in 1998. The story follows Abe, a timid Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat factory. After learning that he and other Mudokons are slated for slaughter to create a new product, he flees and tries to free as many fellow slaves as possible. Players guide Abe through a dangerous quest to liberate his people.

The game earned praise for its creative gameplay, strong visual style, and memorable cutscenes, though it was criticized for a steep learning curve and a checkpoint-only save system. By December 2012, it had sold 3.5 million copies worldwide, ranking among the best-selling PlayStation titles. It was the first entry in a planned five-game Oddworld series, followed by Abe's Exoddus (1998), Munch's Oddysee (2001), and Stranger's Wrath (2005). A remake, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!, was released in 2014 by Just Add Water.

In gameplay, Abe moves across separate screens, solving puzzles, dodging hazards, and avoiding enemies. He can die in many ways—attacked by foes, touching dangerous objects, falling from heights, or into pits—and respawns at the last checkpoint. He can jump, crouch to roll, run to clear gaps or escape, and tiptoe for stealth. Like many cinematic platformers, Abe commits to each movement, with no mid-air adjustments. He can throw meat, rocks, or grenades to bypass enemies or destroy obstacles, but grenades have a timer and can kill him if held too long.

Abe can telepathically control Slig enemies, but only in safe zones; elsewhere, chant suppressors zap him if he tries. Once possessing a Slig, he can attack, use Slig-specific speech, activate dangerous mechanisms, or destroy the host. Abe’s body stays vulnerable while possessing, and if the host dies, control returns to him.

Players encounter other Mudokons to rescue. Using GameSpeak commands, Abe can order them to follow, stay, activate mechanisms, or praise and scold them. Some require persuasion, like responding to whistles. Rescued Mudokons are led to bird portals, activated by chanting. If at least 50 of the 99 possible Mudokons are saved, the good ending shows them rescuing Abe.