Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty Review (BallisticFaceGuy)
A great example how prettier doesn't always mean better.
I am torn on this one. The original game admittedly looks quite dated, especially when playing the PC version on a modern monitor. I can fully appreciate the more detailed 3D graphics, and some of the modern conveniences such as adding analogue movement control for those who prefer it, however I have two major gripes with this game, and both of them stem from the control scheme.
For one thing, it baffles me how 2D games could possibly have *forced* analogue controls. While the options allow you to more closely emulate a control scheme closer to the original (run mapped to a shoulder button/trigger, forward hop mapped to a face button), the fact that you're unable to swap the D-Pad and analogue stick functions (without having a controller that has that specific function) is very annoying. The only reason functions where analogue is absolutely required is when you are aiming throwable objects, which you could just as easily map to the right analogue at all times without it being an issue. It wouldn't be as annoying if it weren't for the next thing...
Abe seems to hesitate when going to a standstill to a full speed roll at completely random times. I've tested this with multiple controllers, and no matter what I use, I get the same inconsistent results. If I were playing the game regularly, that may be tolerable for the most part, but when trying to rescue all mudokons, this starts to become a real pain in the ass. It's mostly evident when you have to quickly roll under a grinder. Abe's animation and speed sometimes starts out slowly while transitioning from crouching state to a rolling one, and this causes some really harebrained deaths. This doesn't always happen, though, and I have no idea why. When he goes full speed ahead, which is 90% of the time, I have no problem. Note: I also have this game for the PS4 and I DO NOT have the same issue on that version.
Other than that, the music and sound are fine. I think some of the heaviness of the character movement causes some unexpected control issues when trying to approach puzzles the same way as the original, but of course Abe's Oddysee had its own control weirdness (oddness?) and ultimately I'll just chalk it up to different design decisions. The extra little text transitions while going from one area to another is a nice touch. Mostly, the game feels like a fun little love letter to the original, save for the control grossness that I mentioned.