DESCRIPTION

Those nasty Glukons are at it again, intent on oppressing the loveable Mudokons any way they can. Last time, the meanies were manufacturing Mudokon jerky. Now, they've officially taken genocide too far, by forcing blind Mudokons into slave labor to dig up the bones of their fellow deceased. It so happens, by the way, that Mudokon bones add just the right kick to a favorite Glukon recipe, Soulstorm Brew.

Who's gonna save the day? Our unlikely hero Abe, of course. You remember Abe: that blue-green, loincloth-wearing, six foot-tall Fraggle with chronic digestive problems? Yep, he would have been content to rest on his laurels after rescuing ninety-nine of his Mudokon buddies from extermination in Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, but a group of disgruntled ghosts elected good ol' Abe to avenge their deaths.

What's a Mudokon to do? Well, use your wits, words, and wiles to infiltrate the Soulstorm Brew factory, and get you and your buddies out alive, of course. Sound easy? Didn't think so. Each room, fully rendered in charming 2D, is brimming with booby traps and armed guards. What's more, it's tougher to get your enslaved buddies' attention this time. Mudokons now come in six different flavors: "normal" (that's a laugh), wired, depressed, sick (drunk, actually), and blind.

Depending on the individual's physical or emotional state, you've got to interact with him in a particular way to get him to respond to Abe. To compensate for this, the development team at GT Software has beefed up their trademark "GameSpeak" feature. Abe is now capable of eight different utterances, including: "work!" "all o' ya!" "sorry," and a couple of unintelligible grunts and growls. And, yes, Abe still farts, although it's not absolutely necessary to do so.

Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus is aimed toward more patient gamers, as each screen is a life-or-death puzzle, a la Heart of Darkness and Out of This World. Be prepared to spend plenty of time looking, and a bit less leaping. ~ Christian Huey, All Game Guide