Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD Switch Review

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is a game that clearly has a lot of good ideas and design polish put into it, but it suffers from its age too much to really shine. The original Stranger's Wrath launched in 2005 to critical acclaim, while updated versions have been released for various consoles including the PS3, Vita and PC over the years since. The HD version is now on the Switch with updated controls, but the game feels remarkably similar to its original form.
Stranger's Wrath follows the eponymous player character, Stranger, as he bounty-hunts his way through an old-west inspired setting filled with anthropomorphized animals as townspeople, bandits, and other NPCs. Stranger starts his journey on a quest to make enough money for a life-saving operation, but the tale becomes embroiled in betrayal, secrets, and an evil plot as Stranger gets closer to his goal. The story and worldbuilding are the primary attractions, while decent third-person platforming and a unique first-person-shooting mechanic based on different ammo types make up the majority of gameplay.

The characters, setting, and story are a big part of what makes Stranger's Wrath unique. It joins the roster of several other Oddworld games, but it is the only one with a first person shooting mechanic. It has a nostalgic Oddworld flair, with wacky, over the top characters and voice acting. Stranger comes across as a gruff, brooding answer to classic mascot platformers like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. This characterization might come off as bland at first, but it becomes charming with time and an appreciation for a stoic old-west gunslinger attitude in the context of the brightly colored, loud, and energetic character designs of the time the game first released.

The story is slow to start off, lulling players into a false sense of monotony. However, when the twists come, they come hard and fast. The tale takes some surprisingly dark turns for its goofy facade, with genuinely intense, shocking, and even saddening moments. There is no need for spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Stranger's Wrath tells a story that is oddly mature for a game with such crude humor and cartoonish character designs. This is nothing new for those who are familiar with the storytelling of other Oddworld games.
The story and levels are almost completely linear. Players receive one task at a time, complete it, and move on to the next. Those who are used to the modern standard of multiple ongoing narratives at a time and branching level design may find this boring. The pattern of getting a bounty, going through a linear level, beating a boss fight, and then coming back for another bounty can get pretty repetitive.
That being said, every level is very polished, with purposeful design and great pacing. Thanks to the HD PSN release from 2011, the game still looks pretty good for what it is. There is a good amount of variety in the dusty desert, from crumbling temples to barren gulches and dark caverns. Meanwhile, subtle touches like red flowers placed in the foliage near important parts of each level display the attention payed to each stage. Areas usually consist of some traversal puzzles, light obstacles, and arrays of enemies that must be taken out with a bit of planning and ingenuity.
To dispatch foes, players must collect different small creatures within the environment around them, then save them for later use. Each type of "ammo" has its own use, from a rabid furball proximity mine to a skunk smoke bomb. Players can load two types of critter into their crossbow at a time, and use them to strategic effect to clear each area of enemies. This rewards creativity, as capturing enemies alive (by stunning them then sucking them up ghostbusters style) results in a bigger payoff upon return to the bounty office. Ammo collection and varying ammo types are pretty fun and interesting mechanics, especially considering how long ago they were introduced. Even the more mundane mechanics for sprinting, shaking off damage, and platforming feel satisfying and polished. Tilt controls can also be used to aim more finely in first person, but in practice it does not help much.
One thing, however, prevents these mechanics from holding up fifteen years after they were thought up: the controls. The controls are the most glaring issue with Stranger's Wrath, and being on the Switch does them no favors. It feels like very few changes were made to the controls for the new platform, and it can't be understated how unfortunate that is. The third person camera is so sluggish it hurts. Side to side movement is somewhat bearable, but when looking down over an edge (of which there are many) or up to a climbing rope, the camera moves so slowly that it's hard to avoid tapping one's foot in boredom while waiting an eternity just to see a bit ahead. This is particularly unfortunate, considering that Stranger's Wrath on the Vita was adapted very well to a small, portable format.

Conversely, first person aiming is so sensitive that it is a genuine struggle to aim accurately even with a Pro Controller. To add insult to injury, there is only a single camera sensitivity slider. Putting the sensitivity low enough to aim in first person means essentially giving up the ability to move the third person camera at all, while making it sensitive enough to smoothly pan in third person makes shooting a twitchy, wide-swinging nightmare.
There was simply not enough effort put into updating the controls to a modern standard. Great remasters like Link's Awakening completely overhaul everything in the game to make it new again. Acceptable remasters will settle for making just a few quality of life updates. The lack of attention to updating Stranger's Wrath instantly ages the game beyond what most players outside of nostalgic fans will be able to tolerate. This is not just a remaster of a fifteen-year-old game, it is a re-release of a nine-year-old remaster of a fifteen-year-old game.

The other major issue with the game is that it does not benefit from being on the Switch. Some titles seem perfect for the Switch, benefiting immensely from being portable, while still having a depth that merits being put up on a big screen when possible. Unfortunately, most first person shooters do not feel very good on the small handheld controllers for the Switch, and Stranger's Wrath falls into this camp. The game does not benefit much from being portable, and might as well be played on any other console. At the very least, its simple, clear level designs are easy to read even on the Switch's small screen.
All in all, Stranger's Wrath was a great game... fifteen years ago. It's still good, but after so long it does not age well enough to warrant the $30 price tag. It is a bit too simple and repetitive to be fully redeemed by its careful design. It is still a surprisingly entertaining romp, and will likely provide a lot of fun for younger players or nostalgic fans. By modern standards though, there are plenty of better games out on the Switch that have a similar level of polish but feel smoother to play and benefit directly from being on a portable console.