Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee

Story and setting

Munch is the last surviving Gabbit, a species hunted almost to extinction for its eggs. After being captured and experimented on by the Vykkers, he escapes and sets out to recover the final can of Gabbiar, hoping it can restore his species. Abe becomes his partner, while pursuing his own mission to save Mudokon workers and other creatures from industrial exploitation.

The story follows Abe’s Exoddus and keeps Oddworld’s familiar mixture of anti-corporate satire, slapstick comedy and unsettling biological horror. Vykkers Labs, industrial facilities and polluted landscapes provide the backdrop, with the game’s deliberately ridiculous products and creatures disguising a fairly direct story about slavery, poaching and corporate greed.

How it plays

This is a third-person 3D platformer built around puzzle-solving rather than constant combat. Abe uses GameSpeak to command Mudokons, recruit allies, operate mechanisms and lead creatures to safety. He can possess enemies, turning their weapons and abilities against their own side, while his ability to pick up and throw characters helps solve environmental problems and move companions into otherwise inaccessible areas.

Munch brings a different toolset. He can swim, use a wheelchair power-up to move quickly on land, control selected creatures with sonar and remotely operate machines such as cranes and Anesthesia bots. Abe and Munch can be swapped almost instantly in most areas, and their abilities are designed to work together: one character opens a route, distracts an enemy or moves an object, while the other follows through.

Vending machines sell power-ups that improve movement and other abilities. The game also expands the earlier Oddworld formula with Fuzzles, Mudokon followers, enemy possession and machinery-based puzzles. The ideas are often clever, although the objectives can become repetitive and the 3D camera can make precise platforming needlessly frustrating.

Versions, patches and performance

The original Xbox release is now available through backward compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. This is the original game rather than a modern Xbox remaster, so it does not have Xbox achievements, online play, HDR or a separately advertised Series X|S performance mode. The Xbox store lists the game as a single-player purchase.

The PC version arrived on Steam in 2010 and received a substantial updated port in 2016. That version added 60 frames per second support, higher-resolution textures, higher-polygon character and environment models, improved audio, better-quality pre-rendered cut-scenes, broader aspect-ratio support, Xbox 360 controller support and various fixes. Steam achievements, trading cards, badges, backgrounds and emotes were also added. Owners can select an original branch if they want the older PC build.

An HD edition followed on PlayStation 3 in 2012, with remodelled characters, higher-resolution textures, new audio, updated controls, unlockable artwork and Trophies. The Nintendo Switch version launched in 2020 and supports handheld, tabletop and television play. Nintendo Life found it technically strong at 60 frames per second, while noting brief hitches, awkward controls, a troublesome camera and a lack of subtitles.

UK availability and reception

The current Xbox digital price is £8.99. Steam’s UK price is £3.99 at the time of writing, while the Switch version launched at an RRP of £26.99. Physical Switch copies and the older Xbox release are now mainly found through independent retailers and second-hand sellers, with prices varying according to stock and condition. The game is not listed in the current Xbox Game Pass catalogue.

The original Xbox release received broadly favourable reviews, but not universal praise. Metacritic records an 80 out of 100 average from 30 critics. GameSpot awarded 7.9 out of 10, praising its smart puzzles while criticising the lack of variety, and Official Xbox Magazine gave it 90 out of 100. Later opinion has been more divided: Nintendo Life rated the Switch version 3 out of 10 despite praising its technical presentation. Steam currently shows a Mostly Positive user rating, with 77 per cent of 1,013 reviews positive.

Is it worth playing now?

Munch’s Oddysee is worth considering if you like distinctive worlds, character-led puzzle games and older platformers that are happy to be strange. Its best moments come from making Abe and Munch solve problems together, manipulating enemies and rallying creatures that would normally be background decoration.

It is less convincing as a polished 3D platformer. The camera, context-sensitive controls and repeated objectives can wear thin, particularly late in the campaign. For most British readers, the Steam version is the cheapest and most technically flexible option, while the Xbox backward-compatible edition is the closest route to the original console experience. The Switch port is convenient, but its price is harder to justify unless portability matters.