Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty! (Nintendo Switch) Review

Reinvigorating the original plot of the PS1 classic Abe's Oddysee, New 'n' Tasty! tells the tale of factory cleaner Abe and his break for freedom after finding that his employers will be using his species as the base ingredient for their latest food recipe. What follows is platforming with a twist, with Abe enduring to not only save himself but also ensuring that as many of his fellow co-workers escape with him by manipulating platforms, levers and even enemies themselves. Oh and you can fart too, which is excellent.

For gamers making their first foray into the series, it might be a little jarring to find a protagonist that isn't going to blow enemies apart with the latest powerup or even stomping on the heads of an unsuspecting crab guard. Instead it's the brainpower of the player being used as the weapon here. Each section poses the question what can I use in the environment to cause enough of a distraction to A: get to the next screen and B: rescue any fellow Mudokons without getting shot, electrocuted or squished along the way. It is these major gameplay differences that at the time were revolutionary and allowed Abe to stick in the memories for the past I don't know how many years.

Of course, as a remake, improved visuals are a given and the world of Rupture Farms does look great here - a real overhaul that is noticeable even with only a vague memory of the original. Gone are the flat backgrounds replaced by fully 3D design. The biggest improvement, however, is the removal of panning from screen to screen whenever Abe leaves an area. No longer is there a jarring definitive line between screens; all parts of the screen now pan seamlessly allowing a much smoother experience all around. It's one of the biggest and most welcome changes and really does feel like a natural evolution from the 32-bit days.

The crutch of the original was the split-second timing needed to progress, but as with a majority of titles in the day this was marred with a jankiness that fought inputs at every opportunity. This often led to frustration and anger as Abe took another swan dive off a platform he should never have missed. Visuals may have been overhauled but controls are just as awkward as they always were, which in a way is somehow, charming? Death will occur a lot, often through no fault of the player. Thankfully this has been considered, and extra checkpoints have been added, as well as a new quicksave system that adheres to the Switch USP perfectly.

Putting the time in does, however, reap rewards. With its dark sense of humour still present, it's still extremely satisfying to fart, wake up a guard with the noise and lead them to a perfectly placed trapdoor. Even with the frustration of the controls, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! will still raise a smile as Abe lets out his last breath as he electrocutes himself or is mowed down by gunfire.