Oddworld: Soulstorm – Multiple endings and improving your Quarmic score

Oddworld: Soulstorm is not a remake in the traditional sense. Remakes are very popular right now and we have seen several wonderful games in that vein recently. Soulstorm differs in that it builds on what we originally wanted to do 22 years ago.

Back then, we weren’t afforded the time to execute our vision for the second game in Abe’s five-part quintology. We had just successfully released Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (a.k.a. Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty),  the first game in Abe’s quintology, and we were asked to deliver a sequel to it within nine months.

We had to chop and cut down what we wanted to do to get it done. That meant Abe’s Exoddus was a wildly different story and experience than what we initially intended in the grand dream of the overarching five-game quintology.

 

Soulstorm is our grand dream come true. It is a new game. It is our attempt to make the deeper and more conceptually unsettling second episode in the story of Abe that we originally intended all those years ago. The story takes place after the events of Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, when Abe follows his destiny to save his fellow Mudokons from corporate oppression. Soulstorm also features new gameplay mechanics including a scavenging and crafting system, where Abe can make versatile items like mines that knock enemy guards unconscious.

Our partners at Sony, Microids, and Unity helped us tremendously along the way and we would not be here without them. Most importantly, if not for fans of our games, Soulstorm would never have happened. Thank you for your continued support all these years. 

Tomorrow is the day our original vision for the second game in Abe’s five-part quintology, when Oddworld: Soulstorm launches. Let’s dive into things you should know before you embark on Abe’s next adventure.

 

PlayStation Plus

The digital version of the game releases April 6 on PS5 and PS4. The PS5 version will be free for PlayStation Plus members during April. Also, if you purchase the PS4 digital version, you can upgrade to the PS5 digital version at no additional cost.*

The physical retail versions of the game will be in stores on July 6. If you purchase the physical retail PS4 version, you will get the PS5 digital version at no cost.

 

Save your followers, they’re important

There are nearly 1,400 Mudokons that you can save in Oddworld: Soulstorm. How you decide to play is up to you, but keep in mind there are multiple endings in the game, and we recommend you try to save at least 80% of the Mudokons in each level (more info below).

There is strength in numbers with followers being a plus multiplier for Abe.  In New ‘n’ Tasty, Mudokons followed you or stayed put.  They were beasts of burden you led through deadly obstacle courses in the hopes they’d be rescued. Your followers gave you no real support or power of scale; they just made your job harder.

In Soulstorm, it’s more than just saving all those Mudokons for a better Quarmic score and narrative outcome.  Players will be able to harness the power of numbers to solve their way out of more difficult situations that could be impossible for Abe to take on alone.  This also gives the player an ability to place these more capable (and potentially lethal) followers around a level to lie in wait as active agents that can offer protection.  We wanted an ability for the player to position followers like guards and have defensive and offensive capabilities.

 

Multiple Endings

Endings! Soulstorm has 15 core levels, with two additional levels at the end of the game if you are good at saving Mudokons (making 17 levels total). There are four types of endings in the game. At the end of each individual level, you receive a Quarma score based on the number of Mudokons you save.  You must save at least 80% of the Mudokons in a level to achieve a good score, but technically you don’t have to save any to progress through the game’s 15 core levels. But this 80% score is vital if you want to unlock levels 16 and 17. 

Here is the breakdown:

• Worst Ending – Save 80% of the Mudokons in 6 levels, or fewer.
• Bad Ending – Save 80% of Mudokons in 7 to 11 levels. Prepare for an explosive cinematic.
• Good Ending – Save 80% of Mudokons in 12 or more levels. This unlocks an additional cinematic and access to levels 16 and 17.
• Final Ending – Save 80% of Mudokons in all 17 levels. Sit back and enjoy the “newspaper cinematic.”

 

Level Select & Quarma Score

Once you finish the game, you unlock Level Select. This mode allows you to replay any level you want, as much as you want. It allows you to replay levels to improve your Quarma score and earn more badges. More importantly, if you didn’t unlock the ending you wanted, you can replay the levels to try to save more Mudokons. 

But like all Oddworld games, you should expect a challenge. In Level Select if you die, don’t worry, you will respawn at the nearest check point. But there are no save points. You must play the entire level all the way through to earn your new Quarma score and badges.

At the end of each level, you are given a Quarma score. This score is based on the number of Mudokons you save vs. those that died or were missed, as well as earned badges. The more Mudokons you save, the higher your Quarma score. You can upload your scores to the leaderboards to see where you rank against other Soulstorm players.

 

PS5 & PS4 Experience

We set out to ensure that PS5 and PS4 players enjoyed a nearly identical core gameplay experience. You’ll see the same number of NPCs on the screen (sometimes 100s) with explosions and high-octane action. To achieve this, the PS4 runs at 30 frames per second whereas the PS5 runs at 60 frames per second. 

Another unique aspect to PS5 is the DualSense wireless controller, which brings new functions that we felt would further increase the player’s emotional connection to the characters. For example, in times of danger you’ll feel the palpitations of Abe’s heartbeat increase with haptics and experience resistance from the adaptive triggers. 

Oddworld: Soulstorm also taps into PS5’s Game Help*. Oddworld has a reputation for creating challenging games, and Soulstorm is no different. Game Help is there to help you when you can’t quite figure it out and need a little assistance. Players can get hints, tips, and walkthrough videos without needing to leave the game. These hints can be accessed for the specific area of the game they are playing (using the PS5’s Activity Cards), so they don’t have to spend time searching the internet or risk seeing spoilers. 

 

We are excited to finally bring Oddworld: Soulstorm to players on April 6. We hope you enjoy it. We wish you and your loved ones health, good fortune, and happiness. Stay Odd!

*Upgrade to the digital PS5™ version of the game at no additional cost. To upgrade eligible PS4™ disc copies, players need a PS5 console with a disc drive. PlayStation.com/help
**Active PS Plus membership required.