Oddworld Stranger coming in spring 2005

Oddworld Stranger's long, strange trip to release finally looks like it may be coming to an end. Three weeks after Electronic Arts announced that it would be publishing Oddworld Inhabitants' latest creation, it gave a date for the sci-fi adventure's release--spring 2005.

Set in the self-evidently bizarre Oddworld universe, Oddworld Stranger will follow a new character known only as "the Stranger." Much like a warped version of Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name character, the Stranger is a bounty hunter who tracks down outlaws on a very warped frontier while searching for his own roots. The game will combine first- and third-person action with an all-new game engine and combat system. Stranger will also feature Oddworld's trademark strange visuals and some twisted gameplay elements, such as live ammunition that's actually alive.

Oddworld Stranger is the latest chapter in the Oddworld series. The franchise has sold nearly 5 million units and has won more than 100 awards since Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee debuted on the PC and PlayStation. Stranger is the first Oddworld game since 2001's Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, which was published exclusively for the Xbox. Stranger will be the first Oddworld game to be released on the PlayStation 2 when it arrives next year alongside the Xbox version.