Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty Review Roundup

The latest Oddworld game, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, is now available on PlayStation 4. Also now available is the first handful of reviews, which we've gathered for you below.

I describe this as the latest game because New 'n' Tasty isn't strictly new--it's a remake of the first game in the series, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, which was originally released in 1997 for PlayStation. The graphics, sound, and controls have all been improved, while keeping the gameplay mostly intact. As Abe's Oddysee was notoriously challenging, new difficulty settings have been added to allow newcomers the chance to play the game with less frustration.

New 'n' Tasty is currently only available as a downloadable title on PS4, but PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions will follow with Cross-Buy support. This means that purchasing the PS4 version will entitle you to free copies of both the PS3 and Vita versions once they are released. PC, Wii U, and Xbox One versions are in the works, too. Also of note: Should New 'n' Tasty sell well enough, developer Just Add Water plans to work on a remake of the second Oddworld game, Abe's Exoddus.

The first reviews follow below. Let us know whether you played the original Oddysee and if you plan on revisiting it with New 'n' Tasty in the comments below.

• Game: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
• Developer: Just Add Water
• Platforms: PS4
• Release Date: July 22
• Price: $29.99 (Cross-Buy with PS3/Vita releases to come)

GameSpot -- 8/10

"Despite the ads, and occasional frustrations from the fiddly analogue movement, this is a remake that feels as though it was crafted with love and respect. With clever puzzles near identical to the original game, and beautiful environments brought to life with new visuals and a dynamic camera, New 'n' Tasty satiated me, despite being an Oddworld veteran and knowing each solution and secret area like the back of my (scarred) hand." [Full review]

Eurogamer -- 9/10

"More than anything, what really stands out about Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is the sheer coherency of the original design. It was startling back in 1997 on the PlayStation when games did not often turn up with proper themes to think about, and it's still just as startling in 2014, to be honest, where the grace with which the plot unfolds and the relevance it still has for the real world remain something of an anomaly. This is a story-driven game in which neither game nor story are made to suffer because of the close proximity of such traditionally toxic partners." [Full review]

Destructoid -- 8/10

"Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is roughly the same frequently soul-crushing, yet unique and rewarding game it was in the '90s. Even if you hated it back then, it's probably worth investigating the remake just to see if your puzzle skills have improved, even if there aren't a whole lot of extras ready for you this time around. In the end, Abe's adventure is a tale worth telling." [Full review]

IGN -- 8.5/10

"Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a beautiful remake that irons out nearly all of the problems and limitations of 1997’s Abe's Oddysee while bringing its best qualities to the fore. This ground-up remake looks and feels fresh enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any modern 2D platformer--evidence that Abe's Oddysee really was ahead of its time." [Full review]

PlayStation Nation -- 9/10

"It's a fine art to be able to recreate something that so many have loved for so long, and the crew at Just Add Water have done so masterfully. The best part is that if you've never played an Oddworld game before, your first foray into the series will be a memorable one for all of the right reasons." [Full review]