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Oddworld: Soulstorm Brings Back Abe For "Darker, More Sinister" Reimagining

Oddworld Inhabitants announces new game in classic franchise.

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A new entry in the Oddworld series called Soulstorm has been announced, with developers Oddworld Inhabitants and Quebec-based Frima Studios attached to the project. It is expected to launch in late 2017, but the platforms it will be released for have not yet been specified.

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"Soulstorm picks up from Abe's genesis and directly follows on from the overthrow of RuptureFarms and the liberation of his blighted workmates," reads a press release. Having defeated Molluck The Glukkon, his former boss and RuptureFarms' meanest inhabitant, Abe soon finds himself--along with 300 newly emancipated Mudokons--without food, water or a place to call home.

"Stranded alone in the desert, they find solace in a strange new brew--a delicious drink that has insidious ramifications for their newfound freedom."

The game's website features a fuzzy image of Abe and provides an overview of the game, which is presented as reimagined version of Abe's Oddysee and Exoddus.

"Witness Abe's horrifying conflict with a terrifying new machination. A fresh narrative--a complete story retake inspired by our original tale. A big visual and cinematic leap aiming to break new ground for Oddworld. Intelligent new mechanics, twisted new devices enabling highly explosive deviousness. A dark parable that tells an epic tale of a volatile society pushed to its limits."

The game's name seems to be a reference to a drink produced by the Glukons, the industrial race that has served as the antagonists in the previous games. The drink, which is called SoulStorm Brew is highly addictive and used to get the Mudokons to work for the Glukons.

Abe, who belongs to the Mudokon species, previously had a spiritual power that could be used to free other Mudokons from SoulStorm addiction. The game's website promises to show the character "as you've never seen him before."

Lorne Lanning, creator of the series, said the game was aiming to tell a "deeper, darker, and more sinister story" than the studio got to tell in previous games.

"Soulstorm gives us the opportunity to flesh out more meat on the bones of an original spine, but re-tell the fable from a very different angle. Abe has a long way to go and plenty more adversity ahead. Soulstorm is going to be a much heavier trip for him."

Executive producer Bennie Terry added: "We think Oddworld fans are really going to dig what we’re brewing, and we’ve got some great surprises in store this time around we don’t think anybody’s going to predict," he added. "I've been tasting it, and it's definitely got twice the twisted flavor."

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