How Mind Control Saved Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee | War Stories | Ars Technica

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  • čas přidán 2. 12. 2019
  • When Lorne Lanning first conceived of what would become Oddworld, he wasn't necessarily setting out to make video games. What he needed to do was tell a story. On this episode of War Stories, we hear from the co-founder of Oddworld Inhabitants and learn all the ups and downs of Abe's journey to the screen over the past 22 years, including what comes next for the franchise in Oddworld: Soulstorm.
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    How Mind Control Saved Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee | War Stories | Ars Technica
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Komentáře • 2,1K

  • @TheNervousnation
    @TheNervousnation Před 4 lety +2354

    My man just did a TED talk from his couch.

    • @maxhill9254
      @maxhill9254 Před 4 lety +10

      True!

    • @NuisanceMan
      @NuisanceMan Před 4 lety +53

      Much better than a TED talk...

    • @MatthewHensley8304
      @MatthewHensley8304 Před 4 lety +6

      i dont think so. ted talks try to bring in pedophilia as something normal!

    • @MysteryStew5977
      @MysteryStew5977 Před 4 lety +3

      adderall is a powerful drug

    • @craftycub
      @craftycub Před 4 lety +10

      That's exactly what I was thinking! What a wonderful soul and it was amazing to hear this story! Would live to see his vision finished and that of his world view. Really awesome! Someone I truly respect!

  • @pr0gressd
    @pr0gressd Před 4 lety +2946

    Also this guy REALLY knows how to tell a story

    • @tubularmonkeymaniac
      @tubularmonkeymaniac Před 4 lety +60

      I have a problem with authority. But I would follow this guy into the sun, he is that compelling.

    • @ardoronro6677
      @ardoronro6677 Před 4 lety +6

      I see now how some New Englands can be so compelling, they've had it tougher than most especially in 80s New York.

    • @dexterkoula3407
      @dexterkoula3407 Před 4 lety +4

      exactly, it's a story.
      this guy is lying, whether it be by omission or straight up fibs

    • @GorillaCanon
      @GorillaCanon Před 4 lety +10

      ".. and these mystical kung fu type guys, they understand this stuff..." -- this guy

    • @elmoelmerson172
      @elmoelmerson172 Před 4 lety +13

      Dexter Koula Alright, which parts do you believe Lorne is lying about?

  • @KuyaTristan
    @KuyaTristan Před 4 lety +641

    "If we give him a gun, then hes gonna solve every problem with a gun"

  • @bretthousman8317
    @bretthousman8317 Před 2 lety +103

    I'm 33 now. I played this when I was around 8 to 11 or 12 years old. You're at a developmental stage in your life at that point. The story of Abe had a strong vibe that made the player feel empathy at every other corner and excitement in all the others. I'm sure this game had a positive impact on so many kids (young adults now)

  • @MagnusBellatorr
    @MagnusBellatorr Před 4 lety +1246

    Glad he stuck to his creative vision and didnt let people turn abe into a generic shoot'm up.

    • @hihowareyou6629
      @hihowareyou6629 Před 4 lety +24

      Ummm, stranger's wrath...

    • @ioannismironenko6962
      @ioannismironenko6962 Před 4 lety +14

      Also he gave Abe a flame thrower in oddworld Soulstorm, what happen...?

    • @Auirtozz
      @Auirtozz Před 4 lety +8

      @@ioannismironenko6962 where? that wasn't abe

    • @MagnusBellatorr
      @MagnusBellatorr Před 4 lety +48

      @@hihowareyou6629 He kinda explained in the video that apart from the first game, all the others were just kind of mess ups that other people forced them to do things with. The next game they are working on will be the more official second game in the series. So how much he stays on to his vision is yet to be seen.

    • @ioannismironenko6962
      @ioannismironenko6962 Před 4 lety +4

      @@Auirtozz really?! I didn't know soulstorm has a different protagonist, but still it goes against his first vision 16:16.

  • @justskylarkin
    @justskylarkin Před 4 lety +120

    Many years ago I was on a LiveJournal community about video games. Someone created a post on there about what games you wished would make a comeback. I wrote this big spiel about the Oddworld series because it was a world I could escape to and I spent years of my life going back over and over to Oddworld. A day later I got a private message on LiveJournal from someone who actually was from Oddworld Inhabitants - apparently their kid was also a member of that gaming community. They then told me the lights were back on in their studio and they sent me some hi-res images of Abe and some CD keys for Steam. I felt like the happiest girl in the world that day and I've never forgotten that little act of kindness shown to a lifelong fan who, unbeknownst to them, was going through a really rough time. Thank you Lorne and thank you Oddworld Inhabitants.

    • @RabidArtists
      @RabidArtists Před 4 lety +13

      I love this, those little acts go a long ways :)

    • @asymmetricfuzion970
      @asymmetricfuzion970 Před 4 lety +10

      I booted it from a demo disc when I was way too young to play it and it made the “creepy” background noise and this alien with a stitched mouth popped up in the middle of the screen and said hello to me. I screamed and ran out of the room 😂 I booted it up a few years later and couldn’t believe how much of the wrong end of the stick I got 😂😂😂

    • @CODBlackOpsMasterC88
      @CODBlackOpsMasterC88 Před 4 lety +1

      @@asymmetricfuzion970 I laughed so hard that I couldn't breathe. 😂😂😂

  • @evan8654
    @evan8654 Před 4 lety +240

    Damn Lorne in '97 had those movie star looks.

    • @GrumpyFinch
      @GrumpyFinch Před 4 lety +48

      Evolved into a silver fox 🙂

    • @afti03
      @afti03 Před 3 lety +7

      indeed

    • @Roflcrabs
      @Roflcrabs Před 2 lety +3

      Would hit, and I'm straight as an arrow.

  • @Themortician123
    @Themortician123 Před 3 lety +144

    If only he knew just how many childhood memories he would he giving to people. Oddworld will forever have a special place in my heart.

  • @ieuanhunt552
    @ieuanhunt552 Před 4 lety +457

    I like the little laugh Abe does after killing a possessed enemy.

    • @omnirhythm
      @omnirhythm Před 4 lety +30

      Small things like that are what ended up making it a masterpiece. Small bits of character showing and building the personality and psychology of the naive, child-like Mudokons and the world around them. It's just... oddworldly? A special game indeed. Very happy to see a War Story about it.

    • @felipegamarra8382
      @felipegamarra8382 Před 4 lety +20

      "hehehe"

    • @DAgamon21
      @DAgamon21 Před 4 lety +10

      Did you ever notice his laugh changes after you complete paramonia and scrabania?

    • @negirno
      @negirno Před 4 lety +6

      Also when he says 'oops' when he accidentally kills a mudokon who follows him.

    • @christianbennett5542
      @christianbennett5542 Před 4 lety +6

      Abe is a straight Psychopath. It's his source of capability in a landscape such as this!

  • @987P123
    @987P123 Před 4 lety +306

    I got Abe's Oddysee with the PSX for christmas 1997 from my dad. we played it together and each and every time I run Abe's Oddysee, it reminds me of that year's christmas and my dad.

    • @WakeUpDead777
      @WakeUpDead777 Před 4 lety +8

      Daymn, i got exactly the same story ! The nostalgia is just overwhelming !

    • @GrungeFinland
      @GrungeFinland Před 4 lety +4

      Man I remember we got PS1 in Christmas 1997 or 1998 (I was 4 or 5 years old) and one of the games my dad had bought was Abe’s Oddysee. We played the game together with the whole family, or well my dad played and we watched and it was so exciting with the stories and the puzzles. We did the same with Exoddus, good memories! 🙂

    • @WakeUpDead777
      @WakeUpDead777 Před 4 lety +2

      @@GrungeFinland Abe's Oddysee was huge in Finland

    • @VeLvEtGuNs
      @VeLvEtGuNs Před 4 lety +3

      I'm the exact same! My father loved this and the 2nd game, a nice memory I like thinking about.

  • @hR-gw3re
    @hR-gw3re Před 5 měsíci +4

    You have no idea how this game molded me as a kid into teen ages. The music, the visuals, the brutal style, the unknown
    yet is so niche. I really hope this game becomes a studying point in the future

  • @chillmorte
    @chillmorte Před 4 lety +493

    I was a small kid when we got Abes Oddysee for the playstation and although I could barely make it out of Rupture Farms, I played it so much because the style of art and character design gripped me so much.
    From there I went on to study art and illustration and I have a lot to thank Oddworld for where I am today.
    My gran still has a piece of art I did in primary school class of Abes face

    • @ashspades5307
      @ashspades5307 Před 4 lety +13

      It was the same for me. I was so young and so terrible but obsessed with playing as much as I could. I loved the style and now I love it even more after seeing this.

    • @bill_r_
      @bill_r_ Před 4 lety +8

      Haha same I was so bad. It gave me nightmares but I still played it

    • @rubberchix
      @rubberchix Před 3 lety +3

      same

    • @timur_nr1
      @timur_nr1 Před 3 lety +4

      Beautiful story bro

    • @ashspades5307
      @ashspades5307 Před 3 lety +5

      If anyone is interested I watched the entire hours long full interview on this channel and it’s absolutely incredible. I’ve seen quite a few of the short ones but his is the only full interview I watched all the way through in one shot. The way he describes everything and especially the parts about the movie industry really are spot on to what I experienced.

  • @Tense
    @Tense Před 4 lety +1086

    This is by far your best "War Stories" episode yet. Seriously.

    • @arstechnica
      @arstechnica  Před 4 lety +112

      Thank you! We're not resting though. We have eps on two serious classics coming up.

    • @lhommemystere3938
      @lhommemystere3938 Před 4 lety +16

      @@arstechnica How do you make a documentary like this ? How much time does it take and above all, do you go visit every people around the USA to get the interviews

    • @Pop013
      @Pop013 Před 4 lety +1

      Yea, great talk from Gus Johnson.

    • @desmondnel5706
      @desmondnel5706 Před 4 lety +8

      Yeah, like other episodes have been really good, but watching this was like reading the connection between "Dune" and "Star Wars". (Seriously, Google Star Wars Origins).

    • @dengamleidiot
      @dengamleidiot Před 4 lety

      Agree

  • @izzysosa
    @izzysosa Před 4 lety +751

    This guy is immensely charming.
    If I had any marketable industry skills I’d love to work for him.

    • @welkijken
      @welkijken Před 4 lety +4

      same.

    • @gumunduringigumundsson9344
      @gumunduringigumundsson9344 Před 4 lety +9

      This guy... hard to find words.. so .
      Coool... what to say..
      Amazingly together hoopy frood!
      I bet he knows where his towel is even at this moment.

    • @frogdeity
      @frogdeity Před 4 lety +2

      What? I find this guy extremely uncharming.

    • @squarecrusher
      @squarecrusher Před 4 lety +2

      You know what so charming about him? He's masterfull in deception and mind control as stated in vid, that's because he's super-excelent master mason, just google his images, Oddworld games are about us, we are mudokon slaves mockered by mr Lorne Lanning

    • @FultonRecovery
      @FultonRecovery Před 4 lety +1

      @@squarecrusher wait what?? please go on..

  • @VoxFelis
    @VoxFelis Před 4 lety +251

    Fantastic interview.
    Lorne has seen a lot. The eyes don't lie.

    • @mathewgrelr7084
      @mathewgrelr7084 Před 2 lety +4

      Jez what kind of lsd did those military Roland ragans give this dude

  • @honeyfire2420
    @honeyfire2420 Před 4 lety +96

    this guy as a kid said"my dad works for Coleco", no one believed him

  • @DarkysLPs
    @DarkysLPs Před 4 lety +271

    Abe will always have a special place in my heart

    • @melanieschmidt8753
      @melanieschmidt8753 Před 4 lety +4

      in my heart too.

    • @SciBertAndAlvsBert
      @SciBertAndAlvsBert Před 4 lety +3

      Oddworld Abe's Oddysee on PS1 was one of the first cinematic platformers I played!

    • @tsibosp
      @tsibosp Před 4 lety +3

      me too. I was mesmerised by it when I was a kid. I still play it to this day and I enjoy it every time. I hope the new one will be a hit, idk I found the trailer gameplay too cluttered but I will play it plus Lorne seems like a great guy

    • @MiaogisTeas
      @MiaogisTeas Před 4 lety +2

      *fart, heh heh heh...

    • @Peanutdenver
      @Peanutdenver Před 4 lety +3

      I was blown away when I first got Oddworld and quickly became addicted. I would hear "hello, follow me, wait" in my sleep. I hope it's remembered as the remarkable and wonderfully different game it is, I'll love it forever.

  • @NmyLogan
    @NmyLogan Před 4 lety +329

    The Legendary, Limitless, Luscious Lorne Lanning!

    • @greytoeimp
      @greytoeimp Před 4 lety +12

      i was looking for this lol

    • @yagmi6182
      @yagmi6182 Před 4 lety +11

      ahhh a cultured fan of caddy i see

    • @elchubacabra2840
      @elchubacabra2840 Před 4 lety +9

      He still owes caddy two free diners

    • @Luukra
      @Luukra Před 4 lety +3

      was almost heartbroken our bro didn't get a cameo

    • @rayman17578
      @rayman17578 Před 4 lety +3

      Welcome fellow Caddicarus fan!

  • @user-jp7mb4ns7x
    @user-jp7mb4ns7x Před 4 lety +149

    Wow, this man sounds like the man I wanted to be and never managed to be.

  • @stuart1001
    @stuart1001 Před 4 lety +49

    This guy made me feel comfortable. He spoke from the heart.

  • @Unreissued
    @Unreissued Před 4 lety +209

    I am fairly convinced that this man is a genius

  • @DrakeHerder
    @DrakeHerder Před 4 lety +184

    Lorne Lanning: I want to work on Star Wars.
    Lorne Lanning: *works on star wars*

    • @drillerdev4624
      @drillerdev4624 Před 4 lety +5

      Well, according to archive footage, he used to pilot the millenium falcon...

    • @NeverlandSystemZor
      @NeverlandSystemZor Před 4 lety +5

      With the state of Star Wars today he's FAR better off. Long live Oddworld!

    • @Norsilca
      @Norsilca Před 4 lety +2

      And almost worked on a slightly different Star Wars (Reagan's)

  • @ravon1982
    @ravon1982 Před 4 lety +11

    "I didn't want to let conditions beat me, I wanted to beat the condition"
    Brilliant..

  • @Mattirules986
    @Mattirules986 Před 4 lety +71

    Jesus soul-storm is the sequel... you know what that means boys! We still got three more oddworld games to go🤙🏼🤙🏼

  • @cakebuu887
    @cakebuu887 Před 4 lety +458

    These are the kind of artistic passionate games we need to succeed.

    • @paulthoresen8241
      @paulthoresen8241 Před 4 lety +7

      Money talks. These will be the only games that succeed if people weren't such idiot consumers throwing their money at trash, even before the games come out, and then buying loot boxes. It's not even about pushing forward now, we have gone in reverse. Instead of 25c for a turn on a game, you spend $10 on virtual hats.

    • @cakebuu887
      @cakebuu887 Před 4 lety +2

      @@paulthoresen8241 Business used to be a good thing, but now business has taken it too far, with only growth in mind business has become just like cancer. Maybe if the consequences for having bad luck in game sales weren't so dire then maybe business frame of mind people would calm down a bit.

    • @paulthoresen8241
      @paulthoresen8241 Před 4 lety +4

      @@cakebuu887 I don't know if business as a whole has ever been good, since profit tends to be the main factor. The best thing businesses do is create jobs, but now everything is being automated so business is just this entity that gets rid of jobs, hinders artists, makes serious medical treatment hard to obtain, puts a paywall in front of education, overworks employees, and puts a logo on every surface possible.
      It is very rare to find a company with a goal in mind outside of money, and of course you will never see the king on the battlefield.

    • @cakebuu887
      @cakebuu887 Před 4 lety +2

      @@paulthoresen8241 Farming to feed a family is the root of all business, that is a good business, a business with the well being of others in mind, compared to the guy in the office wanting a big slice of cake changing a few numbers on the screen to make a profit with out considering any of the consequences except the profit in the pocket.
      Abes Exodus yay!

    • @adamnorthey571
      @adamnorthey571 Před 4 lety +1

      theres a few games that come to mind though that are still doing it, horizon zero dawn springs to mind

  • @Bl4ckD0g
    @Bl4ckD0g Před 4 lety +228

    Man, you can see how the world weighs on Lorne, even through his success he hasn't forgotten where he's been and uses it. I wish I could find that same inspiration in the darkness.

    • @melanieschmidt8753
      @melanieschmidt8753 Před 4 lety +4

      me too.

    • @LookDeeper
      @LookDeeper Před 4 lety +6

      Things in the moment can seem insurmountable, it tends to just be ones own perspective, all that matters is how one chooses to deal with it.

    • @TheChadPad
      @TheChadPad Před 4 lety +2

      You will

  • @SP9_Qc
    @SP9_Qc Před 4 lety +188

    This guy is pretty smart, and you can feel that he has a good soul. Kudos.

    • @DeadbeatDuder
      @DeadbeatDuder Před 3 lety +1

      Well said. I love the man, I wonder whether, if his games gained more mainstream recognition, we would have had more from him, with the spectacularity that comes from unlimited budget, or if his creations would have fallen more into the ordinary.

    • @dominicdelprincipe2583
      @dominicdelprincipe2583 Před 2 lety +6

      I think that 'pretty smart' is an understatement. His emotional intelligence, business acumen, and communication skills are incredible... this dude may be a true genius

    • @NuttyMongrel
      @NuttyMongrel Před 2 lety +5

      @@dominicdelprincipe2583 Absolutely. Lorne is one of those people that's super well rounded. He isn't just smart... he's also perceptive, wise, and tuned in to other people.

    • @dominicdelprincipe2583
      @dominicdelprincipe2583 Před 2 lety

      @@NuttyMongrel Totally. Glad to hear the agreement!

    • @Zodroo_Tint
      @Zodroo_Tint Před rokem

      @@dominicdelprincipe2583 I love how someone said something good about someone you worship but it wasn't enough, you have to correct him and give the guy you worship the genius status. And when someone agree with you you are happy you are in an echo chamber. :)
      Dude you are a lackey.

  • @NGorso1
    @NGorso1 Před 2 lety +17

    Everytime he quotes the game characters you just feel how much he loves this world, he is so amazing

    • @NGorso1
      @NGorso1 Před 2 lety

      I find myself drawn back to this video again and again. It's so calm and comforting and hopefully.
      Currently I am going through a breakup and this fills me with hope

  • @doccatface6868
    @doccatface6868 Před 4 lety +684

    Bring him back for 2 hours
    cut nothing

    • @RabidArtists
      @RabidArtists Před 4 lety +75

      His full interview was around 3 hours hahaha, it was painful to cut this down 🤣

    • @metanumia
      @metanumia Před 4 lety +19

      Yes, Ars definitely needs to do more interviews with Lorne, he's so brilliant! :)

    • @Hebdomad7
      @Hebdomad7 Před 4 lety +40

      @@RabidArtists Please upload the whole recording...

    • @willmakk
      @willmakk Před 4 lety +14

      @@RabidArtists Any chance for an unlisted version of the whole thing?

    • @NautilusGuitars
      @NautilusGuitars Před 4 lety +13

      @@RabidArtists Seriously, we would all love to see the full interview! If there's any way, please try to make it happen!

  • @danmaftei7633
    @danmaftei7633 Před 4 lety +419

    "the deaths have to be funny, in a black comedy way" my man, this game freaked me the hell out as a kid :D

  • @StupidEdits
    @StupidEdits Před 3 lety +10

    Me: sees thumbnail
    Me: its the Legendary, Limitless Luscious Lorne Lanning

  • @phantomstrider
    @phantomstrider Před 3 lety +148

    I've loved Abe and his adventures since I first played the PC version when I was 8. It's an absolute treat to see Abe coming back in SoulStorm. Regardless of how the gameplay turns out, I think I'm just going to enjoy another adventure from Abe. Thanks for you and your team for putting your heart into this series, Lorne Lanning.

    • @schmoop3660
      @schmoop3660 Před 3 lety +1

      Hey Strider!

    • @phantomstrider
      @phantomstrider Před 3 lety

      @@schmoop3660 Hiya Schmoop :)

    • @schmoop3660
      @schmoop3660 Před 3 lety +2

      @@phantomstrider hey, I used to watch your videos, keep up the good work! From a fellow Australian

  • @tableforfour5
    @tableforfour5 Před 4 lety +186

    I really love how Abe voice comes through occasionally while Lorne is talking

  • @ShadowHunter120
    @ShadowHunter120 Před 4 lety +505

    This guy should record podcasts when he's bored and just wants to talk.

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Před 4 lety +29

      Lorne feels like a magic person.

    • @matthewvelazquez2013
      @matthewvelazquez2013 Před 4 lety +5

      Probably doesn't have the time. He built something. " if you build it, he will come." - field of dreams. " if you build it, the woman will come." - tommy sotomayor.

    • @thomofmaine
      @thomofmaine Před 3 lety +1

      Got the perfect name: Oddworld

  • @huntersandell859
    @huntersandell859 Před 4 lety +88

    This guy is the most genuinely smart person i think i've ever seen. He has these concepts so perfectly worked out, and speaks so damn eloquently! This dude for president!

  • @NicolasGanea
    @NicolasGanea Před 4 lety +46

    This game was the best graphics in the 90s I remember my grandfather watching me for hours playing this game. I loved the strategy thinking and art. Amazing to hear that the co founder was into art too

  • @ShakeITyEA
    @ShakeITyEA Před 4 lety +160

    man Abes Exoddus was a masterpiece considering it was only a "bonus game".

    • @followingtheroe1952
      @followingtheroe1952 Před 4 lety +1

      I've noticed 2nd games in franchises are usually the best. Especially from this era. You have all the same devs with alot of scrapped content to repurpose and they have new insights on this project they did. 2nd games really benefit from that lightning in the bottle still captured. I'm mainly talking about same engine sequels, they usually come out like more complete games. Fallout 2 and doom 2 are what I usually think of as prime examples.

    • @ShakeITyEA
      @ShakeITyEA Před 4 lety

      @@followingtheroe1952 Resident Evil 2
      Timesplitters 2
      Sonic 2
      There is a lot of 2nd games that are the best for sure

  • @tenbeat
    @tenbeat Před 4 lety +463

    Oddworld is one of my favorite series of all time. Cannot wait for Soulstorm in (fingers crossed) 2020.
    This video was incredible, by the way.

    • @Keyecomposer
      @Keyecomposer Před 4 lety +14

      The sad thing is that the new versions don't share the same perfect gritty artstyle that the original games had.

    • @tenbeat
      @tenbeat Před 4 lety +4

      @chris ortiz Well you can see in the demo they did, it's very, uh... NEON. I like it, but it's definitely not good old grimey Oddworld.

    • @lemmingsplat5279
      @lemmingsplat5279 Před 4 lety +13

      @@Keyecomposer I think a lot of that had to do with the PS1 in general. Most 3D games were muddy/grey - which worked to Abe's advantage perfectly. I still hold it as stylistically the best game on the PS1 - it still holds up today when 95% of PS1 games really look awful now.

    • @Keyecomposer
      @Keyecomposer Před 4 lety +7

      @@lemmingsplat5279 Thats the case with alot of older games, art direction born out of limitation.

    • @silkworm2595
      @silkworm2595 Před 4 lety +3

      I wouldn't mind the change in mood if it wasn't a remake. It's why Soulstorm doesn't bother me

  • @psolus21
    @psolus21 Před 4 lety +88

    I remember getting Abe's Odyssey when I was a teenager and the concept of unlimited lives/tries was foreign af.

    • @thehoodybadger3402
      @thehoodybadger3402 Před 4 lety +6

      It was specifically advertised on the cover art/jewel case wasn't it?

  • @Schmant91
    @Schmant91 Před 4 lety +79

    Lorne has a brilliant creative mind, he's a genius and I'm so glad that Soulstorm is going to get its day.
    I really want to see the Quintology completed in Lorne's lifetime!

  • @darthkahn45
    @darthkahn45 Před 4 lety +145

    Lorne is a true genius and visionary. He is everything this industry needs.

    • @gumunduringigumundsson9344
      @gumunduringigumundsson9344 Před 4 lety +2

      This guy... hard to find words.. so .
      Coool... what to say..
      Amazingly together hoopy frood!
      I bet he knows where his towel is even at this moment.

  • @simonjohnson6827
    @simonjohnson6827 Před 4 lety +92

    "I didn't want to make things that were just difficult to play and challenging to win, but i wanted something that you went away and remembered." A lot of modern studios could learn from this.

    • @kathlos
      @kathlos Před 3 lety

      search a game called Gris

    • @Skyscraper2015
      @Skyscraper2015 Před 3 lety

      Ja most of them are not out to be different or remembered. Just to be sold to make money. All have the same idea, kill or be killed.

  • @budbin
    @budbin Před 4 lety +7

    I can't get over his voice, I keep hearing Abe in it! That's the voice of my childhood!!

  • @baitposter
    @baitposter Před 3 lety +1

    '"If we give him a gun, then he's gonna solve every problem with a gun"
    Very insightful for game design philosophy, among other things. Emphasizing that Abe saves more than he kills, and that he's rewarded for saving, also reminds me of Kojima's intention with Death Stranding, of making a game that emphasizes the "rope" more than the "stick"

  • @whollymindless
    @whollymindless Před 4 lety +216

    This is criminally underviewed. Share with a friend.

    • @BitmapJack
      @BitmapJack Před 4 lety

      Maybe i wll translate this for my language

  • @TheAndrewc5120
    @TheAndrewc5120 Před 4 lety +215

    i'll never forget oddworld for as long as i live. i was five years old when i got the ps one for christmas and this was one of the first games we bought for the console. i watched my father play through it and had no idea how to play it myself. he loved it so much. when exoddus came out, i was finally able to comprehend the game and played through it with him. 3 years later my father passed away and videogames had become one of the most important aspects of my life. the passion my father had for truly great forms of media is ingrained in me, and without oddworld i don't think that connection would have been nearly as strong.

    • @leomignonneau1765
      @leomignonneau1765 Před 4 lety +1

      @Jay Arre Hmm, please stay in your kid's life. Is everything alright, or am I misinterpreting?

    • @imjustaguy8232
      @imjustaguy8232 Před 4 lety +2

      @@leomignonneau1765 well the dudes dad died its not like he had a choice

    • @leomignonneau1765
      @leomignonneau1765 Před 4 lety +1

      @@imjustaguy8232 I was replying to Jay Arre.

    • @a.b.8606
      @a.b.8606 Před 4 lety +2

      May he rest in peace

    • @MikeG-nz8gt
      @MikeG-nz8gt Před 4 lety

      Thank you for sharing that with us. That us very moving. I have a 2 year old and I hope to leave lasting memories for my children as your father did for you. He sounds like he was a good guy.

  • @NewArchipelago
    @NewArchipelago Před 6 měsíci +2

    These videos are so underrated (looking at the view count). I just remembered this videos exist, and it's exactly what I feel like watching now. Perfect blend of nostalgia and interesting background story.

  • @TheSevenFaces3
    @TheSevenFaces3 Před 4 lety +66

    I’m 35 and never played these games - after this it’s time to change that.

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Před 4 lety +5

      Give Strangers Wrath a try.

    • @bassage13
      @bassage13 Před 4 lety +2

      I used to play all of these back on PS1 and XBOX. There's really nothing else like this series. I wish it would come back.

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Před 4 lety +1

      @@bassage13 I think it would be neat if Lorne introduced a third hero installment. He has Abe and Munch the slaves, Stranger the bounty hunter, what's next?

    • @Max_ellis74
      @Max_ellis74 Před 4 lety

      Munch’s odyssey is the best.

    • @youmustpaythetrolltoll8517
      @youmustpaythetrolltoll8517 Před 4 lety

      Enjoy! One of the all time greats.

  • @weirdowszx1168
    @weirdowszx1168 Před 4 lety +60

    As a kid this really challenged my problem solving skills considering it isn't shoot and kill but think and conquer

  • @oddheader
    @oddheader Před 4 lety +605

    This is like my favorite series on youtube.

    • @thomofmaine
      @thomofmaine Před 3 lety +2

      Its so entertaining!

    • @dimitrijmaslov1209
      @dimitrijmaslov1209 Před 3 lety +2

      Same!

    • @gram.
      @gram. Před 3 lety

      Hate to be _that_ commenter, but "omg what you doing here?!", "I love your stuff!", and "I just got done watching **insert latest video**" (ik it was the shesez collab)

    • @jamiedobson6381
      @jamiedobson6381 Před 2 lety

      Oddheader!! Love the vids man, I know this is a year old comment but still good to notice people I've subbed to :D

    • @nudal9993
      @nudal9993 Před 2 lety +1

      is it 'like' your favourite series, but not 'actually'. :Learn how to speak ffs

  • @lulairenoroub3869
    @lulairenoroub3869 Před 4 lety +34

    I'm on the verge of crying right now. I really need some hope

    • @ChaceBonanno
      @ChaceBonanno Před 4 lety +5

      Lulaire Noroub You got this

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Před 4 lety +5

      Lorn Lanning is a warlock that will sup on your tears.

    • @localhealers1504
      @localhealers1504 Před 4 lety +2

      stay strong loved'one

    • @gregblainers6275
      @gregblainers6275 Před 4 lety +5

      Life is good, full of crazy happenings. You never know when something awesome will come around. Stay positive.

    • @juniorsaenz9845
      @juniorsaenz9845 Před 3 lety +1

      Feeling better yet, bro?

  • @natestew82
    @natestew82 Před 3 lety +3

    Found my new mentor... deep dude... i forgot about that game. You and Crash Bandicoot is the reason why I love Sony so much.

  • @reverseBLT
    @reverseBLT Před 4 lety +72

    One of my favorite games of all time. That "yo-yo-yo-yo-yo" still lives in my heart.

    • @BBaaaaa
      @BBaaaaa Před 4 lety

      Yes!

    • @LiEnby
      @LiEnby Před 4 lety

      i remember calling it "yoyo-ing" because i didnt know what hte action was acturally called

    • @TheHelper151
      @TheHelper151 Před rokem

      @@LiEnby Didn't the controls call it something? Did you read the controls?

    • @LiEnby
      @LiEnby Před rokem

      @@TheHelper151 it does I think its called chanting. but I already had called it yoyoing for so long ..

    • @TheHelper151
      @TheHelper151 Před rokem

      @@LiEnby Yeah. And I called it the same thing you called it, until I hit my teens.

  • @DrRoo91
    @DrRoo91 Před 4 lety +439

    I would rank this guy up there with brilliant gaming minds like Kojima. They basically pioneered gaming into a higher art form of storytelling that set the bar for the industry today.

    • @speakatron5634
      @speakatron5634 Před 4 lety +4

      So true

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Před 4 lety +4

      Great comment.

    • @DrRoo91
      @DrRoo91 Před 4 lety +7

      @Bohdan Lav very true. Some big money companies can't even revive a classic even with resources available to them. Take a look at Blizzard right now with Warcraft 3. It's like they stopped caring.

    • @sotobello.
      @sotobello. Před 4 lety +4

      Yeah, man, and coincidentally, MGS4 also has that "cutscene to gameplay" smooth transition that this guy pioneered! Wonder if Kojima was inspired by it.

    • @SECONDQUEST
      @SECONDQUEST Před 4 lety

      Uh. No?

  • @petrilampela
    @petrilampela Před 2 lety +1

    I still remember the first time I played this. The intro animation was already like "am I watching a movie, wasn't this supposed to be a game" and when the camera pulled backwards I just stared at the screen for the longest time as my mind couldn't comprehend that it had seamlessly transitioned from the prerendered animation to gameplay. It was just mind-boggling. I replayed the beginning over and over and laughed in disbelief. I believe this was the first game I ever completed even though I had been a gamer since the early eighties. So captivating.

  • @eyevenear
    @eyevenear Před 6 měsíci +1

    I'll never forget the anxiety and horror of that opening scene with the camera going inside Paramonia's Temple. as a 12yo it was the most terrifying thing I've ever watched, now at almost 30 I remain deeply fascinated by those tall trees when I walk in Paramonia. You grow with the game, and you get deeply fond of these types of memories.

  • @ileolai
    @ileolai Před 4 lety +40

    The sheer amount of thought that went into it is incredible. I could listen to Lorne talk about this stuff all day.

    • @ashspades5307
      @ashspades5307 Před 3 lety

      You’re in luck. The extended interview is absolutely amazing and on the channel that released this video.

  • @omnirhythm
    @omnirhythm Před 4 lety +52

    This interview explains a lot, first and foremost how the 'movie' approach fleshed out the world and its inhabitants way more than most games bother. And the creativity and believability of the world is just something else, and together with brilliant graphic design and musical score it made it 100% real. Honestly, I'm a bit selfish in that I prefer the game format to the movies, it helped explore the world a lot more and become emotionally attached to it. I'll be getting goosebumps and a teary eye until the day I die whenever I remember this game(s). Stay Odd, Lorne and other Inhabitants

  • @Kriztax
    @Kriztax Před 3 lety +35

    Here's a bit of a story from me. I remember when I was about 5 years old back in 1999, living in Finland, I was visiting a friend and looked through his PS1 game collection. I saw this weird looking game called "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee", picked it up and asked my friend we could play it. He agreed and we fired it up. When he played through the first level I was really intrigued and freaked out at the same time by the style and art of the game. He showcased how you could get others to follow Abe with these funny sounds. I remember thinking it was the craziest game feature at the time. After a while he left to do something and I played some levels on my own. I didn't understand English at the time so getting through levels was a bit difficult at times. I had a lot of fun playing it and remember ending it when I accidently saved just before Abe falls to his death, causing the game to load that second before death save over and over, in an infinite loop. It was really funny.
    Much later in life I picked up the Oddworld collection from a sale on Steam out of this nostalgia, but didn't get around to playing it. I had no idea the main developer behind this game was so passionate about this project. I loved this interview and his passion. And to hear he's still at it over 20 years later is absolutely incredible. I think I'm going to finally play through the Oddworld collection. Thank you Lorne for reminding me about the existence of this old gem!

    • @realtalk6195
      @realtalk6195 Před 3 lety

      A new game just came out past week. Check out Oddworld Soulstorm.

  • @richardclark7990
    @richardclark7990 Před 2 lety +7

    to this guys point, I have never forgotten this game through out the nearly 30 years of my life, and i took away the lesson it was trying to teach as a child, and its still one of my favorite titles of all time

  • @Alex-tu9bh
    @Alex-tu9bh Před 4 lety +39

    I remember when I was a kid my parents couldn’t afford complete games so we bought the demo dvds. Me and my brother would play this demo for hours on end. I’ll be picking up a copy 👍🏻

  • @tylerdurdensoap25
    @tylerdurdensoap25 Před 4 lety +47

    I met him in an elevator at Google, super cool friendly guy.

  • @AUGOM0919
    @AUGOM0919 Před rokem +2

    I still play Oddysee up to this day.. Thank you for this wonderful game.. Truly unique and lovable,,

  • @littlebigb5370
    @littlebigb5370 Před 3 lety +1

    7:27 The SASS,
    Man was confident!

  • @__aceofspades
    @__aceofspades Před 4 lety +122

    I played this game a lot as a kid but never finished it because parts of it seemed very difficult. But I have nostalgia for it

    • @NaoyaYami
      @NaoyaYami Před 4 lety +17

      It didn's seem difficult. It was and still is :D

    • @Skull_Gun
      @Skull_Gun Před 4 lety +12

      @@NaoyaYami That's 80-90's gaming for you, they really want you to buy the dang hintbook

    • @Machtyn
      @Machtyn Před 4 lety +7

      I'm a fairly accomplished PC gamer, and this game is still difficult for me. I never have finished despite starting it up several times. I really would like to finish the existing stories. :-/

    • @petercharles3129
      @petercharles3129 Před 4 lety +7

      Dude, ı played this game about 7-8 years old, and could'nt finished. And now I am 21, I barely finished the game yesterday, about 3 days. But the game is awesome.

    • @melanieschmidt8753
      @melanieschmidt8753 Před 4 lety +2

      me too.

  • @josephwashington8480
    @josephwashington8480 Před 4 lety +24

    He thinks it's just a reflective story that's relatable.. Man, this was my childhood.

  • @okra7648
    @okra7648 Před 3 lety +3

    Holding on to the IP was a good move. Perhaps we will see the quintology after all.

  • @kainedakillerv2704
    @kainedakillerv2704 Před 2 lety +1

    When I was 9 years old I played Abe's Odyssey for the first time. It blew me away literally. It was dark and grimey and immersed me

  • @troywinters4329
    @troywinters4329 Před 4 lety +32

    The Oddworld series will never leave my heart.
    This was such a delight to watch.

  • @Mizzelphug
    @Mizzelphug Před 4 lety +15

    This was a 23 minute video and I didn't take my eyes off of it once. I could listen to Lorne talk all day.

  • @MrTomtomtest
    @MrTomtomtest Před 4 lety +6

    "I want to be the strong one" is the problem with most games today. That's why Kingdom Come was such a breath of fresh air to me.

  • @TabularConferta
    @TabularConferta Před 4 lety +3

    Does anyone else want to give him a hug? Seriously though, he is inspirational and I entirely get his hope message. I love these games even more than I did before now.

  • @Taikina
    @Taikina Před 4 lety +6

    hearing about that "just give him a gun" debate just... destroyed me a little inside. glad he didn't get a weapon, oddworld would probably exist as a single obscure game if it was just a platform shooter with puzzle elements

  • @nope1018
    @nope1018 Před 4 lety +42

    Holy shit I hadn't heard about the new game. This is exciting.

  • @dillyflaps
    @dillyflaps Před 4 lety +17

    He's inspiring af

  • @yeerboi
    @yeerboi Před 2 lety

    13:53. "This is rupture farms",, the way he says it with the big grin on his face.. love it.

  • @elmerjfapp5730
    @elmerjfapp5730 Před 4 lety +17

    congradulations on preserving the creative freedom of odd world, stranger's wrath was always my favorite

  • @bajsbrev4651
    @bajsbrev4651 Před 4 lety +36

    What an absolute solid vision.

  • @mynameisawakhe4310
    @mynameisawakhe4310 Před 4 lety +2

    Playing this at 8 years old i just thought it was a dark and scary game... NOW I'm just blown away

  • @AlienGenotype
    @AlienGenotype Před 3 lety +3

    One of the best games i played as a teenager, i still remember those nights sitting on the sofa while everyone was upstairs sleeping, alone in the dark with that blue background on the tv when you just escaped rupture farms, together with that strange music. Back then i instantly knew the universe these people created was something special and kind of ironic. An alien world with the same problems we here on earth are facing.

  • @Influx27
    @Influx27 Před 4 lety +42

    I love the Oddworld games. I'm really looking forward to Soulstorm.

  • @HadesTimer
    @HadesTimer Před 4 lety +10

    I wish the inhabitants would make more games these days. I've always loved his games and felt he really understood what his audience wanted.

  • @waywardanarchist
    @waywardanarchist Před 3 lety +1

    not really a gamer anymore as i got old...but im 100% coming back to play soulstorm...you betchya!

  • @sym7434
    @sym7434 Před 2 lety +3

    The ending hurts after Soulstorm's mixed reception.

  • @Meta5917
    @Meta5917 Před 4 lety +50

    This video has such high production quality 😍 Lorne is also a legend and abe’s oddysee is one of my favourite games

  • @djm754
    @djm754 Před 4 lety +28

    Beautiful story crafting and super inspiring. Glad you stuck to your guns Lorne, everyone who doesn’t understand the bigger idea will always try to shortcut it to get the work done. Your work on these was and is brilliant. I actually made a 3D sculpt of Abe before they announced New’n’Tasty, it was really cool that you liked it. It’s on my artstation for anyone who’s interested. Can’t wait for Soulstorm, my favorites were 1 and 2 (exoddus) I had no clue that Soulstorm is going back to your original vision. It looks beautiful and so dynamic. I noticed it's so colorful, it sounds weird but as a kid, I loved how drab, unsaturated, and depressing the industrial areas looked, they felt so real and cold. I’m looking forward to playing and working through the story of Soulstorm, great video and always inspiring.

    • @BBaaaaa
      @BBaaaaa Před 4 lety +1

      That's amazing.

    • @djm754
      @djm754 Před 4 lety

      @@BBaaaaa Thank you!

  • @loowisk1113
    @loowisk1113 Před 3 lety +4

    I admire the love this man still has for his vision all these years later. Oddworld is truly something unique, ugly and beautiful all at the same time.

  • @mcm3adows
    @mcm3adows Před 3 lety +1

    Soulstorm is my first oddworld game and am so far really enjoying it. The world is very captivating and pushes me to try to save as many followers as I can

  • @TheSentinel909
    @TheSentinel909 Před 4 lety +31

    Three sentences in and I already like this guy.

  • @pocketheart1450
    @pocketheart1450 Před 4 lety +37

    I never did play the Oddworld games and now I feel like I really want to.

    • @getsbaked
      @getsbaked Před 4 lety +7

      The only one I played was Strangers Wrath on Xbox which was absolutely amazing, the gameplay, story and creativity are out of this world. I really want to play Abes Odyssey after seeing this.

    • @moxieallen5428
      @moxieallen5428 Před 4 lety +3

      Oddysee and exoddus are the best in the series

    • @hamsandwichson
      @hamsandwichson Před 4 lety +3

      Do it, do it now!!

    • @bnw4379
      @bnw4379 Před 4 lety +7

      Get the remake of the original! Then maybe by the time you're done the new one will be out!

    • @JackPaulEvans1978
      @JackPaulEvans1978 Před 4 lety

      Theyre ALL great.

  • @michdich8996
    @michdich8996 Před rokem +1

    I remember having this game on a Demo-Disc when i was waaaay to young to understand the grim world of abe's odyssee.
    I remember, even with infinite tries it was really hard for me.
    When after many years i looked back at this game i was pretty shocked about what i played as a youngling.

  • @TheConspiredOne
    @TheConspiredOne Před 3 lety +6

    Hands down the best game franchise ever to exist. This was next level. Can't wait for the new one.

  • @ethansavory
    @ethansavory Před 4 lety +103

    Lorne: Abe can't hold a gun.
    Developers: What about hand grenades?
    Lorne: Bokay!

    • @trajectory7235
      @trajectory7235 Před 3 lety +6

      So I'm not the only one that hears it as "Bokay" too?

    • @The.dog.warrior
      @The.dog.warrior Před 3 lety +1

      Hahaha

    • @hughman9975
      @hughman9975 Před 3 lety +2

      "Okay, but you have to time some of them so specifically if you don't throw it just right you might as well jump into that meat grinder and start that bit again" 😆

  • @OhThatsMal
    @OhThatsMal Před 4 lety +5

    That classic intro line "This is Rupture Farms" still gives me goosebumps. It was so dark and atmospheric, amazing stuff.

  • @karenwoolley4279
    @karenwoolley4279 Před 4 lety +3

    14:01 "We wanted to build a game around empathy and based around saving, but we wanted the casualties to be to be hilarious"

  • @mikeparkinson1695
    @mikeparkinson1695 Před 2 lety +2

    My man Lorne be lookin like handsome squidward in the 1997 flashback.

  • @ottototo8
    @ottototo8 Před 4 lety +44

    Watching this made me a better person. Thank God people like this are able to produce their work and influence others. I was floored when the first game came out. Tomorrow, I'm digging up the old PS1 and firing up the Oddysey for my daughter.

  • @MrSzybciutki
    @MrSzybciutki Před 4 lety +14

    Because of this guy I can't wait any longer for a game I haven't been thinking about for 15 years.

  • @jswagpsn2285
    @jswagpsn2285 Před 4 lety +122

    I like how Oddworld's inspiration comes from real world tragedy and events. It's a statement piece - but so well handled and fluid that it doesn't come across as "forced". Games and media back in the late 90s was an entirely different world from what it is today. I respect and admire the old ways - I wish media nowadays didn't feel so ham fisted or clumsy in their narratives or "voices"

    • @Kevin-iy2rq
      @Kevin-iy2rq Před 4 lety +6

      Let's not forget nostalgia is also a part of why we loved these games so much back then but like in music and movies, games also became a product that does not need to be created with care to sell a lot.
      If you take music for example, most of the tracks in the top 40 all basically sound the same and you have these artists that bring the create the same track a few times with some slight changes but it sells, people still listen to it on Spotify. I once commented on a video like this here on CZcams and all the 12-13 year olds started to swear at me ;) It's not like in the old times where people actually needed to be real artists to create a great song.
      The same goes for games. Great games like Fallout 2 and Little Big Adventure 2 sold around 200-300k units so the developers actually had to come up with something good. Nowadays a game has to be really terrible for it not to sell. People still defend a game like Fallout 76 or Anthem etc.

    • @Eunostos
      @Eunostos Před 3 lety +2

      oh come on. It's Saturday morning cartoon levels of forced. The whole fun of it is how *in your face* it is about the eeeevil executives. The rose tinting is real with you.

    • @DJPhatPhuck
      @DJPhatPhuck Před 2 lety

      Right! Oddworld was my fav game as a kid, and now that I know that it was based off real world tragedies, it's even more fantastic of a game.

    • @quarreneverett4767
      @quarreneverett4767 Před 2 lety +1

      @@Eunostos i think he means preaching and ruining the game and game play. like the guy in the interview said himself. they made funny death things as well. and stuff. they have their plot and narrative but arent acting like a lecture spanking you constantly for anything etc

    • @quarreneverett4767
      @quarreneverett4767 Před 2 lety

      thankfully indie games take up the mantle

  • @gregkilby7043
    @gregkilby7043 Před 4 lety +30

    What a joy to find this on my front page. Lorne is a true maverick and artist of the videogame world. Thank you to all involved in making this video...