Oddworld Soulstorm: The Digital Foundry Tech Review - PS5/ PC/ PS4 Pro/ PS4
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- Oddworld Soulstorm - it's given away free as one of the April 2021 games for PS5 owners subscribed to PlayStation Plus. But how good is the game? What sets it apart from the norm and how have the developers pushed the Unity Engine? How do the PS4, PS4 Pro and PC versions stack up? You have questions, the Digital Foundry tech review has all the answers you need.
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Oh man. As a stupid child I found Oddworld in my mum's shopping bag and cried because I thought I had spoiled my birthday gift (it was for my dad, of course). It was an MA15+ game in NZ, but he let me watch him play it, and eventually I was playing it too. It quickly became one of my favourite games that I play almost every year and remains in my Top 5 to this day.
You have no idea how warm and fuzzy I feel to see that not only is the series making a seemingly impactful return, but that DF has taken the time to give a game so special to me such a lovingly detailed retrospective in a mostly positive technical breakdown over 27 glorious minutes.
My memories of this game are also with my dad and playing as a kid. I know what you mean. It’s like it unlocks an old part of my memory and emotions that I get to relive a bit.
Ok boomer
@@chriswhitfield2964 found the 9 year old
@@chriswhitfield2964 and if you’re talking about the other guy, that would be Gen X.
@@TSE_WOODY This is why the internet needs a minimum age access.
17:30 A PlayStation 4 PROFESSIONAL moment
It stands for progressive.
As a Unity developer, I feel amazed by the render quality of this game.
@@aweigh1010 ok.
Re the stutter: Why Can't you offload the level saving onto a background thread, over a few frames perhaps, to minimise the stutter in Unity?
@@aweigh1010 ok
@@aweigh1010 ok
@@aweigh1010 ok.
One of the first games I ever played on the original PS1. Keep the good work DF.
Never knew soulstorm was a ps1 game
I devoured this game. It was reeeelly tasty.
@@killerklinge52 I meant the original game in the series obviously.
I never knew the Pro is Ps4 Pro meant professional....
I feel like a professional now.
@@davelloyd820 battlefield is my favorite multiplayer game.
"Well i think battlefield 5 is not good
No not that battlefield i mean the other battlefield obviviosly
These videos are getting tastier and tastier...
Newer and tasty-er
Alot less shit in soulstorm (no fart)
It’s almost like they have twice ze flavour
Love how you presented your thoughts and what you enjoyed about the game outside of the technical stuff for the first half of the video before getting into it later on! Cheers John.
This is my first time hearing someone refer to PS4 Pro as "The Playstation 4 Professional" 😂
They also refer to the regular ps4 as the “PS4 amateur”
Well that‘s what Pro actually stands for :)
I have heard that before. From John Linneman lol
You're clearly new here to DF
@@wolgercon Not really. What do you mean by that?
Nice insight on the game, again!
PS: there's a little error in the video at 24:11 mark, where the loading time switches from PS4 to PS4 Pro's loading time.
Base PS4 gives you that PS1 experience with that performance.
Yes!!!! But ms and sony decide they still do games on this garbage potato xbox one and ps4 😂😂😂.
@@razor15593 of course they would, they don't care about performance as long as it plays okay, they won't just abandon 115mil ps4's and xbox ones.
Why? Is 1080p
I remember buying a VHS tape loooong ago of all the cinematic cutscenes from the early oddworld games, they were so impressive!
Wait, this is running on Unity3D?! :O Wow, thats impressive work on Oddworld Inhabitants end!
It's a matter of having good art and tech artists. Unity may not be the greatest engine, but it's quite up there in capable hands.
ngl i think df foundry has the best fanbase yall are so nice
Have a good day kind sir/ma'am
GTFOH
@@damientech88 😭
Except for the inevitable console fanboys.
You're nice
I’m so happy to see this game getting coverage. Many of my favorite games are ones like this that you don’t see very often. Thankful to see a nice deep dive on this title, I remember playing the first when it came out in 97 I think it was! Thanks for your hard work, John and team!
Excellent video. Love the look back at the history of this series, these deep dive videos by John really are a treat. Great stuff!
John. JOHN! This video was so awesome! Thank you for all the time you put into it! ❤️
Distant backgrounds being genuine parts of the stage is absolutely incredible. It reminds me of Tim Roger's commentary on Shadows of the Empire having "honest geometry". It lends a level of immersion to every place to explore knowing that it all actually fits together in the same space.
Been loving my time with this so far. Hope to see more games in this world in the future
This should be called Oddworld: "By and large" I need to go back and count how many times i hear John say that phrase.
Wow, Unity Engine is doing bits these days, that factory level looks stunning! Great review as always, you really shine with those classic game series videos, John.
Star Wars: Republic Commando definitely deserves a video. The new remaster is in a pretty bad state across all platforms, especially Switch. A video from you guys about it would definitely bring more attention to the developers' shortcomings.
I love oddworld, theres a few design choices I don't like with this one though, mainly that you can no longer fart on command or jump into a wall and smash your head against it, also for some reason you can't rebind the shift key on pc
Thanks for making this video, I was in the edge seeing how much you tweeted about it, but now I'll definitely it a try. Keep up the great work!
24:10 Here at the base PS4 loading time test, the actual result is 44: 48 but immediately changes to 35: 20 which is the PS4 pro's result
I must be the most unlucky guy in the world. I had nothing but bugs during the first sections of the game. The blimp mortar section was literally unbeatable.
Please never stop calling it 'Playstation 4 Professional'.
I'm up to slig barracks and had no idea you could ignite those bottles with flares! Thanks DF!
Thanks for another fantastic video John!
Just as a side note Abe's Exoddus had a 9 month development time.
Wait WHAT
Yeah it's on the exact same gameplay engine and has the exact same systems. It just has some QOL tweaks and new enemy types. But if you pay close attention it reuses all the Character sprites from Oddysee. But the new Sprites in Exoddus (like Flying Sligs) have a lot more pixels.
Apparently their publisher needed a game within 9 months from Oddworld cause Oddysee was their only success at the time and other projects failed.
@@HolySok Huh some things I didn't notice how interesting! Thank you!
First oddworld with soulstorm and its one of the best platformers Ive played in years. I'm hooked on it right now!
You should try Super Mario World... In all seriousness I wouldn't really call this a platformer, a puzzle platformer maybe.
@@5izzy557 ...then you’re still calling it a platformer
Most detailed review I've seen. Really well done.
So many awesome memories from that intro...👍
Waiting for the physical release 🤜🤛
get physical while we still can :))))
Usually I agree, but free is free and I'm playing it now. Lol
I wish I found this series more compelling to play. But I really appreciate and respect this game (and the rest of the series) and seeing what the game is doing on DF is very appreciated :)
God can you imagine a 2D Metroid that looks like this? Especially with the far out 3D in the background.
Thanks for the excellent review Mr. Linneman
Wow this looks amazing. I might have to queue this up for very very soon
god this looks awesome. Thanks for the in-depth look!
Aw it’s magnificently beautiful. And looks like fun. Cannot wait to play it. Loved the original and the remake.
Amazing video as always. Just pre-ordered the PS5 Day One Oddition. Let's hope they find a way to get rid of those little stutters, that would be great.
I remember my friend used to play this on PSX. I didn't know the name of the game at the time, but it was interesting. Several years later(this week), my family was watching few videos and they came across this DF review. During its comparison I realized it was the game we used to play. And I had a big smile on my face, the nostalgia was just amazing! I miss my friends and the games we used to play, great memories :)
22:17 If your PC can run this game, it can certainly play a 60fps video. Am I missing something here or am I allowed to face-palm?
The only thing I can think of is it being some potential Unity PC issue/limitation, but even that seems a bit off... Definitely needs looking into a little more.
@@derptyderp5287 It's definitely not a hardware limitation unless the cutscenes were coded at some silly high bitrate.
ps5 ssd runs like shit
doesn't match its advertisement "up to 5,5gb per second"
blown by pc ssd, which only has 4gb per second
I'm so excited to try out this series!! I just picked up new and tasty for the vita while I wait to find a PS5. I already claimed this game on ps+ on the ps app!! So excited and glad to see this a day 1 "free" release.
Superb review, thank you DF.
Excellent video. You got me interested in the game John. I remember enjoying the original on PS1 back in the day.
This game was incredible back in ps1
I started with the PC version then playstation i love oddworld but the new mechanics will take some time getting used too.
Enjoying this more than I thought I would on ps5 so far
As always, thank you Jon for your work!
Especially since there were... "issues" with the PS4. You're a real trooper !
I was waiting like crazy for this video and finally it's here😊🎉
Good I love these love letter videos! I sometimes feel you guys have overly clinical videos. Yes, I understand technical analysis lends itself to that style but these videos show real passion and blend in the technical with the qualitative.
More of this please.
Im not too familar with the series. Thank you for your insightful video, John.
Really love how you showcased the older games in the series first. I've been aware of the games for decades but never played them.
Thank you for this video, John! I don't have any personal history with the series, but your enthusiasm absolutely shines through in this video and it makes me want to go play it. It is so refreshing to see this kind of joy-filled passion for games outside of the mostly uniform critical acclaim landscape in this medium.
I really tried to like this game but I bounced off it hard.
The oddworld series of games have always been very much of an acquired taste. So far I'm really enjoying this game. But yeah, it's definitely not for everyone.
@@NodnarbTaw Facts, I grew up playing these games, where as one of my close friends used to watch me play, he literally said he'd rather watch me play soulstorm over discord because he knows he'll have a hard time with it.
This is the greatest output from Oddworld since the original two games. I was so taken in by story, and the visuals that for the first time in many years felt epic and mysterious as the old games.
I am so glad Oddworld came through with this. It was such a good time. And the story twists and what they did to the brew story. Amazing.
But is it hard as shit! Crazy hard
@@TylerTron21 I bought it Wednesday I believe. And truth be told, I didn't finish it. I got around half way, and had to look up a walkthrough to the rest of the game, because it was so hard to get through I had a serious fear og throwing the controller at the screen. But that's not really the games fault, I just really suck at stressful and tense games in general. Even the old ones I couldn't finish without cheatcodes. Haha
@@TylerTron21 and speaking of patches. First couple of hours had a lot of game breaking bugs. But there has already been to patches since, so it should run fine
Great review and analysis. It's absolutely beautiful game and a lovely reimagining of the Exodus story.
Although not worth much saying, you guys are my favourite channel. Never stop what you do
For a Unity game this does look pretty great
As a kid I was scared of the PS1 demo. That's all I know about this.
even the menu music on those discs was a bit unsettling sometimes tbh
Love the creepy and gritty tone of the first games on PS1. That's the only thing I'm really missing in the recent remake and now this. Seem to have toned it down quite a lot.
Fantastic video John.
This was a better review than many so-called reviews! Great stuff. Was interesting before but will definitely buy now on PC after watching this.
Wait when someone re-encodes the FMV cutscenes on PC to 60fps.
Any word on when you will be looking at the PS5 update for Crysis?
VG tech has already done his analysis, go check it out
@@ipar26 an IN-DEPTH analysis, not bashing VG tech I like their videos
elanalistadebits has done one recently comparing the XSS, XSX and PS5. The PS5 is not looking good, it's inherited an awful blur from the PS4 Pro.
The checkpoint stutter is same issue with crysis, even worst on that game drop to 25fps. 50 checkpoints at least on these games, it will be anoying.
ps5 ssd runs like shit
doesn't match its advertisement "up to 5,5gb per second"
blown by pc ssd, which only has 4gb per second
You you you you yoooooou is all I remember playing it on the original Playstation 😂
Just platinumed new and tasty on vita, so excited to get stuck into this game. Have munch and strangers on vita waiting for me too! Superb video as always
Thank you for this review. Every game has its issues, so I appreciate a reviewer who acknowledges that and details what it excels in. Looking forward to buying this game!!
Abe's Oddysee was my favourite game on the PS1 (next to GT1). Atmosphere, graphics, and gameplay were unparalleled back then. Unfortunately, the sequels and the poor Oddysee remake (New'n'tasty) couldn't live up to the first entry. I'm a couple hours into Soulstorm on PS5 and tbh I don't see the same magic either. The graphics are amazing (except for the fps issues but hopefully they'll get patched), and the controls are again precise, unlike NnT which played very inaccurate. Alas, the mechanics and item/crafting system seem convoluted and uncalled for.
This game is crazy hard! 🙃
Gojo Satoru
@@unlitomen5020 Sup Shisui!
@@ErosMorelli not much hbu.
@@unlitomen5020 not much 🥲
Props for referencing Flashback and Another World (both Delphine!) in the intro
I wasn't sure about this when I first heard about it years ago, but it definitely looks interesting, will be sure to pick it up once the exclisivity deal runs out.
Dear lord it looks gorgeous! I'm happy with the 1440p 60fps on PS5, which is how I'll be playing it, given we just got the game for free on PlayStation Plus lol... now I just need to find a PS5 out in the wild!
Out of curiosity, since New n' Tasty ran with an unlocked framerate, does anyone know if it runs at 60fps on PS5? I also got that with Plus a looong time ago and I'm itching to give it a play before I go into this, so I'm thinking of playing it on PS5 for that performance boost, y'know?
Yes it does, runs flawlessly on ps5.
It does, but limited to 1080p
@@Arcona that's fine, 1080p is still acceptable for me lol, was just curious about the 60fps 😊
@@DoritosBurger Ooh nice, thanks!
ps5 ssd runs like shit
doesn't match its advertisement "up to 5,5gb per second"
blown by pc ssd, which only has 4gb per second
I'm so glad that Oddworld Inhabitants kicked Just Add Water to the curb after the technical and conceptual mess that was New 'n' Tasty. With Soulstorm, you really get the impression that OI is bringing their true original vision for Exoddus to life, and the result is something leaps and bounds ahead of what New 'n' Tasty could have ever dreamt of being.
This series is so amazing. I love this new entry and it was free! I hope they continue to make more games. Thank you LL! Great job!
I didn’t know what the game was about back in the day on the PSOne. I’m hooked! Just hope they patch in the HDR it would do the games visuals justice.
Seriously this Channel is truly one of a kind! Excellent work as always!
"hello, hello, follow me...ok"
Excellent review...I'm sold now! Getting it asap. I loved the first two, but never got around to playing munch or Stranger's. This seems right up my alley in so many ways :D
Also, I was telling some buds about this game and they didn't know who Lorne Lanning is...I hope this game is successful and that changes, cause Lorne is a rad dude!
Finally, a video without "bespoke" used incorrectly.
Started Ps5 version,like it for now.
Does it look good on the big screen I’m worried it won’t be worth downloading
@@jahjohnson31 I play on Samsung Q90R and it looks good.
ps5 ssd runs like shit
doesn't match its advertisement "up to 5,5gb per second"
blown by pc ssd, which only has 4gb per second
Murdering trapped animals with fire?
John: "Removing the obstacle."
😂
On the subject of the load times. Would a newer ps4 pro load quicker than an older ps4 pro? I'm guessing you mean one would have more data already installed which would in turn make load times longer?
Great review...very indepth! This was like reading the manual but more fun :) Do people even read manuals anymore though...lol. Great job on your video :)
DF 1440p60FPS
Its a real mystery to me what keeps this franchise going...
John single-handedly keeping the spotlight on dated game genres. Even if I won't play them I admire him and DF's hustle/DF retro
Do you want to see it die?
@@jingx3336 No one said that, I’m wondering who wants these games too
@@megamanx1291 Plently, it's just that the generic games of today take the spotlight, it's the same reason why Injustice 2 had more buzz than Tekken 7 at first but Tekken 7 ended up being a vastly more successful & enjoyable game in the long run
Gamers
Would be nice to cover the New 'N' Tasty port for the Switch, even though it has been released in November last year and you guys were busy covering the next-gen consoles, but it's quite fascinating how similar it feels to the current-gen systems. Very curious about the port's technical details
I've never played an Oddworld game as i wasn't hugely into videogames when this series started, and when i did play i played Nintendo at a friends. But this looks interesting. Might pick up the older ones for my PS3 before the shop closes down- i love old school games with pre-rendered backgrounds. Cool video.
John has an amazing ability to make something you're not really interested in seem like a must play! Nice one JL
I really hope PC users get those 60fps cutscenes.
13:07 that's so cool!
I’m not sure why you would find fault with pre-rendered video sequences. I get that it’s always interesting to see cut scenes running in real time, and I also understand that video sequences can often take up more space. But the benefits of running in real time versus the beauty of a free rendered sequence are about equal in my eyes. I just don’t really see the point of worrying about whether or not it’s a real time sequence. Especially considering that the sequences are not interactive.
Wait, this is a Unity game? Wow.
Unity is pretty capable, it just gets a bad rep because it was the free engine used by amateurs. But when capable people use it (see games like Overload, Ghost of aTale, Ori and the Blind Forest).
Won’t stop until Arkham knight is optimized for the next gen consoles
Wanna cry?
Won't stop what?
I'm gomna put some dirt in yo eye
You want forgiveness? Get religion
@@y_auc60seb20 gonna cry?
Looks like a really interesting game to play so I’m glad it’s on PS Plus for PS5. I rarely play platform games, but Oddworld looks like it has a refreshing sense of intuitive complexity I haven’t seen since Little Big Planet, though I’m pretty uninformed.
Nice video John
Meh I’ll wait for the physical copy in July, I like to own my games.
I love people that say they want physical sadly the reality is even if you buy physical it probably will be just a few mb`s on the disc the rest you have to download so much to "owning" your games
It's FREE on PS+ why would you pay?
@@soysauceboss75 to support the developers especially a smaller studio
@@mkpieris1 I mean I can't fault you for that. I just went ahead & got the PSN download. I'm enjoying the hell out of it so far.
You do know a physical copy is just a licence on a disc and you will still have to download and install the complete game🤦♂️ it's no different than digital only you have a disc which can be damaged, unless you are talking about getting it on the playstation store free (not actually free you pay a monthly or yearly fee) we're they will take it of you if you stop paying then yes I get you.
Xbox still with no new games lol
Kojima is making one for it lol
@@im415again Well somebody has to I guess.
Xbox has gamepass. Cant brag about 1 new ps game when Xbox players get hundreds. Especially compared to that garbage psnow subscription. They need to up there game, imo.
I must say this is a BETTER review than what I’m currently seeing on meta critic by far!!!
Thank you as always Digital Foundry.
Sadly Xbox got a L for this one!! 😔
you don't have to do this
Xbox guys don’t care. Gamepass is their “game” what’s in Gamepass actually doesn’t matter.
@@ContactG476 lmao
@@ContactG476 Pretty much. I remember how they were stating the real winner of the next Gen reveal was "Gamepass."
From best to worse
PC 4K60fps
PS5 1440p 60fps
PS4 pro 1080p 30fps
PS4 1080p 30fps (less stable) lower settings.
Xbox Series X 0p 0fps
Prices worst to best.
Outriders on PlayStation £60
MLB The Show on PlayStation £50
OUTRIDERS and MLB The Show on Xbox Gamepass release day. £0
Retro Arch on Xbox Series X for OG Playstation version 60 fps Playstation consoles im sure 720p streaming is available oops maybe lower its ps1 😉
@@rinaa6865 And there I was thinking Gamepass cost $120 a year.
4k60 on PC? Dude most people are still using a GTX1060. They'll be playing 1080p60 with drops.
@@Arcona Yep, nobody is playing game on PC at 4k.
I didn't know 60fps video playback was (apparently) such a factor on low-end PC's. 🤷♂️
Minimum calls for 4c/4th at 1.7ghz w/a GTX 670 while 4c/4th at 2.3ghz w/a 970 is recommended. Not the hugest of margins there.
I used to play the first one on Ps1 and it was one of my favorites. I got quite surprised when I played this one, definitely it's so recommendable.
This game is so poorly optimised on ps5, but it's free so all good
Why is that?
omg take ur pills and go to sleep