Oddworld: Soulstorm

Abe, a former slave from the RuptureFarms meat-processing plant, returns in Soulstorm in a story that loosely follows on from Abe's Exoddus, but tells it as a darker, rawer reimagining. After escaping the refinery, the hero faces a much harder task - saving hundreds more Mudokons scattered across inhospitable regions, stalked by security robots, mercenary gangs and an unforgiving environment. The game builds on the story of exploitation and rebellion that has followed the series since its first entry, but this time delivers it with a much greater emphasis on atmosphere and the brutality of the consequences of every wrong step. The individual chapters lead Abe through industrial complexes, warehouses and rural areas, where he must guide groups of terrified Mudokons to trains and other escape points without losing them along the way.

Compared to the classic entries, Soulstorm adds crafting - Abe fashions weapons, healing bottles and traps out of found materials, shifting the game's pace from pure stealth survival toward more deliberate tactics. The number of Mudokons saved is tallied across the whole game and directly affects which of the three endings the player ultimately sees, so even a single moment of hesitation can come back to bite them several chapters later. The difficulty is deliberately uncompromising, and frequent deaths are part of the experience rather than a design flaw, which makes the game better suited to patient players than to those wanting quick fun without frustration. The environment itself also frequently acts as a trap - poisonous gases, falling machinery and patrolling enemies force the player to constantly reconsider their route and improvise with whatever they have on hand.

Why play it: Soulstorm runs most smoothly of all versions on PlayStation 5 - shorter loading times, a higher frame rate and softer lighting make navigating crowded locations a less frustrating experience. The game was also released as part of the PS Plus Collection, making it an ideal choice for PS5 owners who want to try a darker, morally demanding platformer without having to buy it separately.