Oddworld Soulstorm Guide: Tips, Tricks, Endings
A new game in the Oddworld franchise is out, and it's just as challenging as ever. Our handy Soulstorm guide has tips on everything from saving Mudokons and mastering Abe's skills to unlocking bonus levels and getting each ending.
While Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! 2014's direct remake of the original Abe's Oddysee, Soulstorm takes the sequel to Abe's Exoddus and turns it into something completely different, adding new story elements and levels, as well as a crafting menu and an improved Kvarma system.
As a result, both newcomers and longtime fans of the franchise Oddworld will face a rather difficult learning curve while playing Soulstorm and trying to save all 1400 Mudokons. This very hard game and you will probably die many times.
To make it easier for you to play, we've put together a list of Soulstorm tips and tricks and quick guides to the various features and gameplay mechanics featured in Oddworld Soulstorm.
Mastering Abe's Movement
If you've ever played Oddworld before, the first thing you'll notice when you jump into Soulstorm is that Abe is now much more agile and nimble than in the past.
He is easier to control, but still clumsy compared to most modern playable heroes. This means that mastering his movement is even more important, especially when one wrong move can lead to death.
Abe's Abilities: Oddworld Soulstorm Guide
Here are some of Abe's abilities and tips for using them:
- Stealth (L1): this is a move you'll use a lot in Soulstorm. Stealth helps you get past sleeping enemies and avoid being alerted by patrolling enemies nearby. Any Mudokons following you will sneak as well.
- Sprint (R1): if you've ever been spotted by enemies or need to avoid a high-octane situation, running will help you get out of here faster. Just remember that this will definitely alert nearby enemies.
- Double jump (X, X): it's a staple of platform games, but don't underestimate it. Double tapping the jump button will get you out of a lot of tricky situations and help you climb high ledges.
- Throw (O): There are several reasons why you'll want to jump into Soulstorm. First, it will help you get under low ceilings, like caves. Second, if Abe gets set on fire, you can roll to save him.
- Hide (Square): Abe can hide in lockers using the interaction button (Square on PS4/PS5). This will put him out of sight of the enemy and help you sneak through areas when there seems to be no other way to progress.
- Mining (square): In addition to hiding in lockers, Abe can also loot them using the interact button. It's not just lockers though, as Abe can loot trash cans and search for items in sleeping enemies.
- Singing (L2): singing is one of the most important features of Oddworld. This allows you to possess enemies, press certain switches to open doors, and open bird portals to free your Mudokon followers. Keep in mind that you have limited time to chant and Abe will be vulnerable when doing so.
- Throw items (R2): there are a number of items that Abe can find or create, such as rockets to light up dark caves, water bottles to put out fires, and mines to destroy enemies. Mastering each item, as well as aiming skills will greatly simplify the passage of levels.
How to save Mudokons in Soulstorm
Completing each level in Oddworld Soulstorm is hard enough as it is, but you'll also be trying to save the Mudokons as you progress. This adds a new challenge to the experience that you'll want to embrace, which we'll talk about later.
In some levels, Abe will follow a scenario where hundreds of Mudokons escape in the background. All you have to do to free them is to destroy hostile enemies and destroy all obstacles in their path. These are by far the easiest Mudokons to keep.
In other stages, you will need to devote more time to your mission to free the Mudkons. You will find them in every level, often in hidden areas, and you may need to "heal" them before they join your team.
Here's how to save Mudokons in Oddworld Soulstorm:
- Recruit any Mudokons you find by pressing the Hello command (you may need to heal them first).
- Keep them safe as you travel through each level. If they die, they are gone.
- When you come across a bird portal, it's time to free them.
- Repeat and aim your glowing ball at the portal.
- All Mudokons following you will now jump into the portal and be free.
Remember that before you free the Mudokons following Abe, you may need their help to solve certain puzzles.
How to Command Mudokons in Soulstorm
Abe will need to use his fellow Mudokons to solve various puzzles in Soulstorm. Sometimes they can be asked to stand on separate switches to open doors, and sometimes they can attack enemies for you.
There are four commands that Abe can give to Mudokons:
- Hello / Follow me: pressing the D-pad will cause the Mudokon to join your team, or force an existing Mudokon to follow you. A long press will issue this command to all nearby Mudokons.
- Wait: pressing the D-pad will cause the nearest Mudokon to stop, perfect for avoiding traps and enemies. A long press will cause all nearby Mudokons to stop.
- Aggression: pressing left on the joystick will put your Mudokon followers into "aggro" mode. This means that they will be ready for battle if they have the necessary items.
- Passive: pressing right on the d-pad will put your followers into "passive" mode. When you do this, they will not attack enemies.
How to craft items in Soulstorm
One of the biggest new features in Oddworld Soulstorm is crafting. Creator Lorne Lanning described it as "easy to craft" and it's pretty much what it is - simple and mostly optional. It can definitely help you get through some difficult areas.
Players can find raw crafting items by looting lockers, trash cans, and even sleeping enemies. There will also be items left on the ground inside the caves, so take a rocket with you and make sure you explore every crevice in these dark areas.
Go to the crafting menu and you will see the materials needed to craft various gadgets. For example, a smokescreen can be made by combining a beer bottle and detergent, and a soda grenade can be created with Fizzy Pop and Blastos Mints.
More gadgets will be unlocked as you progress through the game, so remember to stock up on raw crafting items as you progress through each level. They will come in handy.
What is Kvarma in Soulstorm?
Kvarma is the strange world's version of karma. It's a long-awaited return to Soulstorm, but it's been reworked and now plays a much bigger role in the game; at the end of each level, you will be presented with various statistics, including the Quarma score.
But what does your Quarma score mean? Well, it's based on a few different factors, the main one being how many Mudokons you manage to keep and how many you let die. It also takes into account how you deal with enemies like Sligs, who can be knocked out peacefully or brutally eliminated.
Ultimately, your Quarma score depends on how "good" or "bad" your version of Abe was at each level. Besides just offering an interesting insight into your play style, your Quarma scores will actually determine what kind of ending you get in the game. More on this later.
How to unlock bonus levels: Soulstorm guide
Oddworld Soulstorm has 15 levels by default. Each one can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how far you complete it, so there's already plenty to do in the game.
However, there are two additional levels that you can unlock if you want the bonus ending. It won't be easy to make, but it's worth it for hardcore Oddworld fans or those who just want to see everything Soulstorm has to offer.
To unlock levels 16 and 17, you need to save at least 80% of Mudokons at 12 or more levels. Once you do that, you will be able to play the last levels and you will also be able to know the final ending.
How to get different Soulstorm endings
There are a total of four endings you can unlock in Oddworld Soulstorm. Which ending you get depends on how many Mudokons you manage to save in each level (see, we told you this is important).
While it may seem obvious to aim for a "good" ending and then a "final", the inhabitants of Strangeworld have shown that the "bad" ending is accompanied by an explosive cinematic that is not to be missed.
Here are the requirements to unlock each Soulstorm ending:
- Worst ending: Save at least 80% of the Mudokons in six levels or less.
- Bad ending: Rescue at least 80% of the Mudokons at levels 7-11.
- Good ending: Save at least 80% of the Mudokons at 12 or more levels.
- Best Final: Rescue at least 80% of the Mudokons on all 17 levels.
That's all for our Oddworld Soulstorm guide. Hopefully now you can jump right into the game, craft every item, save all those Mudokons, and unlock the ultimate ending!