'Abe's Oddysee' creator relives successes and mistakes

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, the 1997 platformer from developer Oddworld Inhabitants, grew from a satirical desire to parody pop culture, according to an interview with Oddworld Inhabitants president Lorne Lanning on the PlayStation Blog.

"At the time, we believed that the space was wide open to create a brand of quality and integrity around the dysfunctional cracked mirror of our real world as reflected into our mythically hilarious and pathetic world, then we could establish a brand that would stick into the future," he said.

Lanning goes on to discuss the game's use of 2D graphics in an emerging 3D gaming environment. He chose 2D because he believed the art style created a more emotional experience between the player and the game's lovable protagonist, Abe. He also discusses his regrets. "Well, yeah, the checkpoint system was such a cluster**** it was maddening," he said.

Developer Just Add Water is remaking Abe's Oddysee with a 2.5D HD upgrade. The reinvention, which will premiere at the Eurogamer Expo, is set for a 2013 release.