The ultimate Oddworld Soulstorm guide: Tips & Tricks

A new game in the Oddworld franchise has arrived and it’s just as difficult as ever. Our handy Soulstorm guide includes tips on everything from saving Mudokons and mastering Abe’s skills, to unlocking bonus levels and getting every ending. 

While 2014’s New ‘n’ Tasty was a straight remake of the original Abe’s Oddysee, Soulstorm takes the sequel Abe’s Exoddus and turns it into something entirely different, adding new story elements and levels as well as a crafting menu and an improved Quarma system.

As a result, both newcomers and longtime fans of the Oddworld franchise will face quite a high learning curve when playing Soulstorm and attempting to save all 1,400 Mudokons. This is a very difficult game, and you’re probably going to die a lot.

To try and make the experience a bit easier for you, we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks and short Soulstorm guides on the various features and gameplay mechanics featured in Oddworld Soulstorm.

Contents

• Mastering Abe’s movement
• How to save Mudokons in Soulstorm
• How to command Mudokons in Soulstorm
• How to craft items in Soulstorm
• What is Quarma in Soulstorm?
• How to unlock bonus levels: Soulstorm guide
• How to get Soulstorm’s different endings

Mastering Abe’s movement

If you’ve ever played an Oddworld game before, one of the first things you’ll notice when you jump into Soulstorm is that Abe is now a lot more fluid and agile than he has been in the past.

Controlling him is easier, but he’s still clunky when compared to most modern gaming heroes. This means 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 how to use them:

• Sneak (L1): This is a move you’ll be using a lot in Soulstorm. Sneaking helps you walk right past sleeping enemies and avoid alerting nearby patrolling enemies. Any Mudokons following you will sneak too.
• Sprint (R1): If you’re ever spotted by enemies or need to escape a high-octane situation, running will help you high-tail it out of there a lot faster. Just remember that doing so will definitely alert nearby enemies.
• Double jump (X, X): This is a staple of platformers, but don’t underestimate it. Double-tapping the jump button will get you out of plenty of sticky situations, and help you make it up to high ledges.
• Roll (O): There are a couple of reasons you’ll want to roll in Soulstorm. Firstly, doing so will help you get under any low ceilings, like in caves. Secondly, if Abe gets set on fire, you can roll to save him.
• Hide (Square): Abe can hide in lockers using the interact button (Square on PS4/PS5). This will get him out of enemy sight and can help you sneak through areas when there seems to be no other way to progress.
• Loot (Square): As well as hiding in lockers, Abe can also loot them by using the interact button. It’s not just lockers, though, as Abe can loot bins and search sleeping enemies for items, too.
• Chant (L2): One of the most essential features of Oddworld is chanting. This allows you to possess enemies, hit certain switches to unlock doors, and open Bird Portals to free your Mudokon followers. Be aware that you have a limited time to chant, and Abe will be vulnerable while doing this.
• Throw items (R2): There are a number of items that Abe can find or craft, like flares to light up dark caves, water bottles to put out fires, and trip mines to knock out enemies. Mastering each item – as well as your aiming skills – will make completing levels a lot easier.

How to save Mudokons in Soulstorm

Completing each level in Oddworld Soulstorm is difficult enough as it is, but you’ll also be trying to save Mudokons as you progress. This adds a whole new challenge to the experience, and it’s one you’ll want to commit to, as we’ll discuss later.

In some levels, Abe will follow a scripted sequence where hundreds of Mudokons escape in the background. All you’ll need to do to free them is eliminate hostile enemies and destroy any obstacles in their way. These are by far the easiest Mudokons to save.

In other stages, you’ll need to dedicate more time to your Mudokon-freeing mission. You will find them around each level, often in hidden areas, and you might need to ‘heal’ them before they’ll join your team.

Here’s how to save Mudokons in Oddworld Soulstorm:

1. Recruit any Mudokons you find by pressing the ‘Hello’ command (you might need to heal them first).
2. Keep them safe as you travel through each level. If they die, they’re gone.
3. When you come across a Bird Portal, it’s time to set them free.
4. Chant and direct your glowing orb into the portal.
5. All of the Mudokons following you will now jump into the portal and be free.

Remember, before you free any Mudokons that are following Abe, you might need their help to complete certain puzzles.

How to command Mudokons in Soulstorm

Abe will need to use his fellow Mudokons to get through various puzzles in Soulstorm. Sometimes they can be told to stand on individual switches to open doors, other times they can attack enemies for you.

There are four commands Abe can issue to Mudokons:

• Hello/Follow Me: Pressing up on the d-pad will get a Mudokon to join your team, or make an existing Mudokon follow you around. Long pressing will issue this command to all nearby Mudokons.
• Wait: Pressing down on the d-pad will instruct the nearest Mudokon to stand still, which is ideal for avoiding traps and enemies. Long pressing will get all nearby Mudokons to stop in their tracks.
• Aggressive: Pressing left on the d-pad will put your Mudokon followers into ‘aggro’ mode. This means they’ll be up for a fight if they have offensive items to hold.
• Passive: Pressing right on the d-pad will instruct your Mudokon followers into ‘passive’ mode. They won’t attack enemies when you do this.

How to craft items in Soulstorm

One of the biggest new features in Oddworld Soulstorm is crafting. It’s been described by creator Lorne Lanning as “crafting-lite” and that’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, bins, and even sleeping enemies. There will also be items left on the ground inside caves, so take a flare with you and make sure you’re exploring every crevice of those dark areas.

• Read More: Oddworld Soulstorm review

Navigate to the menu’s crafting window, and you can see the materials you need to build different gadgets. For example, a Smokescreen can be made by combining a Brew Bottle and Detergent, while a Fizzy Pow Grenade can be crafted with a Fizzy Pop Soda and Blastos Mints.

More gadgets will be unlocked as you progress through the game, so make sure you stock up on raw crafting items as you play through each level. They’ll come in handy.

What is Quarma in Soulstorm?

Quarma is Oddworld’s version of karma. It makes a welcome return in Soulstorm, but it’s been revamped and now plays a much bigger role in the game; at the end of every level, you’ll be presented with various statistics including a 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 save, and how many you let die. It also takes into account how you deal with enemies like Sligs, who can be peacefully knocked out or brutally destroyed.

Ultimately, your Quarma score is based on how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ your version of Abe has been in each level. Beyond just offering an interesting insight into your gameplay style, your Quarma scores will actually decide which ending you get in the game. More on that later.

How to unlock bonus levels: Soulstorm guide

Oddworld Soulstorm has 15 levels to tackle by default. Each one could take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much of a completionist you are, so there’s plenty to do already in the game.

However, there are two extra levels that you can unlock if you want to get the bonus ending. Doing so won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it for hardcore Oddworld fans, or those who just want to see everything Soulstorm has to offer.

In order to unlock levels 16 and 17, you’ll need to save at least 80% of the Mudokons in 12 or more levels. Once you’ve done this, the final levels will be playable, and you’ll also be able to discover the final ending.

How to get Soulstorm’s different endings

There are a total of four endings you can unlock in Oddworld Soulstorm. Which ending you’ll get depends on how many Mudokons you manage to save in each level (see, we told you it was important).

While it might seem obvious to aim for the ‘good’ ending and then the ‘final’ ending, Oddworld Inhabitants have revealed that the ‘bad’ ending comes with an explosive cinematic that’s not to be missed.

Here are the requirements for unlocking each Soulstorm ending:

• Worst ending: Save at least 80% of the Mudokons in six or fewer levels.
• Bad ending: Save at least 80% of the Mudokons in seven to 11 levels.
• Good ending: Save at least 80% of the Mudokons in 12 or more levels.
• Final ending: Save at least 80% of the Mudokons in all 17 levels.

That’s it for our Oddworld Soulstorm guide. Hopefully, you’ll now be able to tackle the game head-on, craft every item, save all those Mudokons, and unlock that final ending!

Make sure you check out our Oddworld Soulstorm review, where we called it a “revamped experience that manages to feel classic yet fresh, with themes that are just as relevant as they were 20 years ago.”