Orion Trail

"It's literally like you cannot have a positive interaction." This Organ Trail-inspired space adventure captures an amusing, absurd tone, but it is heavily hampered by punishing and unavoidable RNG. The constant negative events make it difficult to progress without feeling like the game is actively working against the player. I wouldn't recommend it in its current state due to the extreme reliance on negative randomness. [url=https://www.youtube.com/live/cHfWakJa-0c?t=34m36s]Gameplay[/url]

[h1][100% Completion Review][/h1] [b]Outline:[/b] I was gifted this game by my best friend not long before he died. A few years on and I've finally brought myself to play it, and needless to say I wanted to love it, just for that fact... But sadly, Orion Trail is a bare bones, fairly unimaginative Oregon Trail clone, with a deceptively slick graphical skin. Yes, the art is great and there's some solid writing and gags, but that's about it. The game is thin on gameplay. It's essentially all RNG based. There is no strategy to puzzle over. A drinking bird could play the game perfectly effectively. Which, I might add, will come in handy for those of you who'd like to 100% the game, as there are some ludicrously nonsense achievements of the 'artificial life extension' variety. Of both the luck based and grind based varieties. You can see, more or less, everything the game has to offer in under a dozen games. Which is roughly a few hours. But the 100% will take many, many more. Technically, depending on your luck, infinite. [b]Verdict:[/b] Despite my issues, I give this game a soft recommendation due to what it does well. The writing and presentation. If you're not a 100% freak and you just fancy spending the odd 15 minutes on a funny 'trail' game with a sci-fi twist. It's decent enough. Though maybe on sale. That this game is the same price as Terraria boggles my mind.

This game's Mixed review is well-deserved. I opened this game up today on a whim after discussing Oregon Trail parodies, and I was reminded why, in the decade plus of ownership, I've played this game 2 or 3 times. It's terribly designed and it's a bore. Don't let the charm of the game's pixel art and retro aesthetic seduce you; they are a candy coated veneer for a lazily assembled shamble of a Kickstarter game. Imagine playing D&D and the DM told you all your rolls would pass so long as you rolled a 1~5 (though on average it will be more like 1-2) on a D8, D12, or D20. Anything higher than that would be a failure with the chance of a critical failure. You don't have to be a math genius to know you're going to fail more than you succeed. This "game" (I hesitate to use the term) is a constant, unending war of attrition. You will fail more rolls (I estimate about 80 percent) than pass. Even when you do pass, your decisions don't really matter. Success is based on blind luck and nothing more. The rewards for passing are so paltry that it makes one wonder if the devs even playtested this game. It's frustrating because there was potential for a good game but even on sale for 3 bucks and change this game is a waste of one's time. Don't bother.

Meh; it's alright. While not a bad homage to "The Oregon Trail", I also find the game a bit bland at times, gameplay-wise. With the chances of getting resources being much more random and not with minigame type segments such as hunting or fishing, I feel that it's not a bad game, but I feel that it's not to die for, either. Let's just say that there's the possibility of some "suggestive" content (I won''t speak of exactly what) that makes me realize that this is not necessarily suitable for younger kids, but hey; at least it's not "Rick and Morty".

The writing's not bad, it's just not good enough to carry a game that is essentially just a series of slot machines. Particularly since it's got a bit of a doom spiral mechanic where past losses make future losses more likely.

Simple fun casual game good for learning about probability and playing the odds. Good for playing offhand while watching re-runs on TV, Overall an enjoyable experience. Sort of let down that there is no "you beat the game" ending.

Nice choose your own adventure game with funny quips and comedy space bits. Play with a friend and enjoy zany characters and odd ball space situations!