The Oregon Trail

Genre: Simulation / Arcade / Misc.

Players: 1

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Review:

Oregon Trail is a game series that started on PC all the way back in 1971, beginning its life as a Text Adventure that had you managing time and resources while making risky choices as a 19th century pioneer heading on the arduous trail from Missouri to the frontiers of the American West. In the time since this release, numerous games have been released in the series, many bearing the same title, and while they have stuck to the same general premise, their gameplay has varied somewhat in each different installment.

The Oregon Trail games have often been one of the premier “Edutainment” titles alongside other entries in the genre like the Carmen Sandiego and Math Blaster franchises. Of course, as with many Edutainment titles, these games are somewhat dubious in just how truly educational they really are. Mostly what people seem to have learned from these games is:

1. The journey West during frontier days was extremely dangerous.
2. People often died suddenly, unexpectedly, and for seemingly no reason (and frequently from dysentery).
3. Hunting for food is fun!

Yeah, like I said, perhaps a bit dubious as a history lesson.

Anyway, when the series came to Wii and Nintendo 3DS in 2011, it was not in the form of a port of a prior entry in the franchise, but an entirely new game. Once again, the premise remained the same – players need to manage time and resources while making the arduous journey across the 19th Century American West. This time, this overarching goal includes the ability for players to partake in various tasks represented by Arcade-style minigames.

Mostly what you’ll be doing, in between decisions whether to trade a few boxes of bullets for a spare wagon wheel, is driving your cart. This gameplay takes place on a largely linear path that unfortunately doesn’t control very well, and at times outright redirects your path even if you’re specifically trying to steer to avoid an obstacle. You can also hunt game using a combination of buttons and the touchscreen that is extremely awkward to control and has terrible hit detection, and you can fish. All of this is tied together with some horribly slow pacing, and attempts at building atmosphere through dialogue that make this feel more like a cringe-worthy school play rather than anything even remotely authentic.

Unfortunately, none of this feels particularly fun or educational. If I wanted to play a game where I’m driving a vehicle, I have better options on Nintendo 3DS. If I wanted a game where I’m shooting in first-person using the touchscreen, I have better options on Nintendo 3DS. If I want a resource management Simulation, I have better options on Nintendo 3DS. Heck, with YouTube on Nintendo 3DS, I even have better options if I want an educational experience. And while there’s some novelty to be found in a game that combines these elements, this novelty doesn’t really make up for the flaws here.

Unfortunately, this game isn’t saved by its presentation, either. Simple, ugly 3D visuals with low detail and tons of pop-in are largely what you’ll be looking at here. And while the sound is actually pretty good, giving a roughly realistic sense of the atmosphere of such a journey and even occasionally working in a little old-timey acoustic music, any immersion you’re likely to feel is largely undone by the visuals.

The Oregon Trail will probably always hold a warm, nostalgic place in the hearts of numerous gamers… but probably not this version of The Oregon Trail. The Nintendo 3DS version of The Oregon Trail has the same basic idea, but it suffers from ugly graphics and terrible gameplay. Other versions of the game may have their merits, but this one is best left behind in Missouri.

tl;dr – Oregon Trail is a game that combines resource management Simulation elements with various Arcade-style minigames, but none of the gameplay is well-crafted or enjoyable, the graphics are bad, the pacing is terrible, and this game conveys all of the joy of a poorly-made educational video without ever actually seeming all that educational. Other versions of The Oregon Trail may have their charms, but this one died of dysentery.

Grade: D+

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