Software Review (WP7): Oregon Trail

Gameloft has released Oregon Trail HD over at the Marketplace. The Windows Phone 7 application is an entertaining and addictive game with an educational twist to information technology.

The game is based in the mid-1800's as you travel west along the Oregon Trail with your family. Every bit you travel westward, you have the opportunity to test your skills in several mini-games to replenish your food supply or earn money also as dodge the various dangers the trail presents (indian raids, bandits, foul conditions, etc.).

It'south 1 of the higher priced gaming titles and to see if nosotros think it's worth the $four.99 price tag, ease on past the break.

Game Premise

Oregon Trail is a role playing game in which you are tasked with carrying your family down the trail to settle in the west. Forth you lot journeying you will have opportunities to earn coin past completing tasks or quests such as providing passage for hitchhikers, delivering packages, etc. Some of these side missions and travel goals have time restraints.

Oregon Trail Go Fish

The game has 8 mini games where you tin can tackle skill based challenges to replinish food supplies, repair your wagon, and earn gold. The games center effectually frontier activities such as hunting and fishing. The further you progress in the game, the more than challenging these games become.

Oregon Trail Fishing Screen

Y'all also face dangers such as disease (dysentary from drinking unsanitary water), bandits, indian raids, and weather events. Your carriage can pause downwards which will send you to a side game to get your carriage road worthy again. There's even a pesky eagle that will dive down occassionally and kidnap ane of your children. When this happens, you spend time searching for the child and somewhen find him.

All in all, with the mini-games y'all volition face, decisions to brand and deadlines to beat, Oregon Trail has enough of game to it. As a bonus, one of the side games is available as a stand alone game that is accessible from the Single Player Menu.

Oregon Trail Telegraph

Endless Telegraph is a simon sez blazon game where your grapheme is surrounded by telegraph machines. You'll meet a sequence of flashes appear on the four telegraphs and your job is to mimic the sequence. The further you progress with Endless Telegraph, the harder the sequences become. When all is said and washed, depending on your progress, you'll be awarded gold for your efforts.

Playing the game

Oregon Trail Game Screen Controls

Game play isn't all that hard. For most of the game, you lot're traveling correct to left on the screen down the Oregon Trail. At times you lot'll demand to stride it up past increasing your travel speed or rest for the dark to regain your free energy.

Controls are laid out in a simple, directly frontward manner. Travel speeds are controled at the bottom of the screen while a pull down bill of fare is available at the top of the screen where y'all'll find:

Quest: This outlines your electric current games quests
Rest: Where you can rest your family up for the side by side days travels
Map: Your Oregon Trail map
Status: Hither is where you'll find the game summary including your family's health.

Controls for the mini-games are done by tapping the screens and there are plenty of tutorials available to guide you through these challenges.

Oregon Trail ran smoothly and the drawing graphics looked actually nice. The game does have an addictive quality to it and the more y'all play, the stronger the addiction becomes. Gameloft placed just enough suprises along your journey downwards the Oregon Trail to continue you guessing and keep the game fresh.

Oregon Trail History Blurb

Oregon Trail does add together history blurbs on the transition screens which offers a overnice history lesson to the game. You non only go out the game entertained merely likewise with a little knowledge of the Trail'due south history.

I key characteristic we shouldn't ignore is the Xbox Live integration. As y'all progress through the game, Xbox Alive achievements are unlocked and your scores posted on XBox Alive to compare with friends.

Overall Impression

Oregon Trail

At $four.99, Oregon Trail HD is one of the more expensive games over at the Marketplace.

The game play is enjoyable, easy to follow, and not likewise complicated to be frustrating. The cartoon graphics looks really dainty and I similar adding the history blurbs in betwixt scenes. Oregon Trail has enough mini-games, quests, challenges and player interactions to keep the game from condign stale besides quickly. Is it worth the $4.99 price tag? I recall so.

If yous like simple, direct forward, role playing games Oregon Trail Hd is worth a look. We think Gameloft has a winner with this Windows Phone seven game but should there be any dubiousness, in that location is a free trail available at the Marketplace.