The Oregon Trail was a route for American settlers in the mid-1800s, covering a 2170-mile route over varied and hard terrain. It was a tricky route for the migrants to take and many people died on the way; illnesses, murder, exhaustion and freezing in the winter.
But we’re here for The Oregon Trail as a game; one of the first video games released in 1971 to teach about the history and dangers of that trail. It became famous for how hard it was and the phrase “You have died of dysentery” which even sold on t-shirts.
Now we have a new upgraded version of the game. Circle your wagons and let’s see what The Oregon Trail has to offer.
This newest version of The Oregon Trail first came to Apple Arcade in 2021 and now has made its way over to the console. It still keeps the choose-your-adventure and resource management of the game, but deals with some of the accusations of racism from that time in the 1970s. The game has addressed the latter point by working with the Native American community to balance the narrative of the game.
Once again the story starts with a prologue, introducing you to the mechanics before giving you the chance to choose the four characters to take with you on the adventure. Each character comes with different skills like a hunter skill, farmer qualities or that of a doctor, so it’s good to have a decent balance of attributes in hope of surviving the arduous journey. Your main objective in this game is to get your group of settlers from the small town of Independence, Missouri to the Willamette Valley in Oregon – all without dying.
You’ll also need to pick your supplies carefully, considering what you think you might need for the journey ahead – rations, a hammer for repairs, medicine. But then you are on your way. What happens next are that several events play out, some random, testing the travellers to their limit. It could all very quickly mark the end of them.
Some of the events are hopeful, like chance encounters with fellow trailblazers who might offer you something in return for help, providing valuable information about how to progress. There are other encounters too though; you’ll come across animals to hunt or fish. This normally then reverts to a simple mini-game with the result being extra food for the party or furs or surplus to trade for other much-needed items.
In The Oregon Trail you’ll need to keep moving to avoid winter. The problem is, things can happen to the wagons that need time to repair or a sickness may hit party members. Basically, things will slow progress down, possibly resulting in death. Then there are dreaded river crossings – if you are not careful and choose the right course of action you could lose all your supplies as well as some of your party members,
Expect misery in The Oregon Trail, particularly in terms of struggle and death. However, the game also proves how amazing the early pioneers were, delivering an education into that part of history through events and conversations throughout. There is also the chance to play through things without any of the terrors and problems. This works more like a stroll through the wilderness, taking in a history tour. It could well be this which is good for the family.
The Oregon Trail comes with radiant visuals that are cartoonish but – at the same time – can be incredibly beautiful with some amazing landscapes. This is especially true in the night times scenes in the wilderness and the lighting effects in the day. On the whole though, it comes together with a very family-friendly feel, even when considering the terrors that you may happen across. .
Not only is this a proper legacy game that started at the dawn of gaming, but The Oregon Trail is also a great modern history piece; still as educational and interesting to play today. It’s an RPG at heart but there is something very addictive about the gameplay, trying to get your party to the end of the trail.
It may not be for everyone with the mix of death and a cartoony world possibly proving to be a hard mix. Maybe the price is a bit high too, but you’ll mostly find an amazing adventure to be had should you take in The Oregon Trail.
