Skip to main content

About

"Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel" is a game that plunges you into a battle to determine the fate of humanity in a futuristic setting. The game features an original 25-piece soundtrack, composed by Nathanael Platier and 'Tav,' that captures the essence of the Orion Era. The soundtrack is available for purchase and comes highly recommended to immerse yourself in the game's atmosphere fully. However, the game's specifics, such as its storyline and gameplay, are not provided in the given description.

Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot
Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot
Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot
Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot
Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot
Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot
Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel screenshot

51%
Audience ScoreBased on 126 reviews
story60 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions

  • The artwork and character designs are visually appealing, showcasing a unique style that stands out.
  • The voice acting is generally well done, adding emotional depth to the characters and enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game features multiple endings, providing some replay value and encouraging players to explore different choices.
  • The writing is often criticized as poorly executed, with weak dialogue and underdeveloped characters that fail to engage players.
  • The story is rushed and lacks coherence, leaving many plot threads unresolved and leading to unsatisfying endings.
  • The gameplay mechanics are frustrating, with choices that feel inconsequential and a lack of meaningful impact on the narrative.
  • story
    184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it rushed and poorly executed, leading to a lack of coherence and engagement. While the premise and branching paths offer some interesting ideas, the execution often feels generic and unsatisfying, with characters and plot points that fail to resonate. Overall, despite some appealing elements like art and music, the narrative struggles to maintain interest, leaving players feeling disconnected from the story and its outcomes.

    • “There are 4 main story branches you can take, each with 2 endings.”
    • “The story turned out to be solid and interesting and I liked that the main character had realistic personality and emotions rather than being caricatural.”
    • “In addition to the fantastic storytelling, this visual novel has many different paths which may lead to a 'bad end' or a 'good ending' and you need certain specific ones to get the 'true ending', which makes the game a ton of fun.”
    • “Whatever story this game does have is half-assed and sloppily executed.”
    • “The plot is very rushed, barely giving you the time to get to know any of the characters or the politics of Orion at all, before launching you headfirst into a convoluted story where all of the side-characters refuse to properly explain anything at all.”
    • “You make decisions but you have no idea what this is actually about, and it doesn't feel like a coherent story at all.”
  • graphics
    52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique blend of anime and western art styles, while others find the inconsistency between character sprites and CGs distracting. Many appreciate the vibrant watercolor artworks unlocked during gameplay, but some feel that the overall presentation lacks cohesion. Despite the appealing visuals, several reviewers express disappointment in the game's engagement and narrative satisfaction.

    • “The game has a pretty good storyline and graphics, but the game itself is not very engaging in my opinion.”
    • “Visually, Orion looks great with its manga-inspired artwork and beautiful coloring.”
    • “The artwork has a western illustration style with plenty of sci-fi elements (as opposed to the traditional anime) and does a great job portraying the story.”
    • “The artwork is okay, but doesn't come together well.”
    • “You have anime-style character portraits and scenes, but when you get the most important CGs, everyone is drawn in a completely different western art style that's much more realistic.”
    • “Also, the differing art styles between the sprites and CGs are much more distracting than anything else.”
  • music
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it decent and fitting well with the story, while others noted it as not particularly memorable. Some standout moments, like the ending song, were praised, and the overall sound design contributed positively to the immersive experience. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its quality and emotional resonance, with some players even purchasing it after completing the game.

    • “The music is good and fits well with the story, and the background art is very nice.”
    • “Voice acting, sound, and music give a premium feel that really go the extra step for immersion.”
    • “Furthermore, the sound design in this game is very nice, which made reading this visual novel even better; I found myself enjoying the music more than I realized because it fit the mood so well of what I was reading.”
    • “Pity the soundtrack isn't up for sale.”
    • “Also, the sound is capable and there are even some ambient noises for immersion, but the soundtrack itself is not very memorable in my opinion.”
    • “As far as options go, there is a CG gallery and an original soundtrack, but no Steam achievements or Steam trading cards to collect.”
  • gameplay
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this visual/interactive novel is largely criticized for lacking depth, as it primarily consists of clicking through poorly written dialogue. While some users found the story intriguing, the overall experience is marred by the absence of engaging gameplay elements.

    • “The story seemed interesting too and I thought it would be a visual novel I could love the whole gameplay through.”
    • “If you guys would like to watch some gameplay before playing this yourself, here!”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
    • “The story seemed interesting too, and I thought it would be a visual novel I could love throughout the whole gameplay.”
    • “Now to the gameplay/replay.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is largely criticized for being underwhelming, with many characters feeling underdeveloped and lacking depth due to insufficient narrative content. Reviewers express disappointment over missed opportunities for richer subplots and multiple endings, which could have enhanced character arcs. While some aspects like plot threads and character designs are appreciated, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, particularly in the resolution of character development.

    • “Ultimately, I enjoyed the plot threads, the music, and the character designs.”
    • “There's simply not enough text here to have any proper character development - everyone feels like a shadow of what they could be with a more fleshed out plot.”
    • “There was so much more potential for more endings and character development and subplots.”
    • “And I use the word 'most' in that last sentence on purpose: the ninth 'true' ending is basically the ending that reveals the most information in terms of build-up but kind of the worst ending for all of the dangling plot threads and character development in the game.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of [i]orion[/i] is significantly diminished due to underdeveloped characters and a lack of depth in the narrative. The one-dimensional portrayal of characters and inconsistencies in their visual representation contribute to a failure in conveying meaningful emotional transitions, such as friendships turning into enmities. While voiceovers enhance dialogue, they do not compensate for the overall lack of emotional resonance in the writing.

  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is well-received, with players frequently laughing out loud, particularly due to the sassy character Virgil, who stands out as a favorite for his witty remarks. Overall, the comedic elements effectively engage players and enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Keep eating.' had myself and most of the folks in the room chuckling.”
    • “My favorite character was Virgil; his sass made me laugh out loud so many times.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where players must click to progress through text, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative. This repetitive clicking can make engaging with the story feel laborious rather than immersive.

    • “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers moderate replayability due to its branching story paths, allowing players to explore different outcomes without a lengthy time commitment.

    • “It doesn’t take too long to finish, but most of the story is a branching path, so there’s some replay value here.”
    • “It doesn’t take too long to finish, but most of the story is a branching path, so there’s some replay value in here.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has been criticized for its buggy paths, where players often find that different choices lead to the same outcomes unless specific prior decisions were made. This inconsistency can detract from the overall experience, as it undermines the impact of player choices.

    • “Some paths felt buggy; choosing either of two options would lead to the same end unless I had made specific different choices earlier on.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is generally described as charming and pleasant, though some players find it a bit slow at times. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's experience.

    • “The atmosphere is nice; it's a charming piece, even if a tad slow at points, and there are some good aspects to it.”

Buy Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel

Videos

Games Like Orion: A Sci-Fi Visual Novel

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games Image
This game contains adult content
Trick and Treat - Visual Novel Image
Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos Image
Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York Image
This game contains adult content
Invisible Apartment Image