ORION: Prelude
- April 16, 2013
- DANKIE
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"ORION: Prelude" is a sci-fi shooter game that features intense combat and cinematic battles, with support for up to 10 players in various game modes. Players can use futuristic weaponry and vehicles while fighting against dinosaurs and other players in objective-based and free-for-all modes. The game also includes cooperative modes such as Conquest, Vital, Free-For-All, Elimination, King of the Hill, Gun Game, and Instagib. Join the official ORION Discord for rewards, progression, and behind-the-scenes content.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- graphics1,373 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they are outdated and lack polish, often comparing them unfavorably to titles from previous generations. While some players appreciate the visuals for their charm and nostalgia, others criticize the low-resolution textures and poor optimization, leading to performance issues even on capable systems. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they can still provide an enjoyable experience, especially when considering the game's low price point.
“I remember playing this in the old days; for how old the game really is, the graphics and islands are amazing. The dinosaurs look almost real, and the storyline and gameplay are top-notch for how old the game is too.”
“The graphics are simply amazing, the soundtrack immerses you in the whole experience, and it's the kind of game where you sit down to play, and the next thing you know it's 4 am.”
“The graphics are great for a somewhat old game. The visuals are simply ridiculously pretty (if you crank the settings up, like with any and all other games).”
“Furthermore, the game's graphics are outdated and unimpressive, with low-resolution textures and uninspired design choices.”
“The graphics are old, but serviceable; the game is a little rough to control at times but it is not terrible.”
“The graphics are so bad the models for the dinosaurs are laughable and they didn't even bother to leave actual bullets.”
- gameplay1,148 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Orion: Prelude" is a mixed bag, with many players noting its fun, cooperative dinosaur-shooting mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like Halo and Killing Floor. However, it suffers from significant issues such as clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some find enjoyment in its chaotic, wave-based survival format, others criticize it for being unpolished and lacking depth, making it a hit-or-miss for potential players.
“The gameplay is fun, killing dinosaurs in mechs, tanks, aircraft, with bows, LMGs, rocket launchers, and 3 classes... it's awesome.”
“The gameplay is smooth, everything looks okay, the progression is worthwhile, and it can be challenging.”
“This game is downright amazing to play with friends; it requires skills and is super fun to play with friends as you can do large survival missions.”
“Its outdated visuals, clunky gameplay mechanics, repetitive content, and lack of developer support culminated in an experience that failed to live up to the promises made.”
“With its clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, technical issues, and uninspired graphics, there are far better first-person shooter games available on the market that are worth your time and money.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and not very satisfying.”
- stability517 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent glitches, crashes, and overall buggy performance that detracts from the gameplay experience. While some players find humor and enjoyment in the chaos, many agree that the game feels unfinished and unpolished, often likening it to an early access title. Despite occasional updates, the technical issues remain a significant concern for potential players.
“It runs great on GTX 760, no FPS problems.”
“Gameplay is nice, no glitches unless you have a bad internet connection, so check your connection before you play any mode.”
“Pros: it doesn't crash and seems relatively bug free.”
“The game's technical issues, such as frequent crashes and glitches, further add to the frustration and make it difficult to enjoy the game.”
“It's buggy, laggy, and has graphics in the vein of Half-Life.”
“This game is a buggy piece of trash.”
- humor356 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is widely praised, particularly when played with friends, as players often find themselves laughing at the absurdity of the gameplay and the numerous glitches. Many reviews highlight the chaotic and silly moments, such as dinosaurs behaving unexpectedly or players experiencing comical deaths, making it a fun, albeit clunky, experience. Overall, the game is recommended for those looking for a lighthearted, entertaining time with friends, especially given its low price point.
“I remember moments of us laughing our asses off because of random pterodactyls grabbing us to drop from 300 ft. Highly recommended.”
“Some of the best tomfoolery you can have with friends. It's very cheap and I highly recommend it if you like to play with extreme situations. This one has been blessed with the funny, and you will find yourself laughing at the situations you're in.”
“The jeep is smashed, all three of us die, I get an achievement, 'Teammate from Hell: Drive a vehicle full of buddies to their deaths.' We all can't stop laughing.”
“Multiplayer is lots of fun here, and it's never unfunny seeing your friend get mauled by a horde of dinos as you both fail at securing your objective.”
“Funny bugs.”
“I purchased it and it's telling me I didn't. I hate this game; that's not funny nor fair.”
- story269 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting that there is no coherent plot or narrative to follow, making the gameplay feel repetitive and aimless. While some appreciate the fun of shooting dinosaurs in various modes, they express a desire for a more structured storyline or campaign to enhance the experience. Overall, the lack of a meaningful story detracts from the game's potential, leaving it as a straightforward action shooter without depth.
“In the world of game development drama, they've managed to create a storyline that even Hollywood would envy – a tale of theft, deception, and a shameless attempt to outsmart both the gaming community and the legal system.”
“The intricately crafted but comfortable controls, gorgeous level design, and gripping story leave me yearning for nothing more.”
“Orion is the story of an underdog triumph.”
“There's no story or anything to this game.”
“The lack of the story and the utter confusion just being dropped into the bunker that first time is very unsettling to a gamer who is used to having at least a little bit of a 'this is the universe' kind of opener.”
“If you're looking for some kind of long storyline, and tons of depth, this isn't it.”
- optimization233 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 47 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and frequent crashes, even on systems that meet or exceed the recommended specifications. Numerous reviews highlight a plethora of bugs and glitches, suggesting that the game is poorly optimized for both low and high-end hardware. While some players acknowledge that the game has potential and has seen improvements over time, the overall consensus is that significant optimization work is still needed to enhance the gaming experience.
“The game is well optimized!”
“Great game, great coop, addicting, runs smoothly, = amazing game worth your money.”
“The game has vastly improved on bug fixes, graphics, and optimization since it came out.”
“This game is poorly optimized; I pass the recommended system requirements but still get around 20 fps even on the lowest settings.”
“The optimization in this game is utterly terrible.”
“It's a shitfest of bugs and stuttering ranging from 5 to 30 fps; you can't even play it because it is so poorly optimized that when you move, you don't move normally—you teleport from one place to the other.”
- music144 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its epic orchestral tracks and immersive quality, while others find it repetitive and generic. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gaming experience, though some suggest it lacks diversity and can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the music is often described as fitting and enjoyable, it may not stand out as exceptional in comparison to more expensive titles.
“The music is also excellent, and I would love to learn some of the scores on the piano.”
“Also, I just want to say all the soundtracks are amazing in this game, especially the theme and Victory Road; amazing to listen to.”
“The graphics are simply amazing, the soundtrack immerses you in the whole experience, and it's the kind of game where you sit down to play, and the next thing you know it's 4 AM.”
“Soundtrack is mundane and fails to grab any positive attention.”
“Very annoying and repetitive soundtrack and bad optimization (especially if you play online).”
“The music is repetitive as hell but catchy, it'll be the only thing you might not like and will probably turn off or at least lower it, it's pretty much most of the sound.”
- replayability68 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its strong value and enjoyable multiplayer experience, often highlighting the variety of game modes and the fun of playing with friends. However, some users note that once the maps are completed, the excitement can diminish, leading to a perception of limited long-term replay value. Overall, while many find it highly replayable, especially for its low price, others feel it may become repetitive over time.
“It is great value ($1!), has strong replayability and the focused, balanced gameplay offers a truly fun and intense, dino-killing co-operative survival experience!”
“I've never gotten tired of playing a map and there is an insane amount of replayability with the different game modes, difficulty, and maps.”
“This game is massive, beautiful, and has a high replayability value, and the open world mode is just mind-blowing.”
“However, once you've completed the maps (which are not that hard), then the replayability ends.”
“The replay value is bad, as it gets boring killing dinosaurs and occasionally boss dinosaurs over and over.”
“These problems limit the replay value of the game, and it does become very possible to get bored of it.”
- monetization65 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players criticizing the prevalence of microtransactions for cosmetic items despite having already paid for the game. While some users note that these purchases do not affect gameplay and can be ignored, the overall sentiment suggests that the game feels like a cash grab, lacking meaningful content and relying heavily on in-game purchases. Players express disappointment that character customization is locked behind additional payments, which detracts from the overall experience.
“In-game purchases are only for cosmetic items; everything else is just getting credits mid-game.”
“The game's price point is average for a multiplayer-only game in my opinion, but Spiral has kept the in-game purchases limited to cosmetic items and their pricing isn't too hard on the wallet.”
“The microtransactions don't seem to interfere with the game and appear to just be cosmetic, but I still think they shouldn't be in the game at all.”
“It's pretty bad, unfinished and full of microtransactions (not pay to win, only cosmetic).”
“The biggest drawback to the game, though, has to be the fact that there are in-game purchases for real money.”
“This is by far one of the worst games I have had the horrible misfortune of playing; sure the devs seem to be making a vague attempt to make it playable, but with its dead servers and bad gameplay, along with a dash of microtransactions, this game is a slap in the face to the gaming community.”
- grinding50 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, with many achievements requiring extensive effort to complete. While some players find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the cooperative gameplay, others feel it becomes repetitive and boring over time. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy grinding, but may deter players looking for a more streamlined experience.
“The distances between objectives and the timings between waves of dinosaurs are quite fair but not tedious.”
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but it adds to the overall experience.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
“This game is cheap as fuck which I could forgive if the gameplay wasn't so unappealing and downright tedious as it is.”
“Many of the achievements are very grindy, and the others will require a friend or two to complete.”
“The tedious nature of the game may lead one to adopt an existentialist philosophy--but the memes are absolutely worth a change of ideology.”
- atmosphere37 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its realism and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent lighting effects and weather conditions that contribute to a visually stunning experience. While some players find the atmosphere lacking in depth or sophistication compared to other titles, many appreciate the unique and enjoyable ambiance, particularly during nighttime gameplay. Overall, the game's atmosphere is a significant draw, despite some criticisms regarding its minimalistic elements and occasional linear gameplay.
“The atmosphere on the maps feels realistic, you have a ton of XP to grind up something to keep you playing.”
“Couple this with excellent lighting effects through what seems to be a thicker atmosphere and the results can sometimes be spectacular!”
“The devs have taken a great deal of time into making the maps fair and the atmosphere immersive.”
“Similar to but lacks the sophistication and atmosphere of Killing Floor.”
“Good premise, could have been fun, but the priorities are all wrong - a very pretty frag-fest with no atmosphere and nothing to hold the game together except scoring points.”
“The dinos tend to path in a completely linear fashion towards the player which makes 'dino horde' feel more like 'dino queue' which really brings the atmosphere in the game to extinction.”
- emotional26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has garnered mixed reactions, with many players expressing deep feelings ranging from joy and nostalgia to sadness and frustration. While some reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke tears and laughter through its complex storytelling and immersive graphics, others criticize it for failing to create a strong emotional connection during initial gameplay. Overall, the game appears to resonate strongly with players on an emotional level, despite some technical shortcomings.
“A great graphic novel, honestly made me cry...”
“The complex and emotional story had me in awe.”
“This game is so good, I cried.”
- character development4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for its lack of originality and depth, with many elements, including character designs and animations, being described as bland and uninspired. Despite claims of significant improvements, players feel that the changes are minimal and fail to enhance the overall experience. The graphics and level design further contribute to a sense of mediocrity in character portrayal.
“Despite the 'massive overhaul' from Orion Horde to Prelude, there was not much change in the menu layout and character design.”
“The graphics are poor and the character designs for the player are bland, but at least the dinosaurs look good.”
“Level design, weapons, animation, and character design are all pretty 'meh'.”
