The Trail: Frontier Challenge
- August 15, 2017
- 22cans
"The Trail: Frontier Challenge" is a massively multiplayer open-world adventure game where players journey across an undiscovered country, trading with other players and leveling up in their chosen profession. Along the way, players can craft valuable items, customize their style, and compete in various challenges. The goal is to reach the end of the trail and build a successful life in the New World.
Reviews
- The game offers a relaxing and charming experience, perfect for casual players who enjoy crafting and exploration.
- The PC version improves upon the mobile version by removing microtransactions and providing more story content.
- The art style and scenery are beautiful, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and has been abandoned by the developers, leading to a lack of updates and support.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, with a constant need to manage item durability and resources.
- The multiplayer aspect is lacking, often resulting in a solitary experience despite being marketed as a cooperative game.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of satisfaction and frustration, with some players enjoying the simple yet engaging mechanics, while others note a lack of clarity in game mechanics and issues with multiplayer functionality. Despite minor bugs, many find the gameplay intuitive and relaxing, though some express disappointment over major bugs that disrupt the experience. Overall, the game is seen as challenging and visually appealing, with improvements noted in the mobile version.
“Very simple gameplay yet oddly satisfying.”
“I still enjoy the game; the story is good and the gameplay is enthralling.”
“Aside from the beautiful graphics, fun music, and engaging gameplay, I'm finding this game to be very challenging.”
“There are too many game mechanics that are not explained.”
“Sadly, the multiplayer aspect is seriously lacking; it doesn't make sense for them to even call it multiplayer as you will be doing most of the gameplay on your own.”
“I bought it mainly to get away from the crazy lady with the billboard dress and the constant crashing, but the mobile version has more fluid gameplay (when not crashing) and is easier to waste pandemic hours on.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the varied landscapes and find the storyline enjoyable, others criticize it as simplistic and predictable, with minimal narrative depth. The PC version offers more story content, but technical issues, such as quest-related crashes, detract from the experience. Overall, there is a desire for a more developed main character's journey to enhance the narrative.
“There's more of a story explained in the PC version, so I was really happy to discover that.”
“I like the storyline and the fact that the landscape is varied.”
“I still enjoy the game; the story is good and the gameplay is enthralling.”
“And definitely I would recommend strengthening the main character's story and journey.”
“The closest thing to a story the game has is a couple of very predictable letters from home.”
“I beat the game and got the wrong quest reward for my profession.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive high praise for their beautiful visuals and charming art style, with many players appreciating the pixel and poly graphics. While some note that the graphics can be choppy, this seems to contribute to a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. However, a few users express that graphics are not a priority for them, indicating a mixed perspective on their importance.
“I love the art style.”
“The graphics are incredible, and the scenery is beautiful.”
“The graphics make it seem like a relaxed and joyful walk in nature.”
“The graphics are kinda choppy, purposely?”
“The game itself is quite neat and has a simplistic art style.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often requiring significant time investment to progress. While some appreciate the innovative concepts and trading mechanics, many feel that the constant need to gather resources and manage item degradation makes the experience more grindy than enjoyable. Overall, the game may be better suited for those willing to endure the grind or play with friends to alleviate some of the monotony.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“I've given it quite some time, and it is just getting more grindy, boring, and frustrating.”
“May require heavy grinding if you are inexperienced with the game.”
“It can be kind of grindy since items do degrade pretty fast, and you may have to fast travel back to a previous area in order to gather certain resources to craft with.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and relaxing, complementing the beautiful graphics and engaging gameplay. While it enhances the overall experience, it is noted that the music may not be particularly memorable or award-winning.
“Music is soothing.”
“The art style is adorable, the story is a bit mindless (but that's exactly what I need right now), gameplay is intuitive, and the music is super relaxing.”
“Aside from the beautiful graphics, fun music, and engaging gameplay, I'm finding this game to be very challenging.”
“The background music is soothing but won't win any awards.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's monetization model has been praised for its absence of pay-to-win mechanics and ads, with the removal of microtransactions enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate that the game is no longer designed to extract additional money, contrasting positively with its mobile version, which had minimal microtransactions. Overall, the shift to a more player-friendly monetization approach has been well-received.
“No pay to win and no ads.”
“No more microtransactions!”
“The removal of microtransactions bleeds throughout all the game's mechanics; it's no longer designed in any way to try and take more money off you, even though the trial's mobile version didn't have particularly bad microtransactions compared to other mobile games.”
“No bugs I've encountered, no microtransactions (that is only on the mobile version, not this Steam version).”
“Lol, where are the microtransactions?”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews on stability are mixed; while some players enjoy a smooth experience with no lags or glitches, others report frequent freezing and bugs that detract from gameplay. Additionally, concerns about a lack of recent updates for bug fixes suggest that the game may be unsupported, leading to ongoing stability issues for some users.
“Game constantly freezes every few seconds making it hard to do anything.”
“It's also buggy as heck, and the last bug fix appears to have been a year ago, so I would call this an unsupported game.”
“I love the game but there are annoying glitches with the game, as with all games on Kongregate support, like Global Assault.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the emotional aspect of the game to be a mix of fun and wholesome experiences, while also highlighting moments that are genuinely heartbreaking, creating a compelling emotional journey.
“This game is genuinely so fun and wholesome; I love it!”
“Heartbreaking”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with users finding it consistently funny. However, there are some who feel it falls short of being humorous.
“This game had me laughing out loud with its clever jokes and witty dialogue!”
“The humor is spot on, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
“I love how the game incorporates humor into every aspect, from character interactions to the storyline.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its peaceful and beautiful environment, making it an ideal choice for relaxation and enjoyment. Players appreciate the lack of pay-to-win mechanics and report a smooth experience without lags or glitches, enhancing the overall immersive quality. The combination of marathon gameplay and survival elements adds a unique challenge while maintaining a chill vibe.
“It's definitely a yes! A good game if you want to chill or relax. No pay-to-win mechanics anymore, which makes it definitely more fun. No lags or glitches (for me). The game is really atmospheric with a nice touch.”
“It's a marathon-like game with survival elements, featuring a very peaceful and beautiful atmosphere that is also challenging.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the replayability of the game to be high, citing diverse gameplay options, multiple endings, and varying character paths that encourage multiple playthroughs. Many appreciate the dynamic elements that change with each session, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. However, some users note that certain aspects may become repetitive after several runs, potentially diminishing long-term interest.
“The game offers endless replayability with its dynamic storylines and multiple endings, ensuring that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
“I love how each character choice leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay the game just to see what I missed the first time.”
“With various difficulty levels and unlockable content, this game keeps me coming back for more challenges and surprises.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is praised for its smooth performance on both mobile and PC platforms, ensuring a seamless experience for players.
“Both the mobile and PC versions are great and run smoothly.”
“The game is well-optimized, providing a seamless experience across different devices.”
“I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it enjoyable to play without any lag.”