My Thoughts on Orion: Dino Horde

Let me start by making this perfectly clear. "Orion: Dino Horde" (O:DH) is not a new game. It is a new version of the "Orion: Dino Beatdown" game that was released in 2012. While there are several noteworthy additions and changes to the game in this new version, they don't in my view constitute a "new" game.

Of course, as a fan of the game, which took the #7 spot on my "Best Co-Op Games of 2012" list a few months back despite its technical problems, I'm happy to see a new version of it– regardless of what it's called.

For the sake of simplicity, I will only refer to the game by its new name moving forward.

The T-Rex will still wreck your face but the new Trike is no joke either.

So, what's new in O:DH? Quite a lot but not quite everything one might want.

In short, there are some new and tweaked weapons, an expanded "Augments" system that includes tiered, class-specific enhancements, a new vehicle, several new dinosaur types, some new and re-imagined levels, and a few new PvP game modes.

Personally, PvP isn't what I come to this game for but it's nice to have the option for it should I ever get the itch.

Sadly, the best co-operative mode from the original version(s) of the game (Conquest) is still absent as of this writing but the developer has assured me that it will be returning to the game via a free update in June. They've been a lot better about sticking to their release dates of late so I'm cautiously optimistic about Conquest mode's future.

An updated survival/objective mode does the heavy lifting where co-op gameplay is concerned in this new version and it's definitely good for a quick romp but I'm still looking forward to the return of Conquest.

Beyond the bullet points, O:DH is just a better version of the game. It runs better. It plays better. It looks and sounds better. It's simply better than it was (aside from the absence of Conquest mode of course). :)

For those of us who've been playing and enjoying the various versions of this game for the past year, O:DH is a welcome, free update. The game feels closer to living up to its potential than ever before and the developer has done a lot of good work on it. There's even been a post-name-change patch to iron out more bugs and add a few new features like force feedback support for controllers.

The new Penguin vehicle is great for getting two people around the map
quickly. It also runs smaller dinos over real good until heavily damaged.

For those of you considering picking up a copy, there are some things you should keep in mind:

It has taken a long time for its developer to get O:DH to its current state, which is still not what I would call "done." They have become a lot more receptive and responsive regarding feedback on the game in the past several months but their track record was pretty sub-par prior to that.

I also have to say that I think the $15 asking price is a bit high for what's currently in the game. It's not grossly out of line or anything and if they do manage to get Conquest mode and some additional free content into the game, I think it could be easily justified but it does feel a little overpriced as of right now.

Having said all that, I do still love this game. It's a scrappy little underdog with a great premise and some genuine charm in a world of cookie-cutter, big-budget shooters. As I said while playing with a friend, "It's the 'Smokey & the Bandit' of video games." You'll never mistake it for Shakespeare but it's a hell of a lot of fun.

Orion: Dino Horde (via Steam)