Over the last few years, Gameloft has become something of a master at mimicry. Their Order & Chaos Online, for example, brings a World of Warcraft inspired experience to the iPhone flawlessly – a feat most had thought impossible. Likewise, their Modern Combat series has brought a taste of Call of Duty style shooting to the App Store. Their catalogue reads like a who’s who of console quality games with clear inspirations. Now, however, the big G are turning their eyes to the world of Facebook-style gaming; and it’s a move that should leave Zynga shaking in their boots.
Over the last few years, Gameloft has become something of a master at mimicry. Their Order & Chaos Online, for example, brings a World of Warcraft inspired experience to the iPhone flawlessly – a feat most had thought impossible. Likewise, their Modern Combat series has brought a taste of Call of Duty style shooting to the App Store. Their catalogue reads like a who’s who of console quality games with clear inspirations. Now, however, the big G are turning their eyes to the world of Facebook-style gaming; and it’s a move that should leave Zynga shaking in their boots.
Following the “clone” nature of the games that have taken them this far, Gameloft has just revealed The Oregon Trail: American Settler – a pretty clear attempt to recreate the perennially popular FrontierVille on mobile devices. Unlike most cookie cutter releases that clutter the App Store, American Settler has something unique going for it – an already established gaming franchise, right there in the title. People have loved The Oregon Trail for 40 years (yes – the game actually predates personal computers!), and considering the nature of the story (people travelling across the country to settle in the west), it seems like the perfect license to attach to a FrontierVille clone.
We’ve had a chance to go hands on with The Oregon Trail: American Settler before its release, and while the homage to FrontierVille comes through loud and clear, the game also features a few elements that harken back to the original Oregon trip. For example, players will need to make decisions about major crises that happen to the town.
Gameloft are promising mini-games, historical figures, and more – all of which should help to differentiate it from its inspiration. Will it be enough? Find out for yourself (or stay tuned for our review!) when the game launches this Thursday, November 17th.
