The Orville - 2D Rescue 1.0

The USS Orville in 2D pixels

The Orville - 2D Rescue is a free role-playing video game that lets you join the wacky crew of the USS Orville. Developed by Elyse Hargreaves, this 2D pixelated indie game is based on the 2017 sci-fi TV show of the same name, The Orville. In this game, you can create your very own character and have them be included in the story and the main cast of the show.

Train to become a captain

The Orville is a 2017 American science fiction comedy-drama television series that first aired on Fox. It was mainly inspired by sci-fi shows such as Star Trek and its sequels and parodies the space drama genre with both lighthearted and serious episodes. The story follows the hilarious misadventures of Captain Ed Mercer and the crew of the starship USS Orville, who must explore around the galaxy as part of their mission.

In The Orville - 2D Rescue, you play as an original character you can customize—from basic appearance to the color of your uniform. You’ll be in pixelated form, however, so you won’t get a character portrait like the main cast. Soon after you board the ship, a crisis emerges and you have to help around by going around relaying messages and retrieving items. The gameplay can be a bit bland, especially since you’ll be constantly walking around.

The controls are easy to grasp since there are instructions on what keys to press every time something new pops up. Plus, a bar at the bottom of the screen shows your current objective and where to complete it. The graphics are easy on the eyes and even mimic much of the ship’s layout. However, the simplistic pixel makes it look too childish—and it doesn’t help that the gameplay and curt dialogues emphasize it even more.

Waiting for a continuation

All in all, The Orville - 2D Rescue is a nice fangame for anyone looking for games inspired by the TV series. However, it doesn’t do the show much justice, especially in terms of the story. Not only is it short, but the plot for Episode 1 isn’t even fully resolved. This makes it unfulfilling since much of the gameplay was just slogging through hallways and decks just to be able to move the story forward.