ORB

I really wish there were more levels to the game in terms of play time. It ends far too early. I would like a sequel. It's not too overly complex so you don't have to learn an entire universe before you can start really playing.

Something like Homeworld. Decent game for its time

A high quality tutorial, well-design 3D tatics mechanism, but graphic is quite old-fashioned, you can hardly buy a game with such completeness in nowadays.

ORB is an ancient game from 2002. It's a whopping 22 years old at the time of this review. The game lacks support for any modern gaming display resolutions (or widescreen monitors), hasn't been modernised or updated to run smoothly on modern gaming PCs. Despite this lack of modernisation, it carries a pretty high price tag for such an ancient game. This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try profit from abandonware.

The game itself had huge potential, being somewhat of a ripoff of Homeworld, but this is a seriously starved gaming genre. This might even be a decent candidate for a remake. But as it is, it's Homeworlds very poor cousin, and nowhere near as good to play. The Homeworld 1+2 remasters would be a better choice for gamers.

While you can set the game resolution, it only supports 4:3 aspect ratio, it's not really acceptable in this day and age and playing games pillarboxed is not something I could ever tell gamers they should do. It's enough to fail this for any positive recommendation. Also the UI and game assets are seriously dated. We sometimes take it for granted how nice UIs are on modern games. ORB will certainly act as a reminder.

The game never really caught on with the millions of gamers on Steam, with a very low peak player count close to launch, and then just a handful of players launching this game every couple of days. This is undoubtedly caused by factors such as those raised in this review. It's always helpful with buying decisions to consider how popular and successful the product is, and unfortunately while this did accumulate a few participation trophy reviews, overall, people just aren't using it.

So, should you buy this game? Is this one of the best of the 100,000+ games on Steam?

ORB is relatively expensive for an abandonware nostalgia gouge, at $4 USD, and it's not worth it. The game is just too old, hasn't been modernised. And as the old saying goes, you can't go home again. Even when it was new, this was never a triple-A game. This is the kind of game that went almost directly from the warehouse into the cheap bargain bins at the front of the shop. Now, on Steam, without any modernisation? This is impossible to recommend. This is also competing with over 11,000 free games available on Steam, many of them far better than this paid product.

It does not launch for me. I bought it too long ago for steam to give me a refund, so it is my fault for not testing it when I bought it, but wanted people to have a warning that it may not run on your current systems.

An epic struggle for control? No. An epic struggle with the controls. Counter-intuitive. Awkward. Is it worth the effort? If you like space sims or retro games, yes. If you are broke and want a cheap game? Hell yeah. For everyone else? No. I would say save your money but if you can't afford 99c you probably don't have the electricity to run your computer.

The first impression that ORB gives is that it's like Homeworld, but a little bit less polished in every way. But after playing for a while, you begin to appreciate just what it was that the developer was going for. The devs have crafted a different take on RTS, and while it's a bit rough around the edges, ORB is worth checking out for fans of sci-fi RTS and for people looking for something fresh in RTS.

Rather than just a list of pros and cons, I'll take a little tour through the more interesting elements of the game.

Sensors View
Just like in Homeworld, you can hit the space bar to access a zoomed-out view of the battlefield. Unlike Homeworld, ORB's sensors view is locked to a top down camera, with only zoom and pan camera controls available. This is pretty clearly a downgrade over Homeworld's interface ... until you begin to use the zoom capabilities in the normal camera mode.

The standard zoom feature linked to the mouse wheel lets you go from close in on a fighter to so zoomed out that you can see the entire battlefield, and all the units are dots. ORB doesn't need its sensors view, the standard camera view is just better, the ability to see the battlefield at any scale you need without needing to toggle between normal/sensors mode is obviously a superior approach. Once you experience it, you'll wonder why a 'sensors view' was necessary to include in 3D-RTS games at all. (The answer is historical: Homeworld 1 worked by segmenting the world into separate bubbles for render performance reasons, with a separate scene again for the sensors mode. Clearly this approach is no longer needed. I would be perfectly happy if Homeworld 3 were to drop the sensors mode.)

Unit Icons
Each of the unit types are easily distinguished up close, but at high zoom each unit is replaced by a simple coloured dot indicating its owner. The tab key toggles a unit icon overlay mode, which swaps the dot out for a simple icon for each type of unit. As an example, each of the four major families of fighter on each side get their own icon. At first glance, these icons are much busier and feel more difficult to read than the simple geometric shapes used in Homeworld 2's tactical overlay. But after playing with ORB for a time, I much prefer the more detailed icons and the greater information they provide at low zoom. In both games, you need to coordinate the production of units in one place, resource gathering in another, and groups of fighting units all over the battlefield, so you necessarily have to play much of the game zoomed out. Being able to tell at a glance whether that new contact is a group of light fighters or heavy bombers is extremely useful.

If anything, the icons could be more detailed. All of the Malus Interceptors get the same icon, but the standard superiority fighter Interceptor is a very different animal from the Interceptor T, a torpedo bomb equipped base/freighter killer (that is also a great superiority fighter!). In the same vein: the same icon is used for unarmed Carriers, and for the beastly powerful standard Carrier, which packs the firepower of a pair of destroyers.

Once again, ORB's approach only seems worse than Homeworld's at first glance. You learn to read its icons quickly, and now I will forever want the ability to tell what kind of fighter I'm dealing with in Homeworld when a bunch of triangle icons appear on sensors.

Movement, Time and Distance
The ability to see the entire map at once gives the impression that the map is small, but the distances on the map are vast. Units seem to crawl across the battlefield, it takes several minutes for even the fastest fighters to cover short distances on the map. A group of fighting units will encounter an enemy, find themselves outgunned, and you will then discover that any attempt to reinforce them will take *forever*, and your ships are probably toast. It's all so slow!

At first this design choice feels like a slap in the face, but the player learns the lesson quickly: every decision you make about unit movement needs to be made very carefully, because if those units encounter something they can't handle (or, if they're needed somewhere else and aren't nearby) then you will have to live with your poor decision. You learn to not send out many small squadrons but instead to move out mainly in force, you learn which units can successfully run from which others if need be, you learn to scout the likely approach paths to your bases before ordering its garrison away, and you learn to balance controlling areas of the map vs forming a strong combined force. The weight and consequences to every single move makes every single decision interesting. You will goof it up and get valuable units blown up while the rest of your fleet is somewhere else, and you'll learn.

Resource Gathering
The design choice to have long map distances and slow unit movement applies doubly to resource gathering. You build the titular Offworld Resource Base, a rather quick and tanky unit which travels to a resource asteroid and which then permanently transforms into a mining colony. Then it's up to freighter units to visit the colony, collect RUs, and return to your base. Freighters are also tanky, but agonisingly slow. Each carries 500 RUs, and the typical asteroid only starts with a few thousand RUs, meaning that every single resource load is precious. Resource asteroids are relatively few, there may only be six or eight on the map.

The result of all these choices is that the fate of every single resource base, every single freighter, is crucial. You will bite your nails as your fighters and their bombers race for your freighters. You will risk a large fleet move-out to destroy a resource base, even if it leaves you defenceless at home. You will count every single freighter coming in, and every single RU left to harvest in your mining bases, and plan out how every single RU will be spent. ORB is absolutely at its height when you and your opponent are both playing by these rules and playing from an evenly matched starting position. (The campaign features lots of enemies with asymmetric abilities and missions without base-building where you must shepherd a small fleet of units, these add some nice variety but aren't quite as strong.)

Later in the tech tree you gain ways to shorten the mining return trip: empty mining colonies can be upgraded into resource drop-off points, and the all-powerful carrier is a drop-off point, it can simply park itself next to a resource asteroid and cut the travel time to almost zero. Building a carrier to speed up resourcing is pretty much essential to unlocking the top tier of combat units, but that first carrier requires a lot of investment to get out the door, those RUs aren't going into combat units. Go for capital ships too early and your opponent may blow you out, go for them too late and their extremely powerful destroyers may simply eat all of your fighters.


I could go on, but Steam reviews have a character limit. The unit designs are a little boxy (but the cockpit glass reflects the stars). Scenarios often drag on way after you've won (the game has a useful time speedup function). Fighters are built one at a time, but automatically group themselves into squads when in a control group together (another feature Homeworld should obviously pick up!). The only viable counter to capital ships is other capital ships, fighters just get rinsed. Damaged fighters automatically dock, repair, and relaunch if a base/carrier is nearby. Ships often behave intelligently like this. But the AI's aggro behaviour is easily abused, you can lead their doom fleet on a merry chase all around the map. Some asteroids travel around the map in fixed orbits, meaning bases move around over time, but this adds no strategic depth. The campaign's writing is atrocious.

There are rough edges, but also brilliant features and decisions, ORB adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

game does not run my windows 10 amd a4-5000 laptop hd radeon 8330. loaded with many errors about entry point not found in atiumdag.dll. after clickinh passed errors game main screen had maybe 5 fps no changes with compatablity setting or window mode. revirfied game found three bad files but did not fix the problem asking for a refund. give it a try but it's probebly to old to run.

I played this game years ago and bought it now again. I was concered with technical problems mentionend here in a other comment but on my Win.10, I5 with 1050 I had no performance issues.
The game is a little like the old Battle Star Galactica movies and I can only recommed it to everyone who like this kind of real time strategy and is able to ignore the older graphic stile.

A great game with harsh RTS elements. Searching for mineable asteroids, ferrying resources back, and figuring out how to best manage resources across large maps makes for a very, very difficult game.

The maps are tiny compared to... well... space, but they give a lot of area to work with.

They also have space as 3-dimensional. I know, that sounds like such a little thing, but so many games don't allow you to go up or down, and ORB does. Have an enemy on the other side of the map whose base you want to raid without being detected? Fly as high or low as possible within your "sector" of space and maybe bypass them... or draw them in to your "high" flying decoy while your real force flies "low".

Learning how to move both attack craft and resource-gathering craft strategically especially with the long, slow distances involved gives it a solid space naval conflict feel. You set pieces in motion and watch things unfold, and it your decisions are right, you watch your plan come together... and if they're wrong, you get to watch your fleet get slaughtered while trying to come up with last-second tactical commands that might just maybe swing things back your way.

Most of the complaints seem due to backwards compatibility issues, and there are a few, but it also may depend on finding tweaks that let it still run. Multiplayer is still possible, but it can be a headache depending on your level of computer networking skills. Singleplayer is still fun either way.

The music is mellow new-agey space background stuff that works well and contributes to a subtle background sense of "space game awe", graphics are what they were for a game that came out years ago. I don't remember ever getting finished with the story, but it slowly works its way along with increasing mission difficulty.

As of this writing, Steam has it for $4.99, which is roughly the same price I paid for it out of a bin at a discount store in 2003 or 2004. Even at full price, it's less than coffee a lot of places.

This game is a mixed bag. It's a RTS in space. Two campaigns, two races. It's not a very long game, I finished it in less than 25 hours. Now, I enjoyed the graphics and the music. The 3D map is nice. Story wise... easy to follow, but not very engaging. To be honest, a little boring. The game itself is hard, even at the low levels. Resources are scarce and there's always a big ship that is a very tough match for your little ships. So you need your own big guns, but there's a very expensive research tree and you will likely die before getting your star ship.

So, I don't think the game is well balanced. On the other hand, there are several ships with different abilities and certain amount of strategy. But, then again, the units are not that different and the combat is just a little more than pointing your ships to the enemy and watching the outcome. Even when the game has all the classic RTS ingredients (Base building, gathering resources, producing units, researching) all kinda feels a little empty, like there's never a big difference between doing something or not.

Found no bugs or crashes. Works fine on win 7.

Funny thing, the feeling when you start a mission is very close to Starcraft, the first one, kinda like a homage or a somewhat rip-off, but all similitudes end there. At times the game is immersive and is pretty to look at, but mostly is repetitive and kinda frustrating. Is not that bad to hate it, but it is mediocre at best. I think my opinion is neutral, and if neutral, I'll give the thumbs up, but you know my opinion. Well, at least is usually cheap.

Strong homeworld influence. Interesting and varied fights. Entertaining and captivating story. And a nice study about perspectives. The Graphics are quite outdated, but the gameplay feels fresh and possessive. Definitive recommendation for this gem.

I REALLY don't want to write this, but It has to be said.

Don't buy it if you have modern hardware. The graphics engine is unfortunatley not compatable and it makes the game nearly unplayable. Even with compatability settings. Google has failed to find any fixes before I refunded it.

Which is a shame because this game seemed like homeworld (A game I absolutley adore), with some interesting twists (Like how they handle mining, research, crew management, and espionage).

I'm sure the game is good, just I don't know how to fix the compatibility issues. (No setting it to compatability mode of an older OS didn't help)

Having owned and played O.R.B's CD version since 2003, I know many aspects of the game like the back of my hand (Hey that's new)

The game is entering it's thirteenth year since it was officially released and still has a few nerds like meself still playing it, and not because of the Nostalgia bomb effect it has, but rather it's quirks which always make it a fresh play, such as it's simple acting but surprisingly complex AI which will actually evolve as the player plays the game, possibly the first to do so, (took four years from the new 1.04 patch I got to notice the AI copycating me so it's a slow learner) and it's own scenario editor which makes the game infinately more fun, able to script levels, events and new AI's into the game if you're savvy enough, and if not, the editor is forgiving.

The Graphics may be outdated, but the backdrop is a far cry better than other modern space games on steam (Kinetic Void, I'm looking at you) with beautiful nebulae which most modern games for some reason seem to leave as dull colors or worse... sprite files. With actual imagery taken from space, the nebulae really appears legitimately beautiful in an odd 32 bit way.

The story is a little meh but the levels are fun and challenging, though the final boss of the final level is a bit of an OH MY GOSH WHAT THE HELL IS THAT moment, being nothing less than a planet sized Space Squid. Despite this cliche, it is a fun fight.

And lastly are the easter eggs I've discovered over a decade, including missions and levels that were meant to be in the game and are now left behind as shadowy reminders the game only exists because they rushed production, with a full unit list and CSV sets for building hidden campaign levels that required specific things to happen for them to trigger.

All in all O-R-B is a fun little game for $5 and is pretty decent considering it's age. It might not be a Homeworld, but it's a bit cheaper and just as fun.

Ah, this game brings some nostalgia. Scanning asteroids, building bases on them, passive+active sensors, beautiful backgrounds, alien speeches - this game DOES have its own 'atmosphere'. Not to mention that it's one of few space real time strategies with full 3D navigating, base building and research. If you're into this kind of game genre don't let it pass by you. And almost forgot - in-game encyclopedia covers almost every aspect of the game including each race pre-history, ships and technologies.

Not too horrible for a Homeworld knockoff. Some to the good, some to the bad. Graphics were great for its day (old game, don't expect much by modern standards), ship physics were not very well refined. Asteroid-based play concept was interesting.

Too many missions emphasized stealth without making it really possible to sneak.

A decent play. Mediocre in its day, not horrible. Better with some user-performed tweaking. Recommended, yes, but not strongly. If you're seriously into sci-fi Homeworld-style games, you should play it. This one definitely does NOT transcend its genre, however. At all.

I love strategy games and space games. This game really fills the space where those two desires collide. Yes, this is an older game, but it is so very good. The current price of $5 is an absolute steal when other older re-released games might cost you $10 to $15 to pick up.

Be warned though! If this is your first time playing you will really need to play the tutorial and that will take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour depending on how much you really try to acclimate to the controls. You CAN skip it though if you prefer to learn on your own, but id advise against it.

The 3D movements are very cool but kind of remind me of a few of the convoluted 3D modeling software controls I've learned. You don't have to play in that mode though as I typically spend my time on the 2D tactical map, but the 3D view is cool to watch a battle or check out an incoming ship you might want to steal.

You dont actually control the ships though, just their behavior. (which you can customize too). The AI can be trusted in some of the trickier dogfights though I'd still keep on eye on them from the tactial map.

I could talk more about this game, but mainly I'd say JUST PLAY IT! Make time for the tutorial and get ready to spend some hours in-game!

I had a retail copy of this game many years ago. It did a lot of things right that never got adopted by other RTS's unfortunately. If you're looking for this game to be Homeworld, then just play Homeworld. Otherwise, play this and enjoy everything that it is.

I am quite shocked that this game actually came to exist on Steam, but I praise valve nontheless.

This game is absolutely amazing. It was my FIRST game ever.

I remember being about 6 or 7 years old, and my mother giving me this after she saw it offhand at a best buy one day.

O.R.B or Off-World Resource Base, is the best spaceflight strategy warfare game that I have EVER played.



The story behind this is just as gripping as the gameplay, you play as the Malus, and then after - as the Alyssians. Both races are "children" of a lost species that spanned an entire universe - moons upon planets upon systems upon galaxies, known as the Aldar.

All that is known of the Aldar is through a "bible" if you will known as the Torumin, which is posessed by both species.


The Aldar came to extinction due to an unknown species known only as The Great Betrayer.


After searching and discovering the remains of the Aldar, the great betrayer shows his face.

The Elathen, and their slaves, the Kyulek.

It is up to only you - to defend Alyssia and the Aldus system from the Elathen - destroyers of matter.

Can you find and harness the lost and ancient Aldar technology and use it to your advantage, or will all the great work of the ancient intergalactic Aldar be lost as floating, frozen relics in an endless wasteland of death.

This game is not forthright in its secrets...but each mission has a secret trigger event that will unlock a hidden mission later in the campaign, new unseen units, or reveal a hidden storyline.

This game was going to be much bigger than it turned out to be - there is enough content inside to fuel several spin-offs, but sadly, none of this occurred.


O.R.B is a game to which I have never been bored of, or have ever seen an end to the unique gameplay. And although I wish it had server support, the Singleplayer experience is absolutely tremendous, and the graphics are extremely appealing for a game made in 2002.

Good job, Strategy First!

I owned this game on disc before re-purchasing it on Steam. It can be finicky at times, but ORB's take on 3D space combat is still fresh, interesting, and addictive even after more than 10 years. The campaign ramps up fast, so be prepared to spend hours trying to figure out the best strategy to complete a mission. (if you're anything like me, that should entice you!). This is the kind of game you can lose a night in.

Let's face it, there have only been a handful of 3D tactical space games released ever. If you're at all interested in the genre, you need this underrated game. $5 is an absolute steal.

Great classic RTS. Yes it seems complicated upon first glance, and yes it is an older game, but once one understands how to play, hours disappear. The sheer vastness of the play area is amazing not to mention the variety and size of units available. The way one moves the camera through the game areas is very similar to Maya or the Sims 3, making rapid and precise movement fairly easy. Lots of fun, great time waster or engaging space RTS depending on the level of attention you want to put in. Been looking for this game for years and here it is. SWEET

The video isn't a proper trailer for this game!
This game was my first space RTS and it's still one of my favorites. For all of you who dug Homeworld and even the combat of the modern SIns of a Solar Empire, this game is a gem. It's the only space RTS I've played that gives you a sense of just how LARGE space can be in maps like this. Because of this you have to commit to strategies, and can't adjust on the fly. This game forces you to develop a near perfect set of tactics for every single map, no joke. It's frustrating, very difficult, and immensly rewarding. The control scheme of this game is difficult at first, but it works as you get the hang of how to zoom around the map. This is a truly beautiful game as well, even though the graphics are dated, this game is highly atmospheric and really awesome to get lost in. A truly hardcore RTS, it will punish you, and every time you will come back stronger, ready to take advantage of a weakness you saw on your way out.