Overview
Orion Conspiracy is a sci-fi point-and-click adventure game for PC. It is known best for its adult themes, violence and language. The player is Devlin McCormack, a retired veteran visiting the space station Cerberus to pay final respects to, and later investigate the murder of, his estranged son Danny. Shortly after discovering his son had a gay lover, that lover is also brutally murdered leaving Devlin as the main suspect. Devlin must track down his son's killer, and the one framing him, while also surviving a sudden invasion of the station by homicidal shape-shifting aliens.
Gameplay is very typical of the graphic adventures of the mid-90s: The protagonist is able to pick up items, operate objects like switches and buttons and talk to NPCs. When an item or character is clicked, the player is offered several context-based choices - the default being to look at the object and describe it, though it's possible to interact with certain items in different ways. Items can also be combined in the inventory.
The first half of the game mostly involves talking to characters and gathering information about the murder mystery as well as the station, the corporations it serves and its crew in general. The latter half involves a lot more puzzle sequences where the main character has to quickly escape or use an object to avoid being killed. It is mostly devoid of the "arcade" sequences that began to permeate the genre around that time, however.
Controversy
The game was, for its time, very controversial for the un-PC way it handled homosexuality, race and gender as well as its depictions of horrific violence and using very strong language throughout. Many reviews considered these factors gratuitous.
Cast
Devlin McCormack - Protagonist. Veteran of the "Company" Wars, a nebulously defined period of conflict between the major corporations that now rule Earth and colonized space. Haunted by an event during the war that made him distant to his family, including Danny.
Danny McCormack - Protagonist's son. Never seen in-game, just in the intro cutscene. Murdered during a routine inspection that was made to look like an accident. Estranged from his father.
Captain Shannon - The Captain of the Cerberus station, and of the Kobayashi personnel onboard.
Susan LaPaz - The Executive Officer, second in command. She's the one who welcomes Devlin onboard during the intro. Married to Lowe.
Jeff Lowe - Comms Officer on the Cerberus. Married to LaPaz.
Dr Chu - Medical Officer on the Cerberus. Uptight and professional.
Bernard - Chief Technician, leader of the scientists. Embittered because of a recent divorce and subsequent demotion. Danny's boss.
Rowland - Overweight, lazy and craven scientist.
Steve Kaufmann - Prim scientist. Danny's best friend.
Bina Raman - Dedicated scientist. Engaged to Jay Chandra.
Jay Chandra - The chef and bartender. Engaged to Bina Raman.
Gates - Newest scientist. Has hidden agenda.
Gina Brooks - Shuttle pilot. Sexually aggressive and highly competitive.
Meyer - Maintenance Officer. Ornery and unsociable. Like Devlin, is a war veteran.
Malachi Ward - Foul-mouthed, racist Chief Security Officer.
Waterman - Ward's lieutenant. Takes care of the dogs on the station.
Verges & Berry - Two dogs, kept as pets by crew.
Captain Clifford - Captain of the Mogami-Hudson employees, a rival company working on the same asteroid. Distrustful and paranoid.
Log in to comment