The Oregon Trail might be one of the most iconic games of all time in the United States, having been played by millions of middle and high school-aged students since it was first created in 1971. Considering the original title was developed 50 years ago, elements of the formula are bound to have aged poorly, which is something the latest release of this classic game attempts to address.
Apple's gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade, began the month with over 30 surprise additions to its library. One of the most notable inclusions was a new rendition of The Oregon Trail, developed by the studio Gameloft. This release updates the visuals, features multiple playable characters, and most importantly, actively works to improve its representation of Native American people.
The game opens with a disclaimer from the developer, stating its intent to properly show off Native American perspectives in this installment. For the first time in the series' history, Native American characters are playable, showcasing the stories and cultures of the people that lived in America before it was colonized - and that still exist to this day. This was done through collaboration with Native American scholars, who reportedly helped bring a more nuanced and respectful representation of indigenous groups to this historic release.
As the statement describes, historical westward expansion as depicted by The Oregon Trail wasn't a fun adventure for the Native Americans involved. It was a brutal colonization, and the ramifications of these events still affect society today. With this in mind, working to improve the representation of indigenous people in this historical touchstone of a game is an important move. The thousands of people who may play Gameloft's The Oregon Trail to learn about history will now be educated about these cultures that otherwise may have been erased.
The oppression of the Native American people is often ignored in media as a whole, with video games being no exception. A small handful of games have made efforts to include indigenous characters, such as Assassin's Creed 3 having a Native American protagonist, but overall representation tends to be either stereotypical or non-existent.
Adding indigenous representation to one of the most iconic games of all time, one which explores a pivotal part of American history, should be impactful and will hopefully lead to even more native representation in the future. Between this and other recent improvements such as Red Dead Online adding Native American customization options, one can hope for a brighter future when it comes to diversity in gaming.
The Oregon Trail is now available now on Apple Arcade.
Source: Apple