Aurora’s New Update Brings Fresh Look to Orb Runner
by cjmp, HSM team writer
nDreams has just updated the ever so popular Aurora space to help give fans more chance to level up.
First though, I would like to say hello! This is my first piece. Anyway, back to Aurora awesomeness.
When I visited Aurora, I honestly didn’t see a change besides the change in the color of the sky – which looks beautiful – and the ocean at the bottom is still there as well. Which is nice, as it really brings you that “island feel” as Aurora is considered a floating island.
The Penguni Brothers area is no longer there, leaving a non active portal which at the same time is interesting, as it could mean that the empty portal is left for something really cool coming up.
As I kept exploring the legendary Home space’s updated land, I checked the Story Teller to see if that great fishy had a new story to tell to gamers who are curious about Aurora’s story but yet again, nothing new.
All of the games are in tact as before, including Blimps, the fishing game and the transporters for Xi: Continuum and F.U.B.A.R. (Fight Until Blood and Ruin). The Gateway remains there as well for easy navigation. Other than those things, I didn’t see anything new exactly. What could this update POSSIBLY be? What’s new? I’ll tell you exactly what’s new and for all you die hard “nDreamers”, this should come as no surprise.
Orb Runner, the game that is the heart and soul of Aurora, has gotten a long awaited update and it looks gorgeous. First thing you notice when you load up Orb Runner is a menu screen which wasn’t there before – and it loads fast, which is always a nice touch. The options they give you are “Play” and “Upgrade” (a nice, British way of saying “Shop”).
There’s also a selection on the menu where you can choose between two boosters, or you can choose both. One of the boosters helps slow the time down so you can catch those fancy floating little orbs without worrying about yelling at your TV screen and telling your avatar to hurry up.
The other booster is called “Double Vision” which gives you the ability to see more orbs than ever before in a round of Orb Runner. This will definitely help you rack up the points in style, and it’s absolutely perfect if you have the goggles that give you access to the extra areas within the game. Although, since the time is going at regular pace, you will be getting so many orbs that it will feel like the time is nice and slowed for you.
So, that’s one of the new things you’ll notice with Orb Runner, now on to the nooks and crannies of the game.
Well, the game! The new look is incredible, almost every aspect of the game is fresh and new, including the orbs themselves! When you first go into the game, you’ll notice, the feel and look of it is different such as the colors, and the sounds. The new color look is amazing, they’re very beautiful and adds an extra vibe to it. Another thing that’s cool are the sounds. The new sounds are great, especially the little sounds, the sounds you hear when you catch certain orbs. It’s all fresh new audio – except for the music that plays when the game is over.
Each orb has color and vibe to their sounds. One thing that I learned a while back is that sound is almost everything in any type of game. As someone that is a host and producer of a radio show, I notice the importance of sound and it definitely helps in gaming and helps put the gamer into the experience. Without good music or sound, the color of the game drains and even the littlest sounds can make a difference. The sounds in Orb Runner are solid.
As for the visuals of the game – WOW! So colorful and just…visual!
The little flying orbs that you knew are no more and in their replacement are the symbols which represent Aurora, HOT AIR BALLOONS! That’s right, the orbs are now mini hot air balloons which can be seen with brighter, more vibrant colors, and won’t be hard to catch, as they aren’t moving as fast as the original orbs. There are no new orbs. However, they have a more advanced look.
Also, probably the biggest new feature to the Aurora is the addition of twenty new levels, which now makes the highest level in Aurora 120 and includes some new rewards as well, I’m at level 78 so I can’t give you any spoilers, sorry! What I’ve heard though is that there will be two locomotions and an active item for the personal space you get at level 100.
So be sure you check out nDreams’ new update and unlock the secrets that are within the new levels. They are waiting for you!
March 29th, 2013 by cjmp | 3 comments
cjmp is a former team writer for HomeStation Magazine. He has been in Home since the Open Beta was released back in 2008. And yes, he remembers the days where there were only 4 spaces and open mics in public spaces! He graduated college with a degree in Radio, Television and Online Media. He's a huge sports and gaming fan and hosts as well as produces a golf radio show on SportsTownChicago.com and has interviewed the likes of Scott Walker from Golf Channel and Michael Wilbon of ESPN. He's a proud citizen of Chicago,IL. Feel free to check out his website at gpgolfreport.com !
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Great debut article! It’s always great to see a new team writer on the front page of HomeStation. Welcome, cjmp!
Good article!I Enjoyed reading this cjmp.I’m loving everything about the Aurora update.Orb runner is one game that keeps me coming back for more.I hope Sky Fishing gets an update eventually,too.I’ve caught everything but would still like to fish.
Thanks guys! Glad you liked the article! Norse, thank you sir, you and Terra do a wonderful job with this website and I’m so glad to be a part of it! Also, all of the writers on here are terrific! And Jeff, I agree! OrbRunner is a real fun game and I also enjoy Sky Fishing as well so yes, hopefully we get a new update on it soon!