orcsmustdie.jpg

Orcs Must Die is a hilariously good-natured romp through a conglomeration of genres. There're some tower defense elements, a lot of action and a smattering of real-time strategy thrown in for good measure. The protoganist in Robot Entertainment's upcoming title is a bold but none-too-bright young War Mage. As the intrepid apprentice, our job is to ensure that the fortresses you've been tasked to defend remain free of orcish infestation. It doesn't look like it'd be an easy task, not with the seemingly endless stream of orcs; China would look like a ghost town next to the Mob.

While I was at PAX East 2011, I managed to wriggle in some play time with Robot Entertainment's upcoming Orcs Must Die. Comprised of ex-Ensemble Studio alumni, Orcs Must Die has a decidedly different flavor compared to their previous games. What surprised me was the fact that it was the few games in PAX East that had me laughing out loud during the convention.

Played from a third person perspective, Orcs Must Die feels a lot more like a hands-on, compacted version of a tower defense than anything else. The demo that was showcased at PAX East 2011 was a relatively straightforward one. Waves only begin when the players initiate them, taking away some of the frantic panic associated with some titles in the genre. Traps in the game can be purchased as and when neccessary depending on your playing style. I left floor spikes in front of the door as a welcome mat before outfitting the walls with panels that shot out arrows. Shortly before I let the orcs in, one of the exhibitors was kind enough to point out I could have launcher platforms as well, something that would work rather well given that there was a convenient pool of lava located on the ground floor. Having spent most of my initial gold, I started the wave.

To be fair, I could just be easily amused but there's something hysterically funny about watching as angry, armored orcs get catapulted into molten lava. Others fell victim to the spikes while the few I set on fire made a good show of flailing around in soot-covered, flaming circles. The gameplay isn't limited to the traps themselves, mind you. There is a lot of emphasis on actually getting into the heart of the action itself. Headshots are recorded, combos are tracked - the greater your efficiency at decimating the orcish horde, the greater the rewards you earn. As a War Mage, you'll have both physical weaponry and spells at your command, a relatively diverse arsenal that will most likely be expanded upon come release. One of the things that I liked best about Orcs Must Die, however, is probably the destructible enviroment. Shooting at this enormous, spike-encrusted log caused it to come free from its restraints and flatten about a dozen orcs on its way down.

Definitely my idea of fun.

It doesn't look like Orcs Must Die takes itself all too seriously, something that might not bode well for gamers looking for an in-depth plotline. However, for everyone else, this looks like a wonderful way of wasting a large amount of hours. I'm not really sure when exactly Orcs Must Die will be released but I'm expecting good things for the title. If nothing else, this is, at least, one game that will not be a console exclusive.

For more information, you can check out the official Robot Entertainment website here.