Orcs Must Die! 2

Last updated

Orcs Must Die! 2
Orcs Must Die! 2 logo.png
Orcs Must Die! 2 logo
Developer(s) Robot Entertainment
Publisher(s) Robot Entertainment
Series Orcs Must Die!
Engine Vision
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
ReleaseJuly 30, 2012
Genre(s) Tower defense, action
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Orcs Must Die! 2 is a trap based action-tower defense video game developed by Robot Entertainment as the follow-up to the original Orcs Must Die! , with Microsoft Game Studios publishing the sequel for Microsoft Windows on July 30, 2012 in the United States. The game has emphasis on co-operative gameplay as the principal addition over the original. [1]

Contents

Gameplay

Like its predecessor, Orcs Must Die! 2 is a variation on a tower defense game. As either the War Mage or Sorceress in the campaign mode, the player must attempt to defend one or more Rifts (up to 3) from an onslaught of orc armies that emerge from one or more doors in a given level. The orc armies arrive in waves, between which the player is given time to recover and place additional traps; except for Nightmare difficulty, roughly every three waves includes a longer respite that lets the player determine when to release the next wave.

To defeat the orcs, the player selects a number of traps, spells, and equipment from their Spellbook (up to ten in single player modes). Placing traps can be done at any time, but costs a certain amount of in-game currency to do so; this money is either given at the start of the level and as bonuses between level, for killing orcs, or as coins that can be picked up by the player. Traps can also be sold back but only during breaks between waves. Traps include those that are placed on ground, wall, or ceiling, which typically activate once and then require a short reset period before they are ready again; traps can also include Guardians, creatures that will act on their own like archers or knights, who can be injured and knocked down by the orcs until either the major respite between waves or by the player with special equipment. The player can also fight directly using weapons from their Spellbook, including magical abilities that consume mana. The player must watch their health; if they lose their health or fall off a level, they will respawn immediately but lose a number of Rift points. Players can heal by being near a Rift, collecting health or mana potions dropped by defeated orcs, or using special equipment.

Every orc that makes it through the player's traps to a Rift will cost a number of Rift points. If the Rift points drop to zero, the level is considered lost and the player will have to start again. Otherwise, if the player successfully completes the level, they are awarded a number of skulls; up to five skulls are earned based on the number of Rift points remaining and the how long it took to complete the level, and additional skulls can be gained based on score or collected from fallen orcs. The first five skulls can only be earned once on any level, while the bonus skulls are earned every time the level is played. Skulls are used to improve traps and equipment that will permanently remain with that player, allowing players to return to earlier levels with improved traps and equipment as to improve their score. Within the sequel, each trap and equipment can now be boosted up by three levels and include one or more optional improvements, such as causing additional status effects on affected orcs when activated, but only one of these improvements can be activate at any time for that trap or equipment. Players are also rewarded with a new trap or equipment the first time they complete a level.

The game includes a cooperative mode, where one player plays as the War Mage and the other as the Sorceress; within the campaign, the two characters gain traps and equipment in different order as rewards for completing levels, but players can purchase new traps with skulls as well. In this mode, each player can be only 5 trap spells or equipment in addition to their main weapon. Within the game, players can interact with certain traps placed by the other player - such as triggering a ceiling rock fall - but otherwise cannot sell the other player's traps. Equipment can have benefits that apply to both players, such as an artifact that passively improves the speed of trap resets.

In addition to campaign mode, the game includes an "Endless" mode for both single and cooperative mode, where the players must hold off forty waves of orcs from all the various types in the game. The game offers weekly challenges, typically restricting the players to one or two types of traps and equipment. Additional downloadable content provides new levels, traps, equipment and monster types. The players also gain the ability to buy new costumes for their characters.

Plot

The game takes place some time after the events of Orcs Must Die! . The Sorceress is hiding from The Mob when mysteriously, a Rift opens next to her. She steps through, and finds herself in the Dwarven Mines, right in front of The War Mage, who now works at the mines. She enlists his help in fighting off the Orcs. The two discover that more and more rifts are opening in different locations. They decide to enter the rift and return to the Dead World.

It is revealed that the War Mage's master had not died; he was still alive, and had opened a small, weak rift to allow the Sorceress to escape and battle the Mob together. After the War Mage and the Sorceress begin to communicate with their master, he explains that he started to open the Rifts again because the world beyond the Rifts could not cope without the magic the Rifts provided.

After the two have defended the last Rift, the magic fully returned to the world. The War Mage's master disappeared and the War Mage states that he and the Sorceress will 'always be out there on the Fortress walls, guarding the Rifts and protecting the world, because they (the Orc Mob) will always be out there'.

Reception

Orcs Must Die! 2 received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [2] [16] [17]

The Digital Fix gave a score nine out of ten, praising the gameplay, graphics and the addition of co-op play. [18] The Escapist also gave it four-and-a-half stars out of five and called it a fun and quirky title. [14] Metro UK gave the game a score of eight out of ten, giving praise to the gameplay and co-op mode, but criticized its random difficulty level and lack of visual upgrades. [15]

During the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Orcs Must Die! 2 for "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year". [19]

Sequels

A third installment of the franchise called Orcs Must Die! Unchained was released in 2017 for Windows and PlayStation 4. The game is a multiplayer-only free-to-play game, able to support up to 5v5 battles between two factions (The Order and The Unchained).

A direct sequel to Orcs Must Die! 2, Orcs Must Die! 3 , was released initially for Stadia on July 14, 2020. It was later released on other platforms in 2021 for Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 4, and for PlayStation 5 in 2022.

Related Research Articles

<i>Gothic</i> (video game) 2001 video game

Gothic is a 2001 action role-playing video game developed by Piranha Bytes for Microsoft Windows. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 15 March 2001 in Germany, on 30 October 2001 in Europe, on 23 November 2001 in North America and on 28 March 2002 in Poland. A Nintendo Switch port, titled Gothic Classic, was released worldwide on September 28, 2023.

<i>Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal</i> 1996 video game

Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal is an expansion pack for the real-time strategy video game Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. It was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and Cyberlore Studios, and published by Blizzard in North America and Europe in 1996. It requires the full version of the original game to run and adds new story campaigns and multiplayer maps. The expansion was later released alongside Tides of Darkness for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1997 as Warcraft II: The Dark Saga, and was included in the Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition for Windows PC and Macintosh in 1999.

<i>Champions of Norrath</i> 2004 video game

Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest is an action role-playing video game for the PlayStation 2, set in the EverQuest universe. The game is playable with one single player or cooperative for up to four players, but with a Network Adapter, players can take the game online with others and kill others or join to form groups of adventurers. It uses a re-worked and expanded Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game engine. A sequel called Champions: Return to Arms was released in February 2005.

<i>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</i> (video game) 2003 Video game

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 hack and slash action game developed by EA Redwood Shores for the PlayStation 2 and Windows. It was ported to the GameCube and Xbox by Hypnos Entertainment, to the Game Boy Advance by Griptonite Games, to mobile by ImaginEngine, and to Mac OS X by Beenox. The game was published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the 2002 game The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

<i>SpellForce: The Order of Dawn</i> 2003 video game

SpellForce: The Order of Dawn is a 2003 real-time strategy and role-playing video game, developed by Phenomic Game Development and published by Encore, Inc for Microsoft Windows. First released in Europe on November 11, 2003, the game takes place within a high-fantasy world in the years following a devastating cataclysmic event, with the game's main campaign focusing on the plight of an immortal warrior who seeks to investigate growing troubles amongst some of the islands that have formed.

<i>Orcs & Elves</i> 2006 video game

Orcs & Elves is an adventure role-playing video game for the mobile phone and Nintendo DS. It was developed by id Software and Fountainhead Entertainment and published by EA Mobile and licensed by Nintendo for the DS version. It was released for mobile phones in May 2006 before being ported to the Nintendo DS in November 2007. The game is based on Doom RPG's engine and is id's first original intellectual property since Quake. The DS port of the game included graphical enhancements, such as 3D environments and camera cutscenes, along with improved character sprites, two new levels and the use of the touchscreen feature.

<i>Rift</i> (video game) 2011 video game

Rift is a fantasy free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Trion Worlds. Rift takes place within the fantasy world of Telara. Two competing factions, composed of a selection of races and classes, battle each other and the enemies who emerge from dynamic "rifts". The game was released in March 2011. A port of the game, called Rift Mobile, was released for Android on January 25, 2012.

<i>Two Worlds II</i> 2010 video game

Two Worlds II is an action role-playing game developed by Polish developer Reality Pump and published by TopWare Interactive as a sequel to 2007's Two Worlds. It was released on 9 November 2010 in Europe for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and on 25 January 2011 in North America for the same platforms. Two Worlds II is a real-time role-playing game that takes place in an open fantasy world where players take the role of a single character with whom they can explore and undertake quests.

<i>The Lord of the Rings: War in the North</i> 2011 action role-playing video game

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a 2011 action role-playing hack and slash video game developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. An OS X port was developed and published by Feral Interactive in 2013. It is the first video game based on both J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation released in 2001, 2002 and 2003. This is because, until 2009, Vivendi Universal Games, in partnership with Tolkien Enterprises, held the rights to make games based on Tolkien's literary works, whilst Electronic Arts held the rights to make games based on the New Line Cinema films. In 2009, WB Games acquired the rights for both intellectual properties.

<i>Magicka</i> 2011 video game

Magicka is an action-adventure game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios. It was released via Steam for Microsoft Windows on January 25, 2011.

<i>Dungeon Defenders</i> 2010 video game

Dungeon Defenders is a hybrid multiplayer video game developed by Trendy Entertainment that combines the genres of tower defense and action role-playing game. It is based on a showcase of Unreal Engine 3 named Dungeon Defense. The game takes place in a fantasy setting where players control the young apprentices of wizards and warriors and defend against hordes of monsters. A sequel titled Dungeon Defenders II was released in 2015.

<i>Orcs Must Die!</i> 2011 video game

Orcs Must Die! is an action-tower defense video game developed and published by Robot Entertainment and Mastertronic. It is a tower defense game that eschews the traditional top-down view of similar games, instead using a third-person action-oriented viewpoint. The game was released for Xbox Live Arcade and Windows PCs in October 2011.

<i>Cobalt</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Cobalt is an action side-scrolling video game developed by Oxeye Game Studio and published by Mojang Studios. It was released on 2 February 2016 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and the Xbox One consoles.

<i>Ben 10: Omniverse</i> (video game) 2012 video game

Ben 10: Omniverse is an action video game based on the American animated series of the same name. The game was published by D3 Publisher in North America and Namco Bandai Games in Europe and Australia. It was released in November 2012 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U.

<i>Crypt of the NecroDancer</i> 2015 video game

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike rhythm game by Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.

<i>Orcs Must Die! Unchained</i> 2017 video game

Orcs Must Die! Unchained is the third installment in the Orcs Must Die! franchise from Robot Entertainment, available for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. Unchained was initially released as a beta version in 2014, and later in its release form in 2017 for the Windows platform on April 19, and for PlayStation 4 on July 18.

<i>Middle-earth: Shadow of War</i> 2017 action-adventure video game

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a 2017 action-adventure video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Shadow of War is the sequel to 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, both of which are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The game is set in between the events of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies, from which the game also takes inspiration. The player continues the story of Talion, the Gondorian Ranger who bonded with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, as they forge a new Ring of Power to amass an army to fight against Sauron. The game builds upon the "nemesis system" introduced in Shadow of Mordor, allowing Talion to gain followers from several races of Middle-earth and command them in warfare.

<i>Deathtrap</i> (video game) 2015 video game

Deathtrap is a tower defense/action RPG video game released in 2015 by NeocoreGames for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It shares the gothic fiction setting with NeocoreGames' The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing and features a lone protagonist who is sent to a border world in an alternate dimension ("Ink") to defend a series of ancient strongholds against a horde of monsters invading from the depths of that dimension and trying to break through to the physical world.

<i>SpellForce 3</i> 2017 video game

SpellForce 3 is a 2017 video game developed by Grimlore Games and published by THQ Nordic. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 7 December 2017. SpellForce 3 is the third full and the ninth overall release in the SpellForce video game series. It is the first entry in the series since 2014's SpellForce 2: Demons of the Past. The plot serves as a prequel to the first game, depicting events that lead to the creation of The Circle, the group of mages whose actions were the basis for The Order of Dawn.

<i>Orcs Must Die! 3</i> 2020 video game

Orcs Must Die! 3 is an action-tower defense video game developed and published by Robot Entertainment. It is the fourth installment in the Orcs Must Die! series, and the direct sequel to Orcs Must Die! 2. It was released as a timed exclusive on Stadia on July 14, 2020, and for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on July 23, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Sliwinski, Alexander (April 2, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 announced with co-op, playable at PAX East". Engadget (Joystiq). Oath Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Orcs Must Die! 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  3. ↑ Pinsof, Allistair (July 27, 2012). "Review: Orcs Must Die! 2". Destructoid . Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  4. ↑ Edge staff (October 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 review". Edge . No. 245. Future plc. p. 106. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  5. ↑ Whitehead, Dan (July 27, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 Review". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  6. ↑ Biessener, Adam (July 30, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2: A Sequel To Die For". Game Informer . GameStop. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  7. ↑ Meunier, Nathan (August 3, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  8. ↑ Stapleton, Dan (July 28, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 Review". GameSpy . Ziff Davis . Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Orcs Must Die! 2 - Review". GameTrailers . Viacom. August 1, 2012. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Leif (July 27, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 Review". IGN . Ziff Davis. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  11. ↑ Hughes, Matt (July 31, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 review: Co-op and then some". Engadget (Joystiq). Oath Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  12. ↑ Francis, Tom (July 30, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 review". PC Gamer UK . Future plc. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Review: Orcs Must Die! 2". PC PowerPlay . No. 206. Next Media Pty Ltd. September 2012. p. 58.
  14. 1 2 Clouse, Justin (August 2, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 Review". The Escapist . Defy Media . Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  15. 1 2 Hargreaves, Roger (July 30, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 review – Tolkien massacre". Metro UK . DMG Media . Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  16. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (July 25, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 preview: co-op, weapon and trap customization, and Orcs. Lots and lots of Orcs". Penny Arcade . Archived from the original on July 27, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  17. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (July 30, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 suffers in some single-player levels, but co-op players may have their GOTY". Penny Arcade. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  18. ↑ Stephenson, Tom (August 16, 2012). "Orcs Must Die! 2 Review". The Digital Fix. Poisonous Monkey. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  19. ↑ "2013 Awards Category Details Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.