Orcs Must Die!

Last updated
Orcs Must Die!
Orcs Must Die cover.png
Developer(s) Robot Entertainment
Publisher(s)
  • WW: Robot Entertainment
  • EU: Mastertronic (PC)
SeriesOrcs Must Die!
Engine Vision
Platform(s)
ReleaseXBLA
October 5, 2011 [1]
Windows / OnLive
Genre(s) Tower defense, action

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. [3] The game was released for Xbox Live Arcade and Windows PCs in October 2011. [4]

Contents

Gameplay

Placing defenses in the game Orcsmustdie.png
Placing defenses in the game

Orcs Must Die! is a variant of a tower defense game; the player as the War Mage must defend one or more Rifts on each level from an onslaught of orcs and other creatures that emerge from one or more entrances and traverse the level. Generally, each orc that reaches a Rift deducts a point from the starting Rift Score while specialized orcs may take off more points; if the Rift Score drops to zero, the level is lost and the player will have to start again.

The orc armies arrive in increasingly more difficult waves, with each level having between four and twelve waves. In general, waves will begin a few seconds after the player defeats the prior one, but roughly every three waves on all bar Nightmare difficulty, the player is given a break where they can set up traps and initiate the next wave when they are ready.

As the War Mage, the player has the ability to place numerous traps and arm themselves with weapons and equipment to defeat the orcs. The player selects a number of traps and equipment (up to ten) from their current Spellbook; once the player starts placing traps they will be bound to this selection. Traps can be placed on any appropriate surface, but each trap costs in-game currency to place, and traps will have variable costs based on their effectiveness. Traps typically work once and then have a reset period before they will activate again. Such traps include floor, wall, and ceiling traps, and several Guardians that will act on their own accord. The player is given an amount of money to spend on trap placement at the start, and earns more by defeating the orcs and after completing waves; money can also be dropped by certain monsters that must be collected by the player. Traps can be placed at any time, including in combat, and between waves, placed traps can be removed and refunded for their cost. Later, the player gains access to Weavers, who for various costs can boost certain effects on the player or traps placed in the manner of a technology tree; these effects only last for that level.

Once the player initiates a wave, they can run about the level to participate in combat or place additional traps. The player must watch their health and mana used for their weapons but orcs may drop health and mana potions that will replenish these; alternatively the player can heal while in proximity of the Rift. If the player should lose all their health or fall off the level, they will respawn back at the Rift but this will cost them a number of Rift Points.

After defeating the last wave, the player is awarded a number of skulls, up to 5 (or on Apprentice difficulty, limited to two), based on their score (reflecting how many Rift points remain) and the time needed to defeat all the waves. Skulls are used to buy improvements to traps and weapons in the player's spellbook, such as increasing damage, reducing cost, or making them more effective against the orcs. The player, after completing each level the first time, is also rewarded with a new trap type for their Spellbook they can use in subsequent levels. These improvements remain with the player, so that they may return to earlier levels with these improved traps to earn more skulls.

Plot

The story revolves around the Order, an elite faction of wizards and warriors who guard the Rifts, magical openings between the human world and the 'Dead World', which provide a source of magical power throughout both worlds. Using this power, the Order is able to maintain a perfect world for humanity by using magic to manipulate nature. In order to protect the human world, they have constructed magic-powered fortresses throughout the Dead World to guard the Rifts, particularly from the adversarial faction known as 'the Horde' - a brutish horde of creatures such as Orcs, Ogres and Gnolls which, despite being unintelligent, would otherwise pose a major threat to the human world due to their vast numbers.

After a surprise attack by the Horde, the player character, known only as the Hero (voiced by Robert McCollum), finds himself as the last living member of the Order, as the Horde appears to have suddenly obtained a surge in both strength and intelligence. Taking it upon himself to defend the human world, he defends the fortresses from the Horde one by one (much to the bewilderment of his teacher, who narrates the storyline). The Hero eventually learns that the Horde has been empowered by the Sorceress (voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard), a past student of the Order who, despite showing overwhelming potential to help defend humanity, instead chose to seek power for herself and used magic to seize control of the Horde.

As the Horde's attacks become more and more aggressive, the Hero eventually chooses to ensure the safety of the human world by stepping back through a Rift and closing them all forever by means of a simple spell. Although this means that the Horde can never reach the human world, it also means that humanity is no longer able to use magic to sustain itself, and the whole world, which has become dependent on magic, begins to deteriorate. In the Dead World, the Sorceress is rendered powerless as the Rifts can no longer provide her with magic, and she is left at the mercy of the Horde, who have been reduced to their original, savage state.

Development and release

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [5] [6]

Joystiq called the Xbox 360 version a "finely-tuned whirling chamber of death". [17] IGN praised the length of the campaign as well as the combat system. [16] It sold over 50,000 units on Xbox and substantially more on PC. [21]

During the 15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Orcs Must Die! with "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year", along with receiving a nomination for "Downloadable Game of the Year". [22]

Sequels

Orcs Must Die! 2 was released on July 30, 2012. [23] The sequel includes two-player co-op with the introduction of the Sorceress in a playable role. [24] Orcs Must Die! Unchained, the third game in the series, was released on April 18, 2017 for the Windows platform, while the PlayStation 4 version was released on July 18. [25] It was released under a free-to-play model.

Orcs Must Die! 3 was initially released on Stadia on July 14, 2020, [26] [27] and later for Windows, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Unlike previous games, which generally had a dungeon and tower defense design with limited pathways for enemies to attack from, Orcs Must Die! 3 features larger, open battlefields in a feature called "War Scenarios". [28]

The next game in the series, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, which features 4-player cooperative multiplayer and elements commonly found in roguelite games, is set to be released in early 2025. [29]

Related Research Articles

<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>Wik and the Fable of Souls</i> 2004 video game

Wik and the Fable of Souls, also known in the Xbox 360 version as Wik: The Fable of Souls, is a platform video game developed by Reflexive Entertainment. The main character, Wik uses a combination of jumping and his long, grapple-like tongue to navigate the world. Accompanying Wik on his journey is a mule-like creature named Slotham. On each level the player must capture a set number of grubs and deliver them to Slotham, but getting the grubs to Slotham becomes more and more challenging through each chapter. There are various bugs that try to steal the grubs or directly harm Wik, and on some levels Wik can fall off the platforms into the abyss. Each level includes three gems; a ruby, an emerald, and a diamond, finding all of these throughout the course of the game is required in order to achieve the best ending.

<i>Just Cause</i> (video game) 2006 action-adventure game

Just Cause is a 2006 third-person action-adventure game set in an open world environment. It is developed by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios and published by Eidos Interactive, and is the first game in the Just Cause series. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The area explored during the game is described as being over 1,024 km2 (395 sq mi) in size, with 21 story missions and over 300 side missions to complete. As of 23 April 2009, it has sold more than one million copies.

<i>Clive Barkers Jericho</i> 2007 video game

Clive Barker's Jericho is a horror first-person shooter video game developed by MercurySteam and Alchemic Productions and published by Codemasters. It is produced by Clive Barker. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007.

<i>Battlestations: Midway</i> 2007 video game

Battlestations: Midway is a video game developed by Eidos Hungary and released in 2007 for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The Mac version of this game was developed by Robosoft Technologies, based out of India and published in July 2008 by Feral Interactive.

<i>Darkest of Days</i> 2009 video game

Darkest of Days is a first-person shooter video game developed by 8monkey Labs and published by Phantom EFX. Originally released for the Xbox 360, it was also released for Microsoft Windows via Steam. On December 22, 2010, Virtual Programming published the Mac OS X version of the game. As of August 24, 2021, Darkest of Days is unavailable for purchase on Steam.

<i>Bionic Commando</i> (2009 video game) 2009 video game

Bionic Commando is a 2009 action-adventure video game, part of the Bionic Commando series. The game was developed by Swedish developer Grin and published by Capcom. The game is a sequel to the 1988 NES game Bionic Commando, with certain storyline elements taken from its 2008 remake Bionic Commando Rearmed. The game runs on Grin's Diesel engine.

<i>Dark Void</i> 2010 video game

Dark Void is a 2010 third-person shooter game developed by Airtight Games and published by Capcom. In the game, players must face an alien threat that humanity had previously banished. It was released for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in January 2010. It received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Arcania: Gothic 4</i> 2010 video game

Arcania is an action role-playing video game, spin-off of the Gothic series, developed by Spellbound Entertainment. It was published by JoWooD Entertainment in 2010.

<i>X-Blades</i> 2007 video game

X-Blades is an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The player assumes the role of Ayumi who wields two pistol-blades. The game was developed by Gaijin Entertainment and was published by SouthPeak Games and TopWare Interactive. It was later released for macOS and Linux on 20 January 2017. The game was originally released in November 2007 by 1C Company in the Russian language for Microsoft Windows, under the title Oniblade (Ониблэйд).

<i>G-Force</i> (video game) 2009 video game

G-Force is an action platform video game based on the film of the same name. It was released in July 2009 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, iOS and mobile phones.

<i>Star Trek DAC</i> 2009 video game

Star Trek D·A·C is a video game inspired by the 2009 Star Trek movie, developed by Naked Sky Entertainment in collaboration with Bad Robot. The title is derived from the game's three modes of play: Deathmatch, Assault, and Conquest. The game was released for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade on May 13, 2009, for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows in November 2009, and for Mac OS X on December 21, 2009.

<i>Hunted: The Demons Forge</i> 2011 video game

Hunted: The Demon's Forge is a 2011 action game set in a dark fantasy world. It was developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

<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>Shoot Many Robots</i> 2012 video game

Shoot Many Robots is a video game developed by Demiurge Studios and published by Ubisoft for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Microsoft Windows via Steam. Shoot Many Robots was released in March 2012 for XBLA and PSN, and a month later for Steam. The XBLA version received mixed reviews–a Metacritic score of 67–while other versions received too little attention to result in a meaningful rating.

<i>Section 8: Prejudice</i> 2011 video game

Section 8: Prejudice is a science fiction, first-person shooter video game developed by TimeGate Studios. It is the direct sequel to the 2009 game Section 8. Unlike its predecessor, Prejudice is a digital download-only title that contains more content than the previous game. It was released for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 3 between April and August 2011.

<i>Blades of Time</i> 2012 video game

Blades of Time is an action-adventure hack-and-slash video game developed by Gaijin Entertainment and published by Konami and Iceberg Interactive for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X. The game is a reboot/sequel to Gaijin Entertainment's past work, X-Blades. Blades of Time was released in North America on March 6, 2012, in Japan and Australia on March 8, 2012, and in Europe on March 16, 2012. The Windows and OS X versions were announced at a later date, originally for April 18, before the release date was pushed back to April 20, 2012. A Nintendo Switch version was released in Europe and North America on May 14, 2019. In the English version, the lead character is voiced by Miranda Raison.

<i>Orcs Must Die! 2</i> 2012 video game

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.

<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>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. 1 2 Leo, Jon (September 21, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! ambushes XBLA October 5". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Orcs Must Die". Robot Entertainment . Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  3. ↑ Scimeca, Dennis (March 13, 2011). "PAX East: Orcs Must Die Preview". GamePro . GamePro Media. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  4. ↑ Bennett, Colette (February 25, 2011). "Hands-on: Orcs Must Die!". Destructoid . Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Orcs Must Die! for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Orcs Must Die! for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ Tan, Maurice (October 5, 2011). "Review: Orcs Must Die! (X360)". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  8. ↑ Stanton, Rich (October 14, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  9. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (October 7, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! (X360): The Title Says It All". Game Informer . GameStop. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  10. ↑ Maiberg, Emanuel (October 5, 2011). "Review: Orcs Must Die (360)". GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  11. ↑ McGee, Maxwell (October 13, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! Review (PC)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  12. ↑ McGee, Maxwell (October 11, 2011). "Orcs Must Die Review (X360)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ Sharkey, Mike (October 14, 2011). "Review: Orcs Must Die (PC)". GameSpy . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Orcs Must Die! Review (X360)". GameTrailers . Defy Media. October 13, 2011. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  15. ↑ Splechta, Mike (October 3, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! Review (X360)". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Hatfield, Daemon (October 5, 2011). "Orcs Must Die Review". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  17. 1 2 McElroy, Griffin (October 5, 2011). "Orcs Must Die review: Building a better Orc trap (X360)". Engadget (Joystiq). Oath Inc. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Cameron (October 14, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! review". Official Xbox Magazine . Future US. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  19. ↑ Zacny, Rob (December 25, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! review". PC Gamer UK . Future plc. p. 77. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  20. ↑ Larck, Adam (October 5, 2011). "Orcs Must Die! (XBLA) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  21. ↑ Langley, Ryan (January 20, 2012). "Xbox Live Arcade by the numbers - the 2011 year in review". Gamasutra . UBM plc. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  22. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Orcs Must Die!". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  23. ↑ Hafer, T.J. (June 20, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 announced for July 30 release". PC Gamer UK. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  24. ↑ Haas, Pete (June 20, 2012). "Orcs Must Die 2 Release Date Confirmed". CinemaBlend. GatewayBlend Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  25. ↑ Barrett, Laura (June 28, 2017). "Orcs Must Die Unchained Invades PS4 on July 18". PlayStation Blog . Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Orcs Must Die! 3 - Official Announcement Trailer | Stadia Connect - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  27. ↑ Reeves, Ben. "Orcs Must Die 3 Releases Today For Google Stadia". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  28. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2020-07-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. ↑ Evans-Thirwell, Edwin (July 17, 2024). "Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap to continue killing Orcs in 2025 with new co-op thrills and roguelite progression". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved July 27, 2024.
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.