Tower defense is a genre that had an odd evolution. Similar to the MOBA, it began in RTS games as custom maps but because of its popularity grew into much more. Orcs Must Die! is a glowing example that tower defense has every right to be its own genre and not just a mode thrown in to an otherwise good game.
After your master is killed due to an unfortunate accident, you leave the title of apprentice behind you and become a full-fledged War Mage, but apparently the one that nobody wanted. This tone is conveyed throughout the game in the sparse narrations between levels. “If only it had been any other apprentice,” the old master dictates posthumously. It seems like an odd setup, but it works, with your character mostly filling that role with a very “dude-bro” attitude behind him. The only reason it feels out of place is a result of the sheer number of orcs you ceaselessly eradicate. Especially in the early levels, taking out the orcs is pretty easy, making it all the more satisfying. But it makes you wonder, “Why are all the other War Mages having so much trouble? This orc killing thing seems pretty straightforward.”
The orc slaughtering process is done through preparing traps throughout the level presented to you. Your assortment of traps will start off slim: you only have a crossbow, a sword, a spike trap and a tar (slowing) trap. Depending on the type of trap, they can either be placed on the floor, wall, or ceiling. You’ll begin only equipped with floor traps, but as time goes on and the need for more intricate setups increases, you’ll gain access to a veritable grab bag of death-inducing mechanisms. As you place traps, you’ll have the ability to also turn them, a very important step depending on the type of trap you’re dealing with. This process is clunky at first, as it feels like you have little control over the inevitable orientation of the trap. Over time though, the habits of the placement system sink in and it becomes much more streamlined. Fortunately, you’re usually not pressed for time for trap placing. Before the orc horde breaks through the barricades, you’ll have as much time as you need to place your traps just where you want them.
Although generally the process of laying traps and letting those traps spring automatically is straightforward, Robot Entertainment has gone to great lengths to make sure that there’s serious depth to the gameplay. There’s everything from trap combos to kill streaks in Orcs Must Die!, so regardless if you’re the do-it-yourself type, or like to watch your planning in action, you’ll be amply rewarded. I found laying traps to be most effective and pleasurable; there was always a deep satisfaction in watching an orc as it was flung into a pit of lava or pushed into a spike trap then pummeled (3x combo!).
You’ll also get a couple of items that you can use in battle such as a fire ring or a wind amulet that help you battle the orcs directly. The weapons are extremely potent in combat but are hindered by high mana costs that make them hard to use in succession. They often seem like “for fun” throw-ins rather than real additions to the trap roster.
While there are a healthy amount of traps, you’ll be limited by how many you can bring to a single stage at any one time, the maximum being nine. I always felt that this caused levels to stagnate. It was clear that there were certain strategies appropriate for certain levels that required forethought in the choice of traps, but at the same time I thought, “Using all the traps would be even more fun!” Part of the problem is that there isn’t a particularly good control scheme backing up the tower selection. The bumpers scroll through the available traps, but if you bring the maximum amount into a level, by the time you select the trap you want, it may already be too late, especially in the more frantic levels.
Those small nitpickings aside, Orcs Must Die! is a treat throughout. Laying traps is a simple mechanic with enough depth to justify three difficulty levels. Even after passing most of Normal Mode fairly easily, Nightmare Mode was way beyond what I was prepared for. It was clear that the game had been carefully crafted, begging for someone to master its intricacies. If you’re already a fan of the genre, this is a must grab, and if you’re just arriving to the tower defense genre, take a seat; you’ve found an excellent introduction.
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Orcs Must Die! was provided for review by Robot Entertainment. It is available on XBLA and Steam for $15.
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