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.”
