Publisher: Robot Entertainment
Developer: Robot Entertainment
Genre: Action-Strategy
ESRB: Teen
Release date: October 5, 2011

Orcs. I hate them. You hate them. Their continued existence promises to bring only pain and suffering. They are a constant threat to the well-being of society, and should be dealt with swiftly and violently. Robot Entertainment’s Orcs Must Die! is an action-strategy hybrid that poses a question that is surprisingly difficult to answer: What is the best way to kill an Orc?

Orcs Must Die! begins with the death of an ancient wizard tasked to protect the world from an Orc invasion. This wizard was a Rift guardian, and he used spells and traps to keep the Orcs from entering portals to our world. After his sudden death, his apprentice became the protector of the Rifts. His apprentice, who the player controls for the duration of the game, loves killing Orcs and likes to celebrate his victories with a little dancing.

In Orcs Must Die!, strategy and planning are very important to victory. Learning the layout of the level and how to use it to your advantage is crucial. At the beginning of each stage, the player is given a small amount of money with which to purchase traps. While the initial trap selection is rather limited, as you progress though the game you will be rewarded with new weapons and up to 17 unique traps. Once traps are placed and the round has begun, the player can choose to let his traps do all the work or grab his trusty crossbow (among other weapons) and fight the oncoming horde. Some levels contain environmental hazards, such as acid pits, which the player can use to his advantage. Despite the game’s title, there are more than just Orcs to vanquish. At later levels you will have to deal with Kobolds, Ogres, and many other types of monsters, each with varying speed and armor.

Orcs Must Die! is fast-paced and difficult to put down. The level layout is interesting and keeps you from using the same strategy several times in a row. Combining traps, like using a tar pit to slow enemies down as they walk past a wall that shoots arrows, gives bonus points which raises your score and position on the leader boards. Performing well on a level grants skulls, which can be used to upgrade your existing traps. The trap variety is large and allows for tons of different combinations and strategies. Completing the campaign unlocks an impressively difficult “Nightmare” version.

While the game is a blast to play, one glaring omission is co-op mode. While Orcs Must Die! functions well as a single-player experience, it would be much more fun with a second player. There are rumors that Robot Entertainment is looking to add this function at a later time, but for now it feels like a big hole. While there are trap upgrades available, they are limited and not always worth the price. Weapons and spells each feature a secondary attack, but combat in general feels bare bones and isn’t nearly as effective as setting traps.

Orcs Must Die! is a great way to kill some time. The game is amazing at forcing the “one more level” mentality that causes people to go to bed after midnight when they have work the next morning. While the lack of co-op seems like a wasted opportunity, the stages are endlessly replayable and testing new trap combinations helps to keep things interesting. You can purchase Orcs Must Die! now on the XBLA, and it will be available for the PC on October 12.

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Our Recommendation: