Orcs must die

Just add Orcs and plunge into the melee. Taking the Tower Defense genre to a new perspective, Orcs Must Die! (OMD) prompt players to take the defensive against the hordes of Orcs threatening to overwhelm.

The premise of OMD is about as simple as the title. Players play as an impulsive and overconfident Apprentice tasked to defend the “rifts” from the combined horde of the Orcs and the Mob. The Orcs are similar to the brutish green skin obnoxious creatures found in the Lord of the Rings.

The Mob on the otherhand, is composed of Ogres, Goblins, and Gnolls. The hordes’ true intentions and motivation are unknown as to why they attack the fortresses, but it is hinted that life beyond the rift is better than the life they have in Dead World.

The objective in OMD is simple--- to prevent the enemy forces from reaching the rifts. At each level, player is given a number of life points. If an enemy manages to enter the rift or if the Apprentice dies, the player’s points are deducted.

Each round starts ten seconds after the previous round, after a number of rounds, the player is given a grace period. This grace period gives the player a chance to choose the time of the assault paving way for dismantling and setting traps.

After finishing a level, the player is given a new device to be used in the next stage. These tools are extremely useful in the consequent levels as their strengths are fully utilized with the construction of the level. Levels range from easy levels such as bottleneck bridges, to the harder ones such as halls with more than two entrances.

Traps are the real star in this OMD. Deadly contraptions range from the cartoonish ground pounder, to the traditional floor spikes, down to the gruesome wall grinder. Traps are organized depending on how they are placed and can be upgraded by accumulating orc skulls at the end of each level.

Acquisition of orc skulls are dependent on the player’s performance and may be used to shorten the cooldown times of traps or increase their triggering range.

The Apprentice stands as the last line of defense if all else fails. The player can choose a number of items to equip him depending on his/her playing style. Equipments such as melee spears, fire and ice bracers, and wind belts can be used in synergy with the traps and surroundings.

OMD is cartoonish in terms of presentation. Characters are modeled in a way that would remind you of 3D movies such as Toy Story but with blood and gore. Though violent in its presentation, it’s a bit toned down compared to what we have in our gaming shelves. On the audio side, the audio presentation of OMD is both creative and engaging. The Apprentice will spew out comedic statements from time to time and will definitely tickle some bones. The music itself will inspire the player to cut down some orcs with its speed inducing tunes.

Robot Entertainment developed a game that fully exemplifies what games should be: fun. It may be neither a hardcore shooter nor an intensive RPG game, but I will definitely recommend OMD to persons who love to play tower defense.