Orcs Must Die 3

Confront massive armies and slay thousands of nasty orcs in Orcs Must Die! 3, the next entry in the famed tower defense franchise developed by Robot Entertainment. Ever since its inception in 2011, this series has been about one thing and one thing only: killing orcs in the most over-the-top ways imaginable. Now, it looks and plays better than ever.

With a new emphasis on storytelling and a much broader scope, it seems like Orcs Must Die! 3 is the natural conclusion to a beloved series. That said, just what did the developers include in the game this time around, and is this the ultimate game to play for fans of the series? Let’s find out.

More Orcs, More Fun

With a name like ‘Orcs Must Die!’, we’re guessing the core gameplay of the series is pretty self-explanatory. You play as a single warrior fending off against the orc armies, protecting a magical rift inside a fortress from as many enemies as possible. This time, however, the orcs are ready and better armed than ever.

The game takes place 20 years after the events of Orcs Must Die! 2. The heroes of that game have trained their successors, and so have the orcs. Now, players will be able to choose from a larger character pool and take part in bigger – and more spectacular – battles.

At its core, Orcs Must Die! 3 is a tower defense game where players are the actual towers. With a wide array of traps and abilities at their disposal, each player character could be considered overpowered, even though the sheer numbers of the orc armies will always have them at a disadvantage.

Massive War Scenarios

A new inclusion to the game’s formula is the War Scenarios, where players will face the orc armies outside their castle. This allows for more units on the field, resulting in a bigger and more challenging battle.

This is a massive step forward for the franchise’s humble origins. Now, the massive battlefields look like something taken straight out of Total War: Warhammer 2 or Dynasty Warriors. Funnily enough, Orcs Must Die! 3 retains its unique sense of humor even when the stakes are higher than ever.

In short, we can expect this entry to be a turning point for the franchise. There also have been some refinements to the core gameplay, updating most traps and adding more defense mechanisms to the player’s already vast arsenal. War Machines are another of the newcomers to the game: these massive traps can thin out the enemy hordes in one fell swoop, saving you time and frustration both.

Cartoonishly Vile

If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll know that Orcs Must Die! Never takes itself too seriously, and that’s one of its biggest strengths. That same sense of humor and quirky characters return in this entry, now looking better than ever, thanks to a revamped graphics engine.

Even though now there are more characters on-screen than ever before, each of them looks nicely detailed and well animated. Magic and weapons all offer bombastic effects, and the explosions look positively powerful. It all comes together to deliver an experience that’s not only entertaining to play but is also quite pleasing to the eyes as well.

Pros:

• Great visuals and character designs
• Massive battles
• Satisfying controls
• Tons of content

Cons:

• Gameplay can get repetitive