Orcs Must Die

[Dog Pants]

We really need Trev back, I seem to be posting a constant stream of links to RPS and PCG. Anyway, I was playing the Orcs Must Die demo earlier, and despite initial feelings of "well, it looks like it could be fun but Tower Defence from third person sounds like a pain in the tits", I'm pleased to say it was pretty enjoyable. As my initial impressions might betray, it's a sort of tower defence game, but played from a third person character. You're a bloke with a magic crossbow and a big polearm, and an array of traps. You place traps and the orcs break in, trying to reach a rift and break into the world you're defending. Presumably, I didn't really pay attention to the story (although what I did see was mildly amusing). This has massive potential for becoming a crazy mixture of micromanagement and getting your arse chewed by orcs, at the same time. Not a recipe for fun in my cookbook. However, your weapons are really for picking off the stragglers who make it through the traps and harrying the orcs as they try to traverse them. Which is actually rather fun.
So, the premise is pretty good. Add to that the fact that everything feels nice and weighty - the orcs are big and lumbering, your weapons feel like they make an impact, and the traps are brutal and violent enough to thump the hefty orcs about - and you've got a decent playing game which looks good. It's paced well enough (well, the demo is at least, which is the first three levels) that you rarely feel desperately outgunned, and on the two or three occasions I did it was more of a desperate struggle to pull it back, but you have to be constantly paying attention and hammering the orcs to cover any who are looking too successful. An initial concern was that either the traps or the weapons might dominate and make the other redundant, but you really do need to do both well. It feels good headshotting the orcs who tip-toe through your tar pits (isn't there a song about that?). The game's available for £12 next week, and I think it's definitely worth considering.

[Roman Totale]

What about gobbos?

[Dog Pants]

Not seen any. There were a few cries of "I'd rather play Elves Must Die" on RPS though, so maybe there'll be expansions.

[Mr. Johnson]

I just had a quick go on the demo as well, it's quite fun as Pants tells us. I might get when its a bit cheaper. Not that it's expensive, but I'm really really broke. I even owe money to my girlfriend.

[Dog Pants]

Pay her in kind

[Roman Totale]

How do you think he ended up in debt in the first place!

[Mr. Johnson]

Alas, she didn't accept natura payments. It's certainly not for lack of offering though.

[HereComesPete]

Don't offer! Pay!

Remember, fifty no's and a yes means yes!

[spoodie]

There's a demo? Will try it. I watched a quick look on Giant Bomb and it looked like fun. Something to look out for in the sales.

[Anery]

I bought this as soon as I finished the demo. It is one of those games, like PvZ, that is good to play when you are at a loose end of have a short period of time to kill.
That and...UPGRADES!

[Dog Pants]

RPS, they like it too! And apparently you do get goblins. I think I'll be buying this when I have some time to play it. Along with more stuff for Gratuitous Space Battles. I've got the indie bug at the moment.

[Anery]

Don't be fooled! this gets crazy hard later!

[Dog Pants]

Man, he's not wrong. I've scraped through a few levels by the skin of my teeth and now I'm stuck. I can always take the difficulty down a level (an option it gives you if you fail a level), but I'm still entertained by the 'oh fuck' moments. It looks into Steam to compare you against friends' scores too, just to show you (by which I mean me) how crap you are.

[Roman Totale]

I'm enjoying it so far (only 5 maps in though) - I've been looking for something along the lines of Defence Grid for a while.

[spoodie]

I really enjoyed the demo. Buying yet another game would be wasteful at this point, so I'll look out for it in the sales.

[Roman Totale]

Flying things...grr
Super fast Gnoll Hunters that run through barriers...grr
Explosive Kobolds that blow up barriers...grr


But my word it's fun.

The Weaver skill tree thing is also rather fun, however I rarely have enough funds to unlock them as I've spent it all on traps.

[Dog Pants]

I always unlock the first Weaver thing which gives you more cash from your traps. For 500.. erm, monies, it's well worth it. As for the explodey kobolds, they got my barriers and caused me all kinds of drama until I worked out that a couple of tar pits and arrow traps will protect your barriers by blowing them up before they get there. I'm still finding it hard though.

[Mr. Johnson]

I caved in and bought it, bring on the horde!

[Roman Totale]

I caved in and bought it, bring on the horde!

Warning: it's horribly addictive

[Mr. Johnson]

Yes, and balls hard at times. How do do you get more skulls btw? I only seem to get a max of 3 skulls per match, and that's when no one gets through the rift portal. (I'm playing, or rather getting my ass kicked, on war mage)