![]() In several cases I didn’t feel like I was truly experiencing all Orcs Must Die 3 had to offer until I replayed certain levels hours after first clearing them. Previous entries certainly emphasized unlocking more effective options as progress is made, but never to this extent. However, when first playing the story campaign, you have to use whatever default gear your chosen hero canonically wields, and many useful traps are barred behind story progression. Granted, there’s no explicit rush to complete the campaign quickly, and you can easily grind for skulls to enhance your arsenal across the campaigns (DLC expansion Drastic Steps is included for free with the non-Stadia version), Endless, and roguelike-inspired Scramble. ![]() The only real criticism I can levy is that Orcs Must Die 3 is a bit too keen to throw this exact circumstance at new players still coming to grips with its systems. It’s most rewarding to play on the knife’s edge like this. You’re also nudged to get riskier with your layouts with a Par Time bonus skull that necessitates starting waves ASAP, lest you lose out while overthinking things. In my roughly 20 hours so far with Orcs Must Die 3, I’m still discovering new ways to maximize the first story campaign’s levels. There are a few disappointing absences, but they’re often accounted for - either hidden as an upgrade for a new trap such as the acid function for the wall sprayer, or replaced by a superior variant like the ice thrower ceiling trap. Where Orcs Must Die 2 emphasized fire traps and frost enemies, Orcs Must Die 3 doubles down on enemies weak to cold and electricity, leading to delightful shifts in the meta-strategies afforded. The mediocre guardian allies you once used are now actually powerful legions of archers and arcane priestesses in the war scenarios. New traps like the gravity beam and confusion plant offer more tactical opportunities. This close attention to detail extends to the additions and changes to core elements. The quality-of-life improvements lead to a brisker, smoother pace for new players and veterans alike. You can reset your trap and weapon loadout so long as the first wave hasn’t started, and you can also sell your partner’s traps to help them free up some spare rift points without lots of backtracking. For instance, dying no longer costs rift integrity, but there’s a chance for greater reward if you never get hit by any enemies. It’s not that Orcs Must Die 3 is superior simply through reversing course, but by how it also finally addresses common gripes and opportunities posed by its more direct predecessor. Co-op remains a series hallmark, but the PvP of Unchained is thankfully absent. ![]() Even greater next-gen levels of physics chaos ensue, and new war scenario missions pit you against tens of thousands of orcs. Though there are six heroes you can choose among, the primary emphasis is on deathtraps mauling a wide gamut of orcs in unique environments. Orcs Must Die 3 thus goes in the perfect opposite direction of Unchained. The sequel would go on to enhance these various exceptional elements, whereas MOBA Unchained would underwhelm series fans by, among other things, throwing in more heroes than traps and deemphasizing enemy variety and physics. With Dreamworks-y silly conversations in-between stages and a treasure trove of unlockable equipment and unique playable characters, the game is instantly charming, quick to pick up, and engaging to keep playing. Skill was as much a matter of dungeoneering as it was harnessing your magical weapons to defeat what foes survive your hilarious traps. The original Orcs Must Die allowed you to platform around the levels, harness fully 3D physics against ragdolling orcs, and weave traps across floors, ceilings, and walls to great effect. Not only is it a welcome return to form, but it serves as a gleaming example of designing for fans without restraining a franchise’s potential. It shows in Orcs Must Die! 3 (heretofore Orcs Must Die 3, sans punctuation), which after a year of Stadia exclusivity has finally launched on Steam. It shut down after two years in 2019, but developer Robot Entertainment clearly learned from the experience. But then Orcs Must Die! Unchained happened, becoming a sore spot among the community as a free-to-play Tecent-funded stab at the MOBA market. The original from 2011 was a third-person shooter as much as a tower defense game, and a sequel with a bigger story, voice acting, and a successful run of DLC maps followed in 2012. Orcs Must Die! has had a surprisingly tumultuous run for a budget downloadable game series.
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