The much loved Orcs Must Die! franchise, known for its blend of tower-defense and action combat, is back with a fancy new way to slaughter hordes of orcs and other fantasty ne’er-do-wells in Orcs Must Die! Unchained. I recently got a chance play the game’s revamped Survival mode, which now includes five-player cooperative play and enough customization options to create your team’s loadout with perfect synergy.
I played as Oziel, the Soul Thief, an area-of-effect mage that scales into a devastating hero as the game progresses. Now I’m no Orcs Must Die! expert, but I quickly took to the sometimes frantic onslaught of enemies. There’s a lot of casual fun to be had in Orcs Must Die! Unchained, but when waves of orcs are flooding in from three different portals, and you have to coordinate with all of your teammates to cover the map and assist with breaches, you can see the depth available for high-level play. For more on the game, check out our quick interview with Design Director, Ian Fisher.
The game is free-to-play, with a rotating selection of heroes available each week. You can, of course, spend real money to grow your hero roster or add new traps to your arsenal. The game also features in-game skins, with some really charming art design from the team at Robert Entertainment. Consider them an excellent way of flaunting your skill in the game’s 5v5 competitive multiplayer mode. Interested in playing the game yourself? Orcs Must Die! Unchained enters open beta on Steam March 29.