The player can now upgrade traps five to six times, changing their power and attributes. Regardless of which character you choose, you’ll be able to customize them in more ways than in the original. In its place will be numerous weapons to chose from, including a powerful shotgun. No longer will you be forced to have the crossbow take up a slot. Though the Sorceress is an exciting new addition, the Apprentice gets a fair amount of love in terms of upgrades in this sequel. I only played with one which temporarily froze enemies (her version of the Apprentice’s tar trap), so maybe the other three are more creative. The Sorceress’ specific traps were nothing all that special. The alternative fire summons a skeleton that fights alongside the player until defeated. This is extremely useful for crowd control. Its primary fire summons a line of skeleton hands from the ground that grope enemies for massive damage. I know, descriptive! While I didn’t get its name, I was in awe of the power it wields. My favorite weapon, however, was this bone thing. Even better, the alternative fire coaxes enemies to attack their fellow orc, regardless of how advanced and large they may be. Her default staff can send bolts rapid-fire or charged.
Her larger mana resources make her ideal for long-distance play. In addition to having most of the same traps as the Apprentice, the Sorceress has a her own set of traps, weapons, abilities, and trinkets (a new addition). Sadly, the game will not have local co-op. I had the benefit of playing beside my co-op buddy which may have made things easier, so consider that a disclaimer of sorts. Single-player doesn’t feel nerfed and co-op doesn’t feel frustrating, assuming you choose the right partner.
Having played a couple levels single-player and co-op, I can confirm that nothing is sacrificed in the transition.
The biggest addition to the series is co-op play, which highlights the second biggest addition to the series: a playable Sorceress (yes, the villain of the first game).
In a previous age, that expansion would have cost as much or more than this downloadable sequel. In a previous age, this sequel would have been an expansion pack. I can’t say these naysayers are entirely wrong. For those not so taken with the original OMD, it’s easy to write-off this sequel as DLC-grade fodder. What you’ve heard is true: The orcs must die and your Apprentice (or Sorceress) is the body for the task. I also had my concerns with co-op assuaged. Though I’m not surprised to find the high quality Robot Entertainment brought before intact, I did get to see what’s new with OMD. I couldn’t just ignore it on RTX’s show floor, however, so I checked it out. I know what it is and I know I want it bad. Though I find it hard to play a game for more than an hour at a time, this came easy with Orcs Must Die!Īs a result, I’ve had little interest in checking out Orcs Must Die! 2 before release. The game’s blend of tower defense and third-person combat hooked me in a way few other games did in 2011. For me that was Orcs Must Die! which, against my better judgement, I installed and obsessively played during finals week last fall. Sometimes the right game comes at the wrong time in your life.