Hordes of Orcs

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I think I’m unfair to casual game developers. I overlook their games, I even berate the idea of them without playing them. I lean towards the latest and greatest in storytelling or action. I prefer big titles that create living, breathing worlds. Give me Mass Effect, Half Life or BioShock any day.

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But this is game prejudice and it’s wrong! Casual games aren’t trying to compete with bigger titles, they seek a different audience and look for a different mindset. They aren’t supposed to change your perceptions or tell a hundred hour story – they’re meant to be played, enjoyed and shared.

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And as a casual game, Hordes of Orcs succeeds marvellously. The aim: stop Orcs (Hordes of them in fact) getting to your village. Use walls, spells and towers to stop them. The idea isn’t a new one, it’s been done before in a variety of ways. The point is entertain you for ten minutes at a time, laying out winding walls, placing electro-bastard rays, fire towers and bundles of moose poo to stop the next wave of Orcs. It’s like dominoes or something satisfyingly causal, you lay stuff out and see how it fares. There isn’t any radical new technology here or a sixty-point Orc facial animation system, just an exceptionally well produced, reasonably priced, fun game that entertains.

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There are plenty of modes (Crossroads, Capture the Flag, Maze Defence and more) in Hordes to keep you entertained, as well as the option to taunt your friends with high scores (I think Brian of Freeverse is now thoroughly tired of receiving emails with my high scores). There is a trick to success with modes like Open Warfare: make your Orcs go around the houses. Place your towers first, then fill in the gaps with walls to make them wander the furthest, all the while baking them with radiation, fire and electricity. This is what brings you back to Hordes – finding the most efficient way to wipe the Horde scum from your lands.

It’s wonderful to see that Freeverse produce these finely crafted games that are detailed and enjoyable. Apologies, this is my shortest review ever – I’m off to play Hordes of Orcs!

UPDATE

Completely missed this in my Inbox:

Hordes of Orcs Major Update, More Orcs to Stop!

- Two new maps for extra game options:  Orc Olympics (The portals are gone, with a finish line in its place, and a nasty surprise to those who use bait!), and Burninator (An out-of-control fire tower stands in the middle of it all).
- Major performance improvements, especially on lower-end machines.
- A Newsfeed has been integrated into the game, letting you know about the latest changes to the in-game Balance Engine.
- More in-game tips that suggest better ways to play.