The popular Orcs Must Die game came out a few years ago and is still a fan favorite on PC and console alike. It gave the player endless resources to defend their tower against hordes of Orcs and their minions. One of the most fun features was the trap system which allowed players to set up a bitter end for their orcish foes. Now the game is shifting into a brand new hybrid design called Orcs Must Die Unchained and it hits Open Beta today.
OMDU gives you a lot of new features and best of all you can play in Survival mode which follows a PvE format. This time around there is Siege mode which not only has you defend, it also has you attack other players, similar to traditional laned MOBAs, but with the OMD twist of traps, destructible environments, and more. The 5v5 mode brings with it loads of strategy for friends and teams alike. With so many great tower defense elements it is going to be crazy attacking and defending at the same time. Fans has been talking about this mode for months now and beta will let you test your skills tonight when you get home from work.
Building your deck with characters and traps is a key part of the game. You will collect cards to build up your strategy when you enter the game. There are a lot of card types to choose from so fine tuning your attacks and defense may take some time. When battling over Rifts you have to make sure the right arsenal comes into play. Choosing from: Trait, Gear, Bosses, Minions, Traps, Guardians, and Consumables.
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The heroes are the fun part of the game offering not just the “good guys” to players but a host of baddies as well. Players can now add the Sorceress Gabriella to their ranks as she can fight alongside Maximilian. The other heroes we looked at were really fun, Blackpaw for example was a great werewolf style character. He can dice up foes or summon more wolves in a pack like attack. We got a kick out of him. The other hero that stood out was Midnight, the stealthy feline assassin who could pop out of nowhere and take down opponents. Each hero comes with a host of abilities that you can spec out in many ways. Players will likely get attached to their favorites but with so many options there will be a lot to think about.
The beta will have a host of maps to fight over as certain battlefields are designed for different modes. Some are Survival only while others work for Siege and Survival. The team has yet to show a Siege only map. The maps play a key roles as knowing where choke points and locations can be best used for traps and defense. This time attacking is critical so setting up the board in your favor is a quick part of the early game.
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With loads of new content and some great updates it is fun to see Orcs Must Die! Unchained come into its own. The real gem in this game is the 5v5 matches that allow for so much diversity of play. You could compare it to a normal MOBA, but the game is much more. The depth and strategy that Survival mode has always delivered becomes much more open when you are now facing other teams. They also have made good use of minions which in other games just sort of exist to kill time. Here you can choose your minions and they have a much bigger effect on the match.
As any genre needs to grow and find new ground Unchained brings what was great about the originals into the MOBA space with more than just a competitive game. There are so many ways to play with friends that you won’t just get bogged down in endless matches. Feel like playing? The Open Beta is live now!
