Orcs Must Die: By The Blade is a brand new entry in the third-person tower defense series, now built from the ground up for virtual reality. The adaptation feels natural.
The Orcs Must Die series has existed for 15 years now, if you can believe it. Rooted in silly antics, this ingenious third-person tower defense action game captured the hearts and minds of medieval enthusiasts thanks to its unique spin on the genre. When most tower defense games were played from a top-down perspective, this orc killer franchise opted for a new kind of gameplay. Several games later, Orcs Must Die: By The Blade is a surprisingly great VR adaptation held back by technical shortcomings.
Teravision Games is a seasoned VR developer, previously working on Captain ToonHead vs. the Punks from Outer Space, whose expertise shows in spades. A common mistake of VR adaptations is to only translate the expected mechanics known in the original games. While Orcs Must Die: By The Blade does feature the trademark bevy of traps to ensnare orcs in gruesomely creative ways, it also has small interactions that go a long way to feel made from the ground up for virtual reality.
Orcs Must Die: By The Blade shoots a straight arrow. It knows exactly what it is, does not aspire to more, and that’s honestly refreshing. While it sometimes feels made for a younger audience due to how “smashy” the combat feels, the core gameplay loop for what the series is known for is intact here. You explore a series of rooms, each one with wave after wave of orcs that conveniently allow you some time to set traps how you see fit, and then it’s off to the races. Every dungeon you explore holds treasure, as it should, and occasionally the waves will not go directly at you but at the chest, changing the setup into more of a base defense battle.
Talking about the subtle VR interactions, there are 12 levels to choose from in a main hub. A charming little detail is that to select one of them, you need to grab a figurine and place it on the desired platform before a portal appears to take you there. In the armory, the weapons, traps, and trinkets at your disposal can also be held and placed on a pedestal to upgrade accordingly. Flamethrowers, jars of ghosts, and a minigun, among other absurd twists on medieval weapons, are unlocked as the game progresses to make short work of the orcs.
To Orcs Must Die: By The Blade’s benefit, every level is rich to the brim with secrets. A bonus portal, for example, is hidden in each level, offering a chest of high value if you can withstand the onslaught of increased waves of enemies. I found these extremely challenging for a solo player that, surely, with its 2-player online co-op mode, seems more doable. Collectibles, currency, and hidden levers abound. The level design is clever enough to let orcs spawn from several directions. Luring some of them into a fake floor and pulling said lever to drop them straight into lava, as others do not even reach you because of well-placed spike traps, feels rewarding to pull off.
The narrative is a by-the-numbers fantasy trope that is only heightened by the incredibly unserious voice acting delivery. This, paired with the endless quips such as the Monty Python phrase “Just a flesh wound,” does hit home the hilarious tone the franchise is known for. When fighting the orcs, some extremities can be hacked away, so to grab a head, leg, or arm and use it as a weapon is just fitting for the vibe it is going for. Because it is overall so exaggerated, the fact some audio issues arose when slashing at the enemies and the collisions felt imprecise makes it feel forgiving to let go of them for the most part. A smooth turning option was not ready for the review build either, but the confirmation of continued support is promising.
The debate about whether the game is good enough or not in the case of Orcs Must Die: By The Blade is beside the point. It recreates what the series is memorable for while being fun along the way. It does not pull its punches when it comes to difficulty, making it a sweaty ordeal swinging your dual swords around even when placing precise traps all over the place. But the satisfaction once the sweet loot is yours makes it all that worthwhile. For a beloved VR adaptation of a beloved franchise, it feels right at home.
Orcs Must Die: By The Blade is out now exclusively for Meta Quest 3, with a Quest 2 version in the works.
