For as long as anyone can remember the rifts have always been there. They supply magic to our world but are also a gateway into a dead world filled with monsters. The Order, a group of humans, both magical and not, have vowed to keep these grotesque  creatures named orcs out of our world. Fortress were built around the rifts in their dead world and its your job to keep the Orcs from getting through. As a bull headed, cocky student your mentor doesn't have much hope for you but with the other War Mages being killed at the rifts daily you're our world's only hope.

Orcs Must Die! is a great spin on the usual tower defense style game; with a third-person viewpoint that brings you down into the action. Equipped with a crossbow, a sword, magic and a variety of traps you can earn and upgrade, the possibilities for this game are endless. It's very player oriented and you can customize your choices to suit your style of play. Each of the levels begin with only the crossbow equipped. From there the player can wander around the level, select the best course of action, and select the weapons and spells needed from your spell book. Watch out for the highlighted paths through the levels, as they show how the orcs will be getting to the rift and from within the spell book you can see what kind of orcs will be coming. There are a number of different kinds of Orcs. Everything from basic warriors and archers to smaller, flying creatures and giant elemental ogres. Looking at their profiles you'll discover that they all have different goals. Some just want to get to the rift, while others' main goal is to attack you and your minions. Keep in mind that once you unleash the first wave you can't access your spell book anymore so make sure you've got everything you'll need. As you complete levels you gain more weapons, traps and even minions (like Elven Archers and Paladins) to aid in the fight against the orcs. Additionally, the number of item slots available will progressively increase as well.

From the onset, the apprentice (easy) difficulty and war mage (normal) ones are available, but to unlock nightmare (expert) the entire game must be completed in war mage mode. There is always the same number of waves that attack but the number of Orcs increase and in some cases so does there level of aggression. Depending on how well you do on each level you'll be awarded skulls that can be used to upgrade your weapons and traps. Apprentice mode has a two skull limit but there are five skulls to be earned for each level. The number of skulls you earn are based on how many rift points were lost and how your time was compared to the par time. If you come out of a level missing skulls check out the stats page to see where you need to improve. You have to play through the levels in order the first time, but you don't have to play them in the same diffculty. So you could play the first couple on apprentice, then switch up to war mage for the next couple. Once you've earned an item you can go back and use it in earlier levels which should make getting five skulls a breeze.

In the upper right hand corner of the screen you'll find many important things. Your rift point counter, the map of the level and the wave counter. There are two ways to loose rift points and if you loose them all then you'll have to restart the level. For every Orc creature that makes it to the rift you loose one point and for every time you die you loose five points. It seems like a weak punishment for dying, especially when health potions can be picked up and you can regain health just by being near the rift. The map will show you which door the Orcs will be coming through and which rift they happen to be entering. It's usually helpful, until you have levels with multiple floors and then it can add to the chaos.

There are 24 levels to work through and each has there own special features and architecture that can be useful. All the traps need to be placed on flat surfaces, be it a wall or the floor so save yourself some cash and look for the naturally narrow areas to your advantage. Also, watch out for chandeliers, pots of boiling liquid that might be tipped over and a few other fun in-level defenses you can use, but watch out for pits and other places you can fall to your death too! The levels are well designed and give you plenty of room to play while still providing challenge. Some have up to eight doors the Orcs can enter from while others have multiple rift gates for them to head for.  As with all tower defence games money does come into play and while you have magic you still have to pay for your traps, weapons and minions. There are 17 traps to choose from, each doing it's own little something. Basics like barricades can be broken through most others, including spike floors and arrow walls, need some reload time after being triggered. Your crossbow doesn't need to be reloaded and will never run out of ammo thanks to the wonders of magic. Some items, when upgraded, will become cheaper so chances are you'll find a core group of items that you like, upgrade them and stick with them. Within the level you also have the option to call on the Weavers (once you've earned them)and choosing between them you can upgrade your crossbow, earn more coins from kills, increase your health and other things. This also costs money and, like the other items, needs to be repurchased every level.

Each character has its own little bit of personalization - even within the orc warriors and archers there are different appearances and there is a great sense of humor to the game. Lots of insults being tossed around and the cocky attitude of the main character, only known as War Mage, adds a bit of lighthearted fun to the mass killings even if he occasionally dances like a cheerleader. The controls are what you've come to expect, joysticks to look around and move, trigger buttons to place items and shoot or attack. Quick to master and simple to remember. There are a few cut scene bits that separate the three acts but they're short and actually fun to listen to, they mostly consist of insults towards you, and are brief compared to some games. All told, Orcs Must Die! is a clever little tower defense game, and more importantly, is a ton of fun. Striking just the right balance of humor, action, and strategy, Orcs is easily worth its 1200 Microsoft Points asking price.

(Want to know more about the story behind Orcs Must Die? Check out the comic prequel to the game on Robot Entertainment's website.)

Orcs Must Die!
Gameplay
Multiple customization options and a refreshingly new approach to the tower defense genre. Regardless of preferred playing style, gamers of all ages will find much to like here.
Sound
The requisite grunts and growls are nothing special. Useful mostly to tell when an orc is getting through the rift, or a minion is getting killed.
Graphics
Level design is well done, and generally colorful. Surprisingly, looking at the same brick texture never gets old, even over the course of 24 levels.
Controls
Easy to master, ensuring players can jump right into the action quickly.
Overall
With a great story, amusing protagonist, and plenty of orc slaying action, Orcs Must Die! is a great little tower defense game, recommended for fans of the genre and new players alike.