have fun storming the castle

I've been looking forward to Robot Entertainment's upcoming title Orcs Must Die! all summer and now we're only 3 days away from the release date. The game blends third person action, strategic, and castle defense elements together to create gameplay that looks unique and fun.

Players take on the role of the War Mage who's tasked with keeping the titular orcs and other baddies away from the rift that will allow the monsters to storm your home realm. And you're able to do that in two main ways. First, by laying down traps such as spikes, arrow walls, and spring traps that launch baddies into environmental hazards like lava pits. Second, by taking up arms (and spells) yourself to bash, burn, and blow wave after wave of wave to keep home safe. The blending of those two very different play styles into one game is a big draw and I'm hoping it's executed seamlessly.

Try this interactive choose your own adventure style trailer to get a feel for the gameplay.


Visually, Orcs Must Die! has opted for a more stylized, cartoonish approach like Team Fortress 2, Torchlight, or the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic over something more gritty and realistic. It looks great in my opinion with a colorful palette that's fun and unique. It's definitely a step up from the more muted, uncreative style of a game like Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale. The fun look of Orcs Must Die! is definitely a plus and another reason I've been eagerly anticipating its release all summer.

I'll write up a full review of Orcs Must Die! after 5 October once I've had a chance to get my (virtual) hands on it.

Orcs Must Die! will release on XBLA 5 October and for digital download on PC 12 October.

a resurrected beatdown from the trash can of history

Am I the only one looking forward to the Guardian Heroes remake for XBLA? Of course I'm not. Looks like there's finally a release date for this Sega Saturn class: 12 October. You'll definitely catch me throwing away hours and hours on the branching storylines of this side-scrolling beat 'em up instead of researching for any of my 3 papers this semester. Here's a trailer to get you stoked.



While I was in London over the summer, 4 upcoming XBLA games caught my eye: Bastion (beat it), D&D: Daggerdale (played the demo), Orcs Must Die! (5 October), and this one. In just a few short weeks, I'll finally close that open appointment on my iCalendar.

Maybe in the meantime, I can write up a brief review and some impressions of Bastion for the 3 people in American on XBLA who haven't played it.