Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap: Is This the Ultimate Co-Op Combat Experience?

by

Following the traditional advancement seen in Orcs Must Die 3, the beloved franchise returns with Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, a sequel that combines innovative ideas with familiar elements. What sets Deathtrap apart from its predecessors is its roguelike gameplay style, while the core gameplay remains largely unchanged. This approach can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, certain aspects of the game’s overall design may seem like afterthoughts or incomplete.

In “Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap”, you’ll find the captivating mix of intense real-time battles and strategic planning that made the series popular in 2011. The concept is straightforward: waves of Orcs will assault your base, known as the Rift, and you must employ different traps and quick reflexes to control the battlefield. It’s a brutal, swift, and lethal playground that tower defense enthusiasts will love, but those seeking a game with more depth might be underwhelmed.

Deathtrap streamlines numerous aspects from previous games, such as the storyline and additional modes like War Scenarios in Orc Must Die 3, concentrating instead on the core elements that drive the game’s mechanics. This leads to a straightforward, efficient, Orc-slaying game, which may not garner many accolades but will undoubtedly bring a mischievous smile to your face due to its exaggeratedly violent action.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Offers Unfettered Co-op Fun

In a quick, cinematic introduction, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap makes its intentions clear: players can venture out on missions starting from their main base, assuming the role of one of seven unique War Mages, each with a specific set of skills that differentiates them from others. These War Mages are enjoyable to play despite their simpler mechanics. While players won’t be performing Overwatch-style kill streaks or massive acts of destruction, the varied character roster delivers as intended.

In Deathtrap, much like the Orcs games preceding it, the key element is the variety of traps that players can use. Before each wave of Orcs attacks, you’ll know the routes these monsters will follow to reach the Rift, which surprisingly is quite fragile. A small number of Orcs can quickly deplete the Rift’s health points, leading to a defeat. By understanding these routes and guiding the Orcs towards strategic bottlenecks filled with deadly traps, you can significantly reduce their numbers. The player’s toolkit includes dangerous devices such as floor spikes, acid showers from the ceiling, and automated crossbow turrets, all of which can be enhanced and expanded using in-game resources at the Fortress hub area.

Every time, crafting an ideal setup for annihilating Orcs never fails to be incredibly satisfying. There’s no sensation quite like meticulously guiding Orcs towards a corridor brimming with wall, floor, and ceiling traps, taking delight in the grim spectacle as they inexorably march towards their demise en route to your fortress. The game Deathtrap provides a wealth of elaborate maps, mastering which streamlines future playthroughs. You’ll amass priceless insights from both triumphs and setbacks, gradually becoming proficient in each arena’s terrain, utilizing it to your strategic advantage. This inherent reward system makes the game more engaging, which is beneficial considering the material rewards and advancement systems could use some refinement.

The game “Deathtrap: Orcs Must Die!” performs flawlessly. I ran it on a PC equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an RTX 4060 graphics card. Regardless of the high number of Orcs appearing simultaneously, the frames per second never dipped below 70, even when set to maximum settings.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Is a Great DIY Combat Sandbox, But a Lackluster Roguelike

In essence, Deathtrap doesn’t entirely conform to the standard roguelike mold, yet it doesn’t shy away from drawing elements from this genre. Following each wave of enemies, players are given a variety of upgrades that persist throughout their current playthrough. These enhancements can influence both traps and combat efficiency, but they seem somewhat insignificant and appear to be added as an afterthought. The most engaging roguelike progression mechanisms allow upgrades to build upon each other in intriguing or unforeseen ways, reinforcing the “no two runs are alike” design concept. Unfortunately, Deathtrap‘s temporary upgrades lack the depth and innovation that make such a system enjoyable. Instead, the game’s upgrades are underwhelming and lack creativity, with many of them providing minor, incremental benefits like a 10% damage increase for specific traps or trap categories. While it’s better than nothing, it seldom provides the feeling of ever-growing power that makes roguelike progression so compelling.

In simpler terms, the process of advancing in this cross-run progression feels monotonous, featuring an unchanging skill tree where expensive enhancements offer minimal benefits such as a 10% bonus to post-resurrection health and a 3% increase in critical hit probability. While these improvements can undeniably boost a player’s efficiency, it would have been more satisfying if progression offered something more substantial, introducing fresh aspects to the gameplay instead of just providing routine stat increases that lack excitement.

In this game, once more, the core element that keeps you hooked is the intricate trap system. As you progress, discovering new traps adds depth to your adventure, making each fresh trap a delightful novelty. This constant influx of new strategies and tactics keeps the experience engaging even as the War Mage combat starts feeling routine. However, it’s worth noting that the action-packed gameplay of War Mage forms only half of the experience; laying traps is equally crucial. It’s a bit disheartening that despite its importance, the depth and dynamism of the War Mage gameplay isn’t as robust compared to similar tower defense games.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Is Better With Friends

Beyond its unique roguelike advancement mechanism, what sets Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap apart from previous installments is the expansion of the maximum team size from two to four characters. While the game can be played individually, it truly shines during cooperative play, enhancing every aspect of the gameplay cycle. Collaborating with a partner or more on strategies makes planning much more engaging, as players can exchange ideas and uncover fresh attack strategies through teamwork. In addition, although the combat for each War Mage may seem somewhat basic, this becomes less of an issue when different Mages embody distinct roles and work effectively together. For instance, a player who finds it challenging to play as the close-combat healer Kalos in single-player mode might discover that they become an indispensable support asset when teamed with a long-range attack character like Vaan or Wren.

Among the games in the series, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap stands out as one primarily focused on cooperative play. Each character offers unique strengths and weaknesses, such as low damage per second (DPS) or limited offensive special abilities. However, these weaknesses can be counterbalanced by teaming up with another character who possesses complementary strengths and weaknesses. This design makes the co-op gameplay in Deathtrap much more intricate and engaging compared to its single-player mode.

The “Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap” is available on Game Pass from the get-go, aiding in maintaining a high number of players at the same time and bolstering the game’s robust cooperative multiplayer experience.

The game “Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap” is solid, with a practical feel to it. While it may not be the most original or imaginative multiplayer game out there, it maintains the strategic and real-time elements that made the series popular in the past. Although some fans of previous games might have mixed feelings about features like the roguelike progression and increased focus on multiplayer over solo play, the core strengths of the franchise remain intact, and in certain aspects, they’ve been refined even further.

On January 28, 2024, the game “Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap” will be available for both PC and Xbox Series X|S platforms. For this review, we were given a Steam code by Game Rant.

Read More

2025-01-27 15:04