PAX East 2014: Hands on with Orcs Must Die: Unchained

I have sunk a countless amount of hours into Orcs Must Die 2, the incredibly fun tower defense game where you have to set up deadly traps to prevent Orcs from reaching your entrance. It was incredibly addicting and challenging and I have hoped that a sequel to the game would be released eventually, but at PAX East I learned that something even better was coming. 

Throughout my travels on the show floor I came across a booth for Orcs Must Die: Unchained the third game in the Orcs Must Die series and this time, things are a little bit different. Instead of it being a single player tower defense game, Orcs Must Die Unchained is a 5v5 fortress siege game that has MOBA influences in it. The basic premise of the game is that you have to guide your friendly Orcs to the enemy base. You also have to defend your base from enemy Orcs as well. For those worried that Orcs Must Die: Unchained has abandoned their roots, you can calm down. The same Orc murdering traps you know and love are still in the game and are an important key to victory. Throughout the battle you will earn various forms of currency that can be used to buy traps, and can also be used to upgrade the Orcs that spawn from your bases. Teamwork is key because upgrading the Orcs is a team effort. It will often take a huge amount of cash to get your Orcs to a higher rank to everyone needs to chip in. 

Like traditional MOBA's each character has their own unique list of abilities that can be used on the enemy players or enemy Orcs. The War Mage and Sorceress from Orcs Must Die 1 and 2 have returned and join a new robust cast of characters. They took the winning formulas of both Orcs Must Die and traditional MOBA's and have created and incredibly fun hybrid of both. I only played a few games of Orcs Must Die: Unchained at PAX and I cannot wait till the game enters a public beta so I can play some more. if you loved the first two games, do not worry, you will have a blast with Orcs Must Die: Unchained. 

Orcs Must Die: Unchained will be a free to play game although the specifics on pricing hasn't been revealed yet. You can however choose one of three different founders packages on their website which will grant you access to goodies as they come. Think of it as Kickstarter. The more you pay, the more rewards you get in return. 

If you are interested in becoming a founder or signing up for beta access, be sure to check out their official website.