ORCS

About ORCS

ORCS is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Pixel vs Pixel and was released on May 20, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Orcs is an action/platformer 2D old school inspirated by classic like Castlevania and Ghosts 'n Goblins.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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79%Audience ScoreBased on 209 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

Engaging, challenging old-school action platformer with tight, precise gameplay and boss battles.
Charming retro pixel art style and catchy soundtrack add nostalgic appeal.
Excellent value for price, suitable for short play sessions and lovers of difficult, skill-based games.

Controls can be clunky and finicky, with limited customization and occasional glitches affecting gameplay.
Repetitive music and sound design often annoy players, with some issues muting audio settings persistently.
Lack of modern conveniences such as multiple save slots, tutorial, and checkpoints leads to frustration from frequent deaths and forced level restarts.

gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27% positive mentions, 66% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
The gameplay is a straightforward, old-school side-scrolling action experience focused on precise movement, timing, and mechanical skill rather than complex systems. While it offers challenging and satisfying combat reminiscent of classic platformers, some criticize the controls as unpolished and occasionally frustrating, with limited mechanics and few quality-of-life features like checkpoints. Overall, it appeals to players who appreciate tough, minimalist gameplay with a retro arcade feel.
- “Built around precise movement, difficult enemy encounters, and straightforward progression, the game feels like a deliberate tribute to older generations of side-scrolling action games that valued mechanical skill above accessibility.”
- “The gameplay is tight and satisfying, the challenge is high but never unfair.”
- “Movement remains responsive and uncomplicated, allowing players to focus entirely on execution rather than memorizing overly complex mechanics.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay and control scheme is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “No checkpoints, limited game mechanics, and no options besides turning music or sound off.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 26% negative mentions
The music in the game is generally recognized for its catchy, chiptune-style soundtrack that fits the retro pixel-art aesthetic, appealing especially to fans of 8-bit compositions. However, many reviewers find it repetitive and occasionally annoying, recommending turning it off or replacing it with other audio during extended play sessions. Overall, while the music suits the game’s simple, nostalgic vibe, a greater variety or improvement in sound design would enhance the experience.
- “Music is great, artstyle is great, game mechanics are great.”
- “Orcs is a side scroller medieval action game, if you want an action side scroller this is one of the best. If you enjoy chiptune aka 8-bit soundtrack and pixel art, this is the best!”
- “Love the music, love the style.”
- “There's an option to turn off sounds and music, which of course should be done immediately due to the craptastic sound design, but of course this doesn't always work, so expect the game to make noise even if you told it to shut up.”
- “The music in this game is terrible, it's better to mute it and listen to something else instead.”
- “Beating more than one level at a time gets annoying and you will be infuriated by the repetitive music.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34% positive mentions, 56% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a simplistic, retro pixel art style reminiscent of NES and Atari visuals, which some players find charming and nostalgically appealing, while others criticize them as low-quality or outdated. The art style is praised for its nostalgic charm and simplicity, though the lack of graphical customization options and the mixed reception of the pixel design lead to divided opinions. Overall, the graphics complement the game's retro aesthetic but may not appeal to those seeking modern visuals.
- “Despite featuring pixel graphics, Orcs manages to turn this visual style into a charming asset.”
- “Furthermore, the simplicity of the graphics doesn't compromise the diversity and originality of the characters and environments, providing a unique and enjoyable visual experience for fans of this retro style.”
- “The classic pixel art style really reminds me of home.”
- “I couldn't play it for more than 20 minutes, my eyes hurt so much just looking at it with the terrible 2D graphics.”
- “The graphics make it look like a mix between NES and Atari, the game being more like a dumbed-down Mario-style platformer.”
- “The graphics are a blend of Atari and NES era graphics, but combine the worst aspects of both into this game.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33% positive mentions, 47% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions
The story in "orcs" is simple and straightforward, providing a charming but basic narrative that supports the gameplay without being deeply complex or innovative. While some find it engaging and refreshing, others consider it generic or hard to follow, making it enjoyable primarily for its nostalgic, minimalist appeal rather than for intricate storytelling.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Engaging, fun game with a simple story and charming pixel graphics.”
- “The story elements are nice and refreshing.”
- “If you want to buy this game don't. It's hard because of the terrible controls that hurt my fingers, and the story is boring to read.”
- “I also think that the protagonist was the bad guy all along, but I'm not really sure, because the story was too complex for me to follow.”
- “There is almost no story and what is there is generic.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of charming references and lighthearted moments that some players find funny and nostalgic, while others feel the jokes fall flat or are only mildly amusing. Overall, the humor adds a playful touch but may not resonate equally with everyone.
- “Small touches of humor and charm also help balance the intensity.”
- “I liked the sense of humor of the game and trailer :D”
- “There are a few hilarious references, my favorite being Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero reference.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
Replayability is limited, primarily relying on personal skill improvement rather than varied content or branching paths. The game offers enjoyable short-term play but lacks lasting incentive to replay unless aiming for high-score challenges.
- “Replay value largely comes from personal improvement rather than procedural systems or branching progression.”
- “The game is great fun for an hour or a few, although it has no replayability unless you want to hold a world record for a random game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The game is generally stable but contains a few minor glitches and menu issues that slightly impact the experience. Overall, stability is acceptable but could benefit from some polish.