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Orcs Must Die! 3

Robot Entertainment's Orcs Must Die! 3 brings the beloved series back with its best entry yet.
Orcs Must Die! 3 Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
stability, grinding
86% User Score Based on 6,481 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 22 reviews

Platforms

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Orcs Must Die! 3 Game Cover

About

Orcs Must Die! 3 is a single player and multiplayer survival shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Robot Entertainment and was released on July 23, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Orcs Must Die! 3 brings back the series' signature orc-slaying action with expanded features, including colossal War Scenarios filled with brutal invasions and mountable War Machines. The game offers more of everything fans love - from orcs and traps to weapons and upgrades - along with a new story set 20 years after Orcs Must Die! 2. Prepare for an intense, high-stakes adventure in this long-awaited sequel."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
Orcs Must Die! 3 screenshot
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86%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,481 reviews
gameplay212 positive mentions
stability62 negative mentions
  • Engaging and enjoyable gameplay that combines tower defense with third-person action.
  • The addition of new traps, weapons, and the War Scenarios mode adds variety and excitement to the gameplay.
  • Great fun when played in co-op mode, allowing for strategic collaboration with friends.
  • The game can feel repetitive and lacks the depth and variety of previous installments, particularly in terms of character and trap options.
  • Frequent crashes and technical issues, especially in multiplayer mode, can disrupt the gaming experience.
  • Some maps are poorly designed, making it difficult to effectively use traps and requiring excessive reliance on player combat.
  • gameplay
    589 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Orcs Must Die! 3" is a blend of tower defense and third-person shooter mechanics, maintaining the addictive core loop of its predecessors while introducing new features and traps. Players appreciate the balance between strategic planning and active combat, although some feel the game lacks significant innovation and can become repetitive. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and fun, especially in co-op mode, but it may not satisfy those seeking deeper mechanics or a substantial departure from earlier titles.

    • “The gameplay is fun and the progression mechanics are very fair to the player, so much so that you can stick with your vanilla kit throughout the entire game (plus the archers and turrets).”
    • “The core gameplay loop is very solid, the game overall plays super well, it feels and flows amazing.”
    • “It masterfully balances strategic planning with hands-on action, creating a uniquely satisfying gameplay loop that constantly challenges players to think creatively and act decisively.”
    • “The gameplay is just generic 3D tower defense, and as much as I heard, it doesn't differ from the second part.”
    • “There are moments where the game just throws so much at you, or introduces mechanics like those infuriating random portals, that it feels less like a challenge and more like a simply unfair scenario designed to frustrate.”
    • “The core mechanics are still fun, but the lack of meaningful upgrades makes it feel like a recycled experience rather than a true evolution.”
  • story
    487 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Orcs Must Die! 3" is generally considered weak and serves primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay, with many players finding it bland, forgettable, or even cringeworthy. While some appreciate the light-hearted humor and the continuation of the franchise's lore, the new characters and plot developments are often criticized for lacking depth and charm compared to earlier titles. Overall, the narrative is seen as a minor aspect of the game, with most players focusing on the engaging gameplay rather than the story itself.

    • “The story is nothing groundbreaking but is better than I expected for the style of game that it is.”
    • “Omd3 has a simple storyline to keep you somewhat invested and slowly build your curiosity throughout without distracting much from the gameplay if you choose to ignore it altogether.”
    • “The story mode is really good and fun.”
    • “The story is thin and does little to contextualize the action or develop the characters beyond one-dimensional archetypes.”
    • “The story is dull and boring, and relies on you playing through OMD1, OMD2, and Unchained to understand.”
    • “The story mode feels very short and once again underwhelming; after such a long period of time, I would have expected more development.”
  • graphics
    359 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Orcs Must Die! 3" have received significant praise for their vibrant, cartoonish style and overall improvement from previous installments, offering a visually appealing experience with smooth animations and detailed environments. However, some players have noted that the art style has shifted slightly towards a more realistic look, which may detract from the charm of the earlier games. While the graphical enhancements are generally well-received, there are mixed feelings about certain design choices, particularly regarding the user interface and character aesthetics.

    • “The graphics are great; everything legitimately looks high quality.”
    • “While it doesn’t push graphical boundaries, its presentation is clean and consistent, with enough variety to keep things visually interesting.”
    • “The graphics are top-notch, immersing you in a vibrant and chaotic world where every trap, weapon, and spell comes to life with a satisfying crunch.”
    • “The art style is a bit less cartoonish and a bit more realistic, which leads to a lot of the game looking uncanny (especially the new characters. They look pretty rough).”
    • “Good game, but the new characters suck; they are not likable, and they tried to improve the graphics but killed the vibe and charm of the last two games.”
    • “What a letdown it was, where one would expect the game to be bigger and grander than its own older iterations - OMD3 falls short to live up to 2 in every way; traps are actually fewer while doing less damage, visuals look worse than 2, maps are boring, and the campaign is shorter.”
  • humor
    166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mix of goofy, cartoonish elements and witty dialogue, often eliciting laughter through the absurdity of orc interactions and trap mechanics. While many players appreciate the lighthearted tone and find the orc banter amusing, some criticize the humor as cringy or less effective compared to previous installments. Overall, the game is best enjoyed in co-op mode, where the comedic moments shine through the chaotic gameplay.

    • “⭐ 10/10 – orcs beware: I’m coming for you with a lawnmower, a flamethrower, and a very twisted sense of humor.”
    • “The game's humor and charming art style continue to be strong points, with witty dialogue and exaggerated character designs that perfectly complement the over-the-top action.”
    • “It's absolutely hilarious and makes it easy to funnel everything into your death rooms.”
    • “Cringe story, poisonous and unfunny characters, wine turned vinegar.”
    • “The banter was supposed to be funny, I guess, but wasn't.”
    • “New unfunny characters are forced upon us.”
  • replayability
    112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally praised, with many players highlighting the endless modes, co-op features, and diverse strategies available through various traps and characters. While some reviews note a decline in replay value compared to earlier entries, the introduction of modes like Scramble and the ability to tackle maps with different strategies keep the experience fresh and engaging. Overall, players find significant replayability, especially when playing with friends or competing for high scores.

    • “Co-op play enhances replayability and introduces a social aspect to the already chaotic battles, making it a standout feature for those who enjoy shared challenges.”
    • “With diverse traps, engaging level design, and vibrant visuals, it offers endless replayability.”
    • “The addition of scramble mode keeps this game fresh for replay value, forcing you to adapt your gameplay and traps to match the random buffs and debuffs.”
    • “There isn't much replayability, but that's a problem with any puzzle-oriented genre.”
    • “My friend and I were having a blast, but then we came across the fact that the replayability is pretty garbage, so decide for yourself if those 10 hours of fun are worth it.”
    • “The lack of supporting more than 2 players for larger scenarios or even for replayability in the game is really disappointing; this game should not be reduced to this.”
  • music
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the energetic soundtrack and quirky sound effects that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive and lacking the charm of previous installments. Many users noted that the new soundtrack, while decent, does not match the iconic quality of earlier games, leading some to prefer listening to the original soundtracks instead. Overall, the music contributes to the atmosphere but may not resonate with all players, especially those nostalgic for the earlier series' compositions.

    • “The audio design complements the visuals, featuring quirky voice lines, satisfying trap sounds, and a fittingly energetic soundtrack that keeps the adrenaline flowing.”
    • “The game's music and sound effects are also top-notch, adding to the atmosphere.”
    • “Not only are the traps killer, so is the soundtrack!”
    • “The 'metal-bardcore' OST of the previous games was succeeded by a boring and forgettable OST.”
    • “I was okay with the music, but my partner decided to turn it off and listen to his own music while playing because he found it so repetitive and boring.”
    • “What I didn't like about the game is the menu music that loops every 6 seconds; it gets so annoying that I mute the game while I look for upgrades and customize my traps.”
  • optimization
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and graphics on high-end systems, while others report significant frame rate drops and performance issues, especially during intense gameplay scenarios. Many users noted that the game struggles with high enemy counts, leading to unresponsive traps and overall gameplay disruption. Overall, while some players enjoy a stable experience, a considerable number express frustration over the game's optimization shortcomings, suggesting that further updates are needed to enhance performance and balance.

    • “The game ran brilliantly with almost 0 performance issues or bugs, had a good level of difficulty where the game itself is not hard to beat, but it's hard to beat on the hardest difficulty with good scores.”
    • “Performance-wise, the game generally runs well, but there are occasional frame rate drops during particularly hectic moments, especially in war scenarios.”
    • “Performance-wise it was flawless.”
    • “The maximum difficulty can be quite punishing if the defense is not efficiently optimized.”
    • “For some reason, whenever there are too many enemies on screen (roughly 30 or so, which is very low in the endless mode), the traps that function by targeting enemies just stop targeting them. This means all such traps stop functioning, making them completely useless in the situations when you need them most, meaning literally almost half the traps in the game are unusable if you're aiming for higher scores.”
    • “I have never seen such poor optimization in any game I've ever played so far.”
  • stability
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and performance issues, particularly on PC. While some users noted improvements in certain areas compared to previous installments, the overall consensus is that the game is still quite buggy, with issues affecting gameplay, such as hit registration and enemy pathfinding. Despite these problems, a few players experienced smooth performance, especially on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, indicating that stability may vary depending on the setup.

    • “The game looks and runs great, even with an entire map littered with traps the frame rate was solid and other than occasional orc pathing issues (which the game does some garbage collection on to fix automatically) there weren't really any bugs.”
    • “Coop works fine, game runs great and looks great in my opinion.”
    • “Update after the quick patch everything runs great.”
    • “It's a good game, one of the better tower defense games, the issue is that it is prone to crashes and glitches on PC.”
    • “The game crashes and is buggy and takes a long time to load.”
    • “There are still game-breaking glitches present that will cause you to alt-F4.”
  • grinding
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it tedious, especially when playing solo. While some appreciate the opportunity to unlock achievements and upgrade traps, others feel that the grind for resources like skulls can detract from the overall enjoyment, making the gameplay feel repetitive and less engaging. Overall, while the game offers fun mechanics, the grinding can become a significant hurdle, particularly for completionists and those playing alone.

    • “The weapon and trap mastery system would have been a cool idea, but skulls still need to be spent after meeting the requirements for them; luckily, they aren't grindy.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Not grinding to finally do it.”
    • “As a completionist, the game is great; there are plenty of achievements to go for that take you to all the various different game modes, most of which you would be able to get alongside enjoying the game rather than sitting there grinding mindless slop for hours.”
    • “You are almost forced to grind earlier levels for skulls, since the upgrade process has become so tedious and the base traps are mostly feeling underpowered or utterly useless.”
    • “I want to progress and find new ways to make killboxes and try new strategies, not spend all my time finding skulls and refunding skulls a million times to re-purchase every tedious upgrade, which so badly kills the fun.”
  • monetization
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its lack of aggressive microtransactions and cash grabs, while others criticize it as a cash grab with confusing menus and locked content. Many users express frustration over the focus on advertisements rather than meaningful updates or bug fixes, leading to a perception of the game as a quick cash grab rather than a polished product. Overall, the sentiment is divided, with some enjoying the casual experience free from monetization pitfalls, while others feel let down by the developers' approach.

    • “A good casual game without all the garbage microtransactions and monetization - that's honestly super fun to play with a mate.”
    • “You'd be supporting a polished and finished game which doesn't include microtransactions or price gouging, has a ton of replay value, and is just a ton of fun.”
    • “If you like Dungeon Defenders but got fed up with how complicated they made it with all of the extra nonsense and the microtransactions, this game is for you.”
    • “Developers updated the game to add in advertisements for other products, not actual content or bug fixes for release issues that have existed since day one.”
    • “This one feels like a cash grab.”
    • “It's a quick cash grab and you are better off playing either the previous titles or better games altogether.”
  • atmosphere
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the improved gameplay and fitting cartoonish style, others feel that the realistic elements clash with the game's goofy aesthetic. The rainy levels and high-quality music enhance the atmosphere, but the lack of ambient sounds detracts from the immersive experience. Additionally, the tonal inconsistency between the humor and the fantasy setting leaves some players feeling that the atmosphere is not fully cohesive.

    • “They've kept the toon style, which fits in perfectly with the atmosphere, and they've managed to offer the license's great gameplay, while still providing graphics that fit in with the current time.”
    • “The rainy levels are brilliantly atmospheric, in my opinion.”
    • “The game's music and sound effects are also top-notch, adding to the atmosphere.”
    • “The art style doesn't feel right; it shouldn't have such a 'realistic' atmosphere when the overall style is so cartoony and goofy. It simply looks wrong and weird.”
    • “The story, atmosphere, and characters: 5/10. The game doesn't take itself seriously, which leads to some funny moments, but most of the time it's just a little bit too cringy and unfitting for the older fantasy setting it plays in.”
    • “I've always had a problem with the jerky and slow movements in the first two games, but in this third game, the devs have managed to keep the atmosphere and respect the style of the license, while improving the atmosphere in the gameplay.”
  • character development
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the humor and charm of the character designs and witty dialogue, while others criticize the simplification of writing and the shift to less engaging, child-like protagonists. Although there are enjoyable elements in character design and interactions, many feel that the depth and creativity seen in previous entries have been diminished, leading to a less satisfying overall experience. The game retains some fun aspects, but the character development lacks the complexity and richness that fans have come to expect.

    • “The other characters, on the other hand, are extremely fun and I love their character design, as well as their one-liners.”
    • “Orcs Must Die 2 improved on everything, character variation, victory dance variations, subtle animations, new traps, clever use of character design and sound.”
    • “It keeps the fluid, third-person gameplay, but also added new gadgets, new character designs, and new battle modes.”
    • “Character designs are fine, but the plot is kiddified with you playing as the annoying children who've been handed the baton of protecting the order rather than the larger-than-life characters developed in the last games, and the writing is really basic and braindead.”
    • “It's just sad to see so much creativity, game design, and character design be put to waste.”
    • “The only complaints I have otherwise are the terrible character designs; they need to hire the guy who did their art design from Unchained back, and the sometimes buggy AI with orcs getting stuck or standing still.”
  • emotional
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional responses to the game highlight a mix of nostalgia and disappointment, with players feeling let down by the narrative direction and character development compared to previous installments. While some express enjoyment in the gameplay mechanics and the sense of accomplishment from strategic successes, others find the story lacking and unsatisfying, particularly in how it diverges from the wholesome themes of earlier games. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly among players, with a notable sense of loss for the charm of the original titles.

    • “That made me feel really disappointed, since it felt like my progress was removed.”
    • “It's actually pretty sad how the second game didn't end with the 'prince getting the princess' as an official ending, as the third game broke that traditionally wholesome implication.”
    • “In OMD2, reaching wave 100 was fun, and seeing you manage to trap up the whole map and see it all in its glory made me feel so accomplished, while here, I feel unsatisfied.”
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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 22 critic reviews
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14h Median play time
42h Average play time
8-44h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs
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Orcs Must Die! 3 is a survival shooter game with fantasy theme.

Orcs Must Die! 3 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 42 hours playing Orcs Must Die! 3.

Orcs Must Die! 3 was released on July 23, 2021.

Orcs Must Die! 3 was developed by Robot Entertainment.

Orcs Must Die! 3 has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Orcs Must Die! 3 is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Orcs Must Die! 2, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, Sanctum 2, Kingdom Rush Vengeance, Kingdom Rush Frontiers and others.