Orcs Must Die! 3

About

"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

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,210 reviews

gameplay200 positive mentions

grinding55 negative mentions

gameplay
559 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
5%
The gameplay in "Orcs Must Die! 3" retains the fast-paced, chaotic blend of tower defense and third-person shooter mechanics familiar from previous installments, offering a satisfying core loop of setting traps and battling hordes of orcs. While the game introduces new features and mechanics, some players feel that it lacks significant innovation and can become repetitive, particularly in endless mode. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and fun, especially in co-op mode, but it is marred by balance issues and a limited variety of enemies and traps.
- “The gameplay remains fast-paced and chaotic, with a great mix of strategy and action.”
- “The game's core loop of setting traps, unleashing mayhem, and mowing down hordes of orcs remains as addictive as ever, with the addition of new features that expand the scale and variety of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is engaging and challenging, and the various traps and weapons available to the player add a lot of depth and strategy to the game.”
- “The gameplay is just generic 3D tower defense, and as much as I heard, it doesn't differ from the second part.”
- “The graphics are improved, but the gameplay just feels inferior, and the DLCs are full of broken levels where, for example, enemies phase through barricades as if they do not exist.”
- “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
468 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The story in "Orcs Must Die! 3" is generally viewed as a weak point, with many reviewers describing it as simplistic, clichéd, and lacking depth compared to its predecessors. While it serves to connect the gameplay and provide some context, the narrative is often overshadowed by the focus on gameplay mechanics and humor, leading to a mixed reception where players appreciate the fun of the traps and combat more than the story itself. Overall, the game is seen as entertaining but with a forgettable plot and underdeveloped characters.
- “The story is good too and not that complex.”
- “The campaign tells a little story through a few cutscenes and dialogues within missions.”
- “The story, though not the primary focus, is rather thin and does little to contextualize the action or develop the characters beyond one-dimensional archetypes.”
- “The story is garbage and the dance your character does at the end of the match makes me want to gouge my eyes out.”
- “The story is soulless, boring and does not move along well.”
graphics
348 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
3%
The graphics in "Orcs Must Die! 3" have received significant praise for their vibrant, cartoonish art style and improved visual fidelity compared to previous installments. While many players appreciate the smooth performance and engaging animations, some critiques highlight a shift towards a more realistic aesthetic that may detract from the game's original charm. Overall, the graphical enhancements contribute positively to the gameplay experience, making it visually appealing and enjoyable.
- “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 graphics in Orcs Must Die 3 are excellent, with detailed character models and environments.”
- “The game's cartoonish art style pops with vibrant colors and fluid animations.”
- “The art style is a bit less cartoony and a bit more realistic, which leads to a lot of the game looking uncanny (especially the new characters. They look pretty rough).”
- “The graphics improved, but I expected a little bit more in this scenario.”
- “Somehow, the graphics are worse than OMD1, let alone OMD2.”
humor
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
1%
6%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the character dialogue and orc quips to be hilarious and a highlight of the experience. However, some reviews criticize the new characters and writing as cringeworthy and less funny compared to previous installments, suggesting a decline in comedic quality. Overall, while the game retains its quirky charm and offers amusing moments, opinions vary on the effectiveness of its 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 a very funny game to play with friends.”
- “The orcs still have some funny lines and still complain about signing up for a stupid job or just crying for their mommy because they just got sprayed with acid, while being set on fire.”
- “Cringe story, poisonous and unfunny characters, wine turned vinegar.”
- “The banter was supposed to be funny, I guess, but wasn't.”
- “The humor is cringey, and the new characters add nothing to the experience.”
replayability
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its diverse trap setups, various modes like Scramble and Endless, and the ability to experiment with different strategies and characters. Players appreciate the engaging co-op experience and the challenge of competing for high scores, although some feel the overall content could be expanded. While many reviews highlight the game's replay value, a few note limitations in content and map variety that could affect long-term engagement.
- “The game has good replayability value, especially if you decide to come back and play on the hardest difficulty or just join random co-op and help others out.”
- “With diverse traps, engaging level design, and vibrant visuals, it offers endless replayability.”
- “A multitude of different weapons and traps, as well as expansive maps with lots of room for creative planning and strategy ensure plenty of replayability.”
- “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.”
- “There really isn't much content or replayability as of yet, and I'm not as much a fan of how the characters are done, with each character only having one defining minor attribute.”
music
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as excellent and fitting the game's atmosphere, while others find it repetitive and lacking the uniqueness of previous installments. Many players appreciate the orchestral-metal style and the nostalgic elements, but some criticize the new compositions as forgettable or geared towards a younger audience. Overall, while the music enhances the gameplay experience for some, it fails to impress others who preferred the earlier soundtracks.
- “Excellent soundtrack with a deep tower defense mini game to play while you listen.”
- “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 personally find it ridiculous that they would sell the soundtrack to this game because it's so mediocre.”
- “The music can be a bit annoying at times; it feels like there are about 2 seconds of music on repeat the whole time in the menus, it's not as bad in-game.”
optimization
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
17%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting smooth performance on high settings, while others experience significant frame rate drops and performance issues, particularly during intense gameplay scenarios. Many users express frustration over the game's high hardware demands and lack of optimization, suggesting that it could benefit from further balancing and performance tweaks. Overall, while some players enjoy a stable experience, a notable portion of the community finds the optimization lacking, making it a contentious aspect of the game.
- “The rog ally runs it in its 'performance' TDP preset at a flawless 60 in 1080p with the high graphics options.”
- “Performance-wise, the game is running flawlessly for me on a Ryzen 5 3600X, RTX 2080 Super, and 16GB memory, feels well optimized for my system and runs at over 120+ FPS at 1440p on ultra quality.”
- “Generally, I have not encountered any performance issues and it runs really smoothly for me.”
- “I have never seen such poor optimization in any game I've ever played so far.”
- “The biggest deal-breaker, though, is the game-breaking performance issue.”
- “Optimization is just awful; in 2021 we still have not learned how to do optimization. It seems that they did everything in a rush.”
grinding
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
17%
79%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the addictive gameplay loop and the need for grinding to unlock upgrades and perks, others find the lack of fast-forward options and the repetitive nature of grinding to be frustrating. Overall, players suggest that while grinding is necessary for progression, it can often feel excessive and diminish the fun of the game.
- “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.”
- “Not grinding to finally do it.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “There is no fast forward functionality for early waves, either, so it can feel extremely tedious at times.”
- “The fun is gone, replaced by frustration and tediousness.”
- “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.”
stability
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
2%
85%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in co-op mode. While some users noted improvements in netcode and overall polish compared to previous installments, persistent problems such as hit registration, enemy AI pathing, and freezing remain prevalent. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" and "unstable," with some players expressing hope for future patches to address these issues.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The problematic state of the game, coupled with its persisting bugs and glitches, compels me to share my negative feedback.”
monetization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
14%
64%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its lack of microtransactions and cash grab tactics, while others criticize it for feeling like a quick cash grab with confusing menus and unresolved issues. Many users express frustration over the focus on advertisements rather than meaningful content updates, leading to a perception of the game as a poorly executed sequel. Overall, the sentiment is divided between those who appreciate the absence of aggressive monetization and those who feel exploited 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.”
- “Heck, there isn't any monetization for this game.”
- “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.”
- “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
36%
36%
27%
Overall, the atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag; while the third installment improves upon the previous entries by enhancing gameplay and maintaining a fitting cartoonish style, some players feel the art direction clashes with the intended tone. The rainy levels and high-quality music contribute positively to the ambiance, yet the lack of immersive environmental sounds detracts from the experience. Additionally, the game's humorous approach may not resonate with all players, particularly those seeking a more serious fantasy atmosphere.
- “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
55%
18%
27%
Character development in the game is marked by a mix of charming art styles and witty dialogue, though some players feel that the creativity is underutilized. While certain characters are praised for their fun designs and engaging one-liners, others criticize the simplification of dialogue and inconsistencies in character quality compared to previous entries. Overall, the character design is seen as a highlight, but there are calls for improvement in character variation and AI behavior.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Orcs Must Die 2 improved on everything: character variation, victory dance variations, subtle animations, new traps, clever use of character design and sound.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
The emotional responses to the game highlight a sense of disappointment and betrayal, particularly in how it diverges from the wholesome narrative established in previous installments. Players express sadness over the lack of satisfying conclusions and character development, feeling that the new direction undermines their previous accomplishments and enjoyment. Overall, the game is perceived as a letdown, failing to evoke the same emotional engagement as its predecessors.
- “That made me feel really disappointed, since it felt like my progress was removed.”
- “A heartbreaking betrayal of the franchise.”
- “Final thoughts: a heartbreaking letdown.”