New 3D Hack & Slash game looking for backers

Orcs usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to their role in RPGs and hack & slash games. Unless it's a two-faction game like World of Warcraft, they're pretty much always the bad guy and getting slaughtered by the hundreds by some random Human/Dwarf/Elf adventurer. Not the most glorious of roles a fantasy race could hope for, is it? Some developers over in London named Casual Brothers Ltd. think it's high time the Orcs got some payback for all those years of being the bane of low-level RPG characters, so they've created a game starring the green guys and they're looking for help from the community.

The basic idea for the game is simple: the Humans have come to steal the Orcs' land with a giant army and lots of machines. The Orcs fight back, but the Humans have them outmanned and outgunned. Worse yet, the pollution from their machines has made all of the Orcs sick, further hampering their ability to fight, so they run with the Humans on their tail. You, as the player, learn to harness part of this sickness to fight back against the enemy. Apparently the main side effect of drinking polluted water and eating polluted food is horrendous flatulence, which players will use to cause explosions and other effects to fight back against the Humans.

Gameplay-wise, it's a 3D hack and slash with four-player online or offline co-op and all four players sharing the same camera (if you watch one of the videos, you'll see a bubble pop up as one player goes too far to the side to indicate that he's out of frame and should head back towards the others). Fight hordes of enemies, learn new powers/combos, upgrade equipment/stats as you progress - if you've played a hack and slash game like All Zombies Must Die, Crimson Alliance or the old Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance games, you're familiar with the mechanics and you'll know if you're a fan. If you haven't played a hack and slash game, they're pretty easy to get into and generally play similarly. A button for basic attack, one for heavy attack, a special button or two, and usually something like the D-Pad for consumables or situational power; there's some variation, but about 80% of that is consistent between games.

If you'd like to know more about Orc Attack, head over to the game's official site or go look at their Kickstarter page. I saw this game at PAX Prime this year, but I was pressed for time to hit all of the games I knew about going into the show, let alone finding time for new stuff. Videos look fun, but I really need to play the game before I can comment on how good it is.

Michael "Ragar" Branham