Orcs Must Die 2

Rating 12 Cert, Robot Entertainment, PC *****

If you were a fan of the original Orcs Must Die, then the sequel should be right up your street. The follow-up is set only a few days after the action of the original, but the War Mage gets some backup in the form of the Sorceress.

The same sorceress who brought about the Order’s destruction. Right.

So it seems the orcs just can’t catch a break. No one wants them around. Once again, you have to cut swathes through the horde, defending the rifts from the invaders and generally just destroying everything orc-related in your path.

Orcs Must Die 2 has all the right ingredients: humour, good graphics, and of course plenty of orc vanquishing. Yes, there’s a good bit of crossover with the first instalment of the game, but there are plenty of new things to tempt you.

There are new villains to battle – fancy trying your hand against bile bats, anyone? – and the addition of the Sorceress means you get new defences and traps to help you in your quest. And the traps are equally as fun to set and watch the results.

Collecting skulls around the levels gives you the currency to upgrade your weapons and defences too.

The story campaign can be played solo or in co-op mode, but once you’re done with that, there is plenty to keep you coming back for more with the new Endless mode. As the name suggests, you have to battle through endless waves of orcs. Tactics can be as important as brute force, with the careful use of traps key to getting through the more difficult waves. There’s a few bonuses scattered around – killing the golden orc will net you extra cash that you can spend on traps, and there are bonus skulls to be picked up too.

Orcs Must Die 2 has all the charm of the original, with the added challenge of co-op play. A worthy successor.