Summary
Fiction often depicts Orcs as a villainous creature that goes after the heroes, as shown in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth universe. Video games are no different, with Orcs typically a savage race meant to be slain in mobs, but over the years, more games have strayed off from the norm by making Orcs playable.
Whether it is an RPG or an action game, Orcs have been mainstays for decades now. In some games, the Orc is a preset character who becomes the fleshed-out protagonist of a story, while others are custom characters that the player can build from scratch to be immersed in a fantasy world.
9King’s Bounty: Dark Side
Monsters Become The Protagonists In This Spin-Off
The strategy-based RPG,King’s Bounty: Dark Sidefeatures three playable monster-like characters: vampire, demon, and orc. Previously, in otherKing’s Bountygames, the three races would be antagonists, but in this off-shoot, they can be used in grid-based combat in which they command units to fight until every enemy unit is defeated.
As a bonus, each of the three characters inKing’s Bounty: Dark Sidefeatures a unique backstory and abilities, inciting replayability to try each one. However,King’s Bounty: Dark Sideis often criticized for feeling like a full game despite mostly strong reviews, with the content being rather limited and filled with bugs that can ruin playthroughs.
In many ways, theSpellForcegames are the spiritual successor to classicWarCraftgames ever since Blizzard seemed to stick toWorld Of WarCraftas an MMO. InSpellForce 3,players can partake in real-time strategyas they build bases and form armies to conquer enemies and other objectives, but with a grittier visual style to the game.
Of the four factions inSpellForce 3, Orcs are centered more around mowing through their enemies with brute force. They are also one of the fastest factions to expand, making them a common favorite in the community. Combined with a well-crafted prequel story to the first game,SpellForce 3became the best RTS for Orc gameplay in the modern age.
7Of Orcs And Men
Orcs Are The Heroes In This Third-Person Action RPG
Mixing action, comedy, and fantasy,Of Orcs And Menis a spin-off of theStyxgames and even features the goblin as a character, withsimple yet fun action RPG gameplay. Where Orcs are typically treated as monstrous villains or savages,Of Orcs And Mentreats them as the heroes leading a revolution against the Empire Of Men.
The main character, Arkail, is tasked with a mission that could free all Orcs from the tyranny of humans: assassinate the Emperor. He teams up with Styx to travel through the land, slaying monsters and humans alike to show a vastly different side to a fantasy world inOf Orcs And Men. The action gameplay is fun, and story and dialogue options can affect future items and ability unlocks.
For those wanting a fantasy game that doesn’t take itself too seriously,Blood Bowl 3is the right game for such a thing. It takes the team-building and game-planningof most college football gamesout there like with orcs, goblins, halflings, and more, as the football players, who fight in the stadiums in comedically gory fashions to win the match.
Blood Bowl 3is an ideal game for those who might also think sports games are not interesting thanks to its fantasy setting. In a way, building up the stats and reputation of a player is not that different from an RPG, soBlood Bowl 3can be a gateway sports game, while still providing blood and carnage with Orcs for fun.
Rather than the typical fantasy world,Shadowrun: Dragonfalltakes familiar fantasy concepts such as Elves and Orcs and puts them into a cyberpunk setting with familiar places such as Berlin. TheShadowrununiverse has had several entries over the years, butShadowrun: Dragonfallprovides a challenge while welcoming beginners to the series.
The gameplay is praised for its turn-based strategy,akin to games such asXCOM, but with more of an RPG angle where the player must use covers and tactics to protect the characters while also getting the upper hand on enemies. There is a character creator, with multiple races and classes to choose from, including the orc race, which is renamed to Ork in theShadowrununiverse.
Alongside theStarCraftgames,WarCrafthelped redefine the RTS genre by mixing addictive gameplay and storytelling.WarCraft 3: Reign Of Chaos, as well as theWarCraft 3: Reforgedremaster, took it even further with a massive story spanning across multiple episodes focusing on different factions, including the Alliance, Undead, Night Elves, and the Orc Horde.
Thrall, the son of Durotan becamean iconic Orc character in the franchise. His story inWarCraft 3helped turn the Horde into an iconic faction that fans often show their love and appreciation for at cons and other events, one of the first times showing Orcs as the heroes alongside other famous characters that would go on to be inWorld Of WarCraft.
Since RTS games are not for everybody,World Of WarCraftprovides a more beginner-friendly experience in the world of Azeroth as an MMORPG. It first launched in 2004 and remainsone of the most influential MMOs, still thriving two decades later with 690,000 players on the servers daily.
Rather than a set one,World Of WarCraftallows players to create their characters from scratch with a plethora of races to choose from. Also, Orcs are not just stuck with being brutish warriors, as the player can make their Orc a mage, a rogue, a warlock, or even a Death Knight, as a few of many available classes for the character.
Orcs have been a playable race inThe Elder Scrollsgames since the third game, butThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis considered the most famous game in the series. It not only presents a vast open world with hundreds of instances, opportunities, and side missions, but it is also the most easily accessible for longtime RPG fans as well as newcomers.
With the well-detailed character creator,The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimallows players totake control of multiple species of Elves, humans, Argonians, and Orc. Orcs are predisposed to strength-based builds inSkyrim, with higher stats on heavy weapons and armor. However, Skyrim allows players to essentially craft the class of their dreams, using any weapons, efficiencies, and spells they want.
WithBaldur’s Gate 3, gamers can get what is arguably the most authenticDungeons & Dragonsexperience in video game form. From rolling dice for actions to creating a character from scratch,Baldur’s Gate 3is the ideal game for someone tocreate their dream fantasy character, as there are so many options to choose from for customization and where to take their story.
As an RPG,Baldur’s Gate 3became a pinnacle of the genre, winning multiple Game Of The Year awards for its storytelling, gameplay, and voice acting, creating an immersive experience. Depending on how one plays and what choices they make, players can truly feel like an Orc within theDungeons & Dragonsuniverse.
