Teravision Games is known for its wacky embrace of VR. Its first title, Captain ToonHead vs The Punks from Outer Space (2021), was part strategy, part action shooter. The studio’s latest endeavour, Orcs Must Die: By The Blade follows a similar ethos, where you directly fight enemies as well as lay traps. And as our cohorts at 131XR discover in their review, Orcs Must Die: By The Blade does a lot right.
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Orcs in VR!
If you didn’t realise already, Orcs Must Die: By The Blade is a VR instalment in the long-running Orcs Must Die! franchise by Robot Entertainment. The original flatscreen edition of the game came out in 2011, spawning several sequels, including 2025’s Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap.
The games all follow a similar process in which you must defend a variety of fortresses from incoming orc hordes. You do this by creatively laying a myriad of traps, wielding various weapons and (in some editions) unleashing magical attacks.
In Orcs Must Die: By The Blade, the action gets far more physical as you head into hand-to-hand combat with the green menace.
Orcs Must Die: By The Blade Review
That means Orcs Must Die: By The Blade is a game of dual strategies. You must carefully position defences like spike traps to damage the attackers. But you must also use swords, hammers and other melee weapons to crush the orcs when they get too close, and they will.
As 131XR notes in its review, Orcs Must Die: By The Blade doesn’t initially lay some of this explanation out well, suggesting traps have specific locations. When in fact they can be placed where you most see fit. As long as you know this, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the strategic planning of each level and wave, refining your trap placement whilst unlocking new traps to broaden your defensive capabilities.
As for the melee combat, this comes thick and fast with plenty of angry green enemies to deal with. 131XR does find, however, that the combat does need some refinement. Unlike some physical combat games – of which there are many in VR – the weapons in Orcs Must Die: By The Blade don’t connect particularly solidly, so it can feel like you’re putting a lot of effort in yet causing little damage. So at times, simple sword waggling seemed more effective.
Watch the full 131XR review below for further details.
More Orcy Goodness
And it seems that Teravision Games is already listening to a lot of player feedback. The studio has announced its first patch, improving collision detection and feedback, improving the multiplayer, adding smooth turning and more!
So if you’ve already bought the game and weren’t 100% happy with it, improvements are coming. For us, it seems like a decent VR game is going to get even better.
Let us know your impressions of Orcs Must Die: By The Blade in the comments!
