Robot Entertainment have signed on with Microsoft Game Studios to bring "Orcs Must Die" to the Xbox Live Arcade and PC later this summer. The game blends third-person action-adventure and elements from tower defense games, placing you in the role of a hero tasked with stopping increasingly difficult waves of orcs. There's no definite date yet, but it seems like we could see the game by late next month.
The first time I saw "Orcs Must Die" was during Pax East earlier this year. It was one of those indie games you see off to the side, but I knew something was up, based on the consistently large group of people gathered around the booth. Basically, you'll enter each map with a set amount of currency, spending your dough on various traps to keep the orcs maintained. You can also confront the orcs head-on, hacking and slashing your way through them. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a more melee-focused "Trenched," which certainly isn't a bad thing.
According to today's press release, there's also a comic-book prequel tie-in for "Orcs Must Die." The comic tells the story of "a world endangered by savage monsters and of the heroes that rose up to drive them back." If you're attending Comic-Con this week, the book is available in the Xbox Lounge, free of charge. Those of us not embarking out to a crowded San Diego this week can still get our hands on the comic, though, as a digital version will release for free later this summer.