The choice to bring the title to the DS seemed like a no-brainer to id and publisher EA, as
Orcs & Elves fared quite well on the mobile phone circuit. And, the critics that have tossed their two pennies into the virtual arena of thought seem to agree that the game has its merits. But, what's scarier, is the fact that the users over at Metacritic find the game to have a lot less value than the critics have said. So, who's to believe?
- GameDaily (80/100) says "Although it's easy to poke fun at the story, it harkens back to a day when hardcore role players locked themselves in their basements and played Dungeons & Dragons with friends, and because of that, Orcs & Elves has an old school charm missing from the latest Final Fantasys."
- GameTap (80/100) thinks "Fortunately, graphics aren't what makes a game fun--actual game content does. And while the story doesn't break any new ground, this is a solid little dungeon crawler to spend a few hours with."
- GameSpy (70/100) is of the mind that "Its simple elements are well-blended in an adventure that only lasts about eight hours but still manages to fill its time with great fighting, fun puzzles and a general nostalgic atmosphere. It might not be for everybody, but it certainly hits a niche that has been neglected by mainstream developers in recent years."
Have any of you picked up the game yet, or given it a try?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-17-2007 @ 8:19PM
Brittany said...
I picked it up, have only just started it really - but so far it's exactly what you'd expect for a dungeon crawler. The graphics could have been better, and I think the sound is lacking quite a bit...but mini puzzles and smile killing always makes for a pretty good game right?
btw, this game is pretty hard to find - I couldn't find it at the local gamestop, one walmart had none, one walmart had a few, and hastings had only one. Also, if you are excited about the free stylus thing - it comes inside the box, so don't worry if it doesn't look like it's packaged with a freebie!
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11-18-2007 @ 2:24AM
ehaleen said...
i beat O&E yesterday and it takes me back to eye of the beholder for snes and dungeon master for mac/dos/amiga. if your old skool your will like this, if nu skool you probably will not "get it"
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11-18-2007 @ 3:01AM
Xian B. said...
No worries. I check Metacritics nightly and was there the day they added Orcs & Elves to the front page listing. At that time there were only two professional reviews (80 & 80), and one user rating: 0.0. Then that jumped to 5.0 (so the 2nd vote must have been a 10), and the 3rd vote kept it at 5.0 (so must have been about 7).
That first vote appeared way too early to have been objective, I believe. I haven't played the game, but the user was either mistaken or disgruntled.
The yeas still have it.
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11-18-2007 @ 6:28PM
Xian B. said...
Brittany: I was convinced when you mentioned the stylus, but I checked around online and according to the message boards, the bonus stylus isn't always included. Many people never got one.
I hope I get one.
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11-19-2007 @ 9:27AM
Hollow Man said...
Gamestop unwrapped and opened one in front of me: no stylus. The word from gamespot.com is that Wal-Mart has the styluses insides the box, and it says so on the box itself. I called 4 Wal-Marts and none had it in stock, so I ordered from walmart.com. We'll see what happens.
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11-19-2007 @ 1:55PM
Brittany said...
Argh, I'm sorry for the misinformation guys.
Mine says explicitly on the back that it includes the free stylus - I know it it just for a limited time but I figured all the initial shipments would come with the stylus.
Thanks for the clarification everyone - btw I think I forgot to mention earlier that the one I got that came with the stylus was from Walmart.
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