Review: Orc Incremental

Recruit your horde, raise your totems and prepare to start over

Orc Incremental mixes elements from idle games that have been gaining popularity in recent years with army building systems that make progression much more interesting than simply watching numbers go up on their own. The idea starts out relatively simple: we recruit our orcs, position our units on the field, defeat enemies to earn coins and use those resources to strengthen our army while unlocking new possibilities.

The experience also embraces a characteristic that is quite common in the genre: leaving the game running in the background while progression takes place. Even so, there are important decisions to make along the way, especially once we start dealing with different units, abilities, positioning and permanent progression systems. It is when these elements begin to come together that Orc Incremental finds its strongest form.

GAMEPLAY

The initial progression is a little slow, especially when recruiting the first orcs if we rely solely on the game's automatic progression system. As we defeat enemies, we receive coins that can be used to purchase upgrades, recruit new units and gradually increase the strength of our army. Each orc has its own abilities and roles on the battlefield, so composition becomes increasingly important as more options become available. Combat is constant and happens automatically, but there is still a surprisingly engaging level of active participation through the abilities we can use with the mouse.

The system that caught my attention the most was precisely the positioning of units.

We use the Portal to recruit new members of our army, and each new unit works similarly to a card that can be freely positioned at certain points on the battlefield. This makes army building a much more interesting decision, since we can determine where each orc will stand and think about the best way to organize our formation. There is also a limit to how many units we can have on the field, called Max Power, but this limit can be expanded as we progress. Once we have more than one unit fighting, the pace also becomes considerably faster and more enjoyable.

Another detail that helps a lot during battles is the presence of units with very specific roles. In my case, having Demon Exactors automatically collect the coins scattered across the field made progression much more comfortable, while some units can take on completely different offensive roles. The Catapult was one of the best examples for me, being one of the strongest units I encountered during my playthrough thanks to its massive area damage. This variety means that recruiting a new unit is not simply about increasing a number, but also about discovering how it can fit into the formation we are already using.

There is also Dark Rebirth, a system that works as a sort of progression reset. When we perform one, we lose gold, upgrades, units and Totems, but receive Rot, a currency used to unlock permanent upgrades in the skill tree connected to the Cursed Elf. Through it, we can increase the amount of gold earned, improve specific attributes, unlock new Totems and acquire other powers. The first reset requires some planning, since the more Rot we accumulate before performing it, the more options we have to strengthen our next attempt. From that point onward, progression becomes heavily dependent on these rebirths, which genuinely make a difference in the strength of our units and allow us to reach further each time.

VISUALS AND SOUND

Visually, this ended up being my favorite part of Orc Incremental. The orcs are well designed and the enemies also have plenty of personality, but what caught my attention the most was the perspective used. The camera is even more vertical than a traditional isometric view, showing basically the tops of the characters' heads with only a slight inclination. The map also follows an art direction inspired by Warcraft 2, and bringing this kind of aesthetic back into a strategy game was a decision I found particularly successful. It is a very different visual style from what we normally see in modern games, and it was one of the aspects I enjoyed experiencing the most during my playthrough.

The sound, on the other hand, bothered me a little during the first few hours. Since combat is practically constant, some sound effects end up being heard repeatedly for long periods, especially considering that this is the kind of game that naturally stays open in a second window while we do other things. The version I played also already featured Brazilian Portuguese in the interface, although the localization was still incomplete. Some abilities were translated, while certain cards remained in English, which is understandable considering how early the version I played still was.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The achievements in Orc Incremental follow the natural progression of the experience quite well and do not necessarily require the player to follow an external checklist from the beginning. There are objectives tied to the first battles and bosses, as well as challenges involving the use of abilities, defeating specific types of enemies, reaching certain levels and exploring different possibilities offered by the combat system. There are also achievements related to using Totems, positioning and managing the army, and meeting specific conditions during battles.

For those looking to unlock them all, the list also includes more specific objectives, such as winning battles within certain time limits, completing special challenges, keeping all units alive in certain situations and progressing through the game's various systems. There are also achievements related to Dark Rebirths. Overall, the list combines objectives that naturally appear throughout progression with some challenges that require paying attention to the mechanics and experimenting with different ways to play, without requiring major detours from the main experience.

TRAILER OFFICIAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6w1YJrTq5A

FINAL THOUGHTS

Orc Incremental still has some issues that need to be addressed. The repetitive sound bothered me mainly during the first few hours, and the initial progression can feel slow. I also encountered some problems during progression, such as around level 70, when some units had trouble crossing the screen and attacking certain catapults. I had to resort to a few tricks to defeat them normally, which ended up disrupting the pace of the battle a little. The Brazilian Portuguese localization was also still incomplete in the version I played, although the abilities were already translated.

On the other hand, unit positioning was one of the coolest mechanics I found in the game. The ability to pick up a new unit through the Portal and decide exactly where to place it on the field gives army building an unexpected level of importance, especially once we start combining different roles. Units such as the Catapult also show how a specific choice can completely change the way we approach certain groups of enemies. The Demon Exactors, meanwhile, were another example of how a unit designed around a specific role can make progression much more convenient.

Dark Rebirth also adds an important layer to the experience, especially because the reset feels less like simply starting over and more like a way to build permanent progression through Rot. The skill tree connected to the Cursed Elf offers new ways to strengthen the army, unlock Totems and expand the possibilities of future attempts.

Combined with the Warcraft 2 inspired visuals, which I consider one of the most interesting aspects of the presentation, Orc Incremental brought together a combination of systems that left me genuinely interested in continuing to progress and discovering new ways to build my army.

SCORE: 7.7/10

Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ