Orcs & Elves
Encyclopedia
Orcs & Elves is a fantasy
role-playing adventure
video game
for the mobile phone
and Nintendo DS
. It was developed by John Carmack and Fountainhead Entertainment, produced by id Software
, published by EA Mobile and licensed by Nintendo
for the DS version. It was first released on the mobile phone on May 1, 2006 before being ported to the Nintendo DS on November 15, 2007. The game is based on Doom RPG
s engine and is id's first original intellectual property
since Quake
. The later DS port of the game included graphical enhancements, such as 3D environments and camera cutscenes, along with improved character sprites, two new levels and the use of the touchscreen feature.
The game is described as an adventure-RPG, in which the protagonist, a young Elf
must retake a dwarven city from the evil army of Orcs occupying it. A sequel, titled Orcs & Elves II, has been released for mobile phones.
Orcs & Elves is a turn-based role-playing game
, played from a first person perspective. Each individual action by the player counts as a "turn", whether that be movement, using an item or weapon or casting a spell in which other foes will also move and attack in turns following each. Each forward move by the player is done on an invisible grid that makes up each level in order to retain the turn-based element while appearing more like a first person adventure due to its fast paced nature.
Each level is set in a maze environment such as a dungeon
or cave
rn with a start and end point, containing multiple corridors and rooms that can be visited at any time. Many paths are cut off and require certain objectives to be completed in order to advance, such as activate hidden switches, locate helpful ghosts and opening rune gates that require a code of four runes. Some foes also require different strategies in order to defeat with some being resistant to certain attacks such as magic.
The RPG elements, along with those of dungeon crawlers, come in the form of basic leveling up of the player and collecting and trading items and gold. As the player progresses they will level up, increasing their overall stats such as health, strength and defense, through slaying foes, completing objectives and locating hidden areas and items, many of which can be repeated. Although to begin with the player is equipped with just a basic sword and a wand called "Ellon" they can also find various items, along with gold, throughout each level, which they can spend on new equipment by visiting "Gaya the Dragon", located by entering portals at the end of each level. Equipment can have both passive and active effects, such as armor to improve defense, repair kits for damaged armor, magic rings and potions that improve certain stats or heal and stronger weapons like war hammers and crossbows or spells for the wand Ellon to be used in combat like lightening and fire attacks.
In the Nintendo DS version of the game, spells can be cast through drawing runes on the touchscreen for each spell using the DS' stylus. Movement, item management and menu navigation can also be done using this feature along with the option of button controls.
known as Ellon, that not only can speak but exchanges dialogue with others throughout the story, making Ellon Elli’s form of interaction. Despite being only a wand however, Ellon embodies an almost human personality, in many instances often exchanging jokes or arguments with friend and foe alike.
Another prominent character is King Brahm, king of the Dwarf mountain city of Zharrakarag and friend of Elli’s father, Eol. While not initially seen at the beginning of the story, Elli must locate him in order to learn more and eventually track down the perpetrators of the Orc invasion. Other friendly characters encountered throughout the game are the ghosts of the fallen dwarf inhabitants, who despite their demise aid the player through guiding them and unlocking impassable doors. Some of the dwarf ghosts are encountered multiple times, such as Sarbok, a dwarf ale brewer who will invite Elli to drink with him before continuing with the quest on several occasions and Nestri, the first dwarf encountered, proving to be a key ally throughout.
Another recurring character is the dragon Gaya, who sits in a lair near the top of the mountain guarding a vast treasure who uses it to trade with adventurers and the dwarves, where King Brahm made a deal with the dragon as a supplier. Elli can teleport to in between levels via portals and can even trade rare artifacts for better, more expensive equipment.
Upon arriving at Zharrkarag, Elli and Ellon encounter a ghost of a fallen Dwarf inhabitant, Iog or Nestri who informs the pair that the mountain city has been attacked by Orcs. With the help of other Dwarf ghosts, the pair reach the Dragon’s Lair, home of the dragon Gaya who assists the player throughout by trading loot with Elli. As they explore the prison, they encounter a captive Dark Elf, revealing their part in the invasion. Later, after battling through waves of Orcs and giant insects, Elli encounters and defeats the great weaver Sonja.
Moving into the Zharrkarag forge, the ghost of the Forge Master informs Elli and Ellon that King Brahm is dead but can still be contacted in the Dwarf King’s Throne Room. After meeting the King, Elli is given possession of his powerful Warhammer Abraxas to aid him in battle against the Orc warlord Bruul. Upon reaching the Pit and defeating Bruul, Elli is informed that the leader of the overall invasion is Kai'Laria, a powerful dark elf sorceress. Elli and Ellon confront her in the Twilight Cavern where at first it appears she is defeated, but she quickly returns as a ghost, supposedly invincible against physical attacks and thus more powerful. However before she can strike back, the ghosts of the fallen Dwarves appear and surround her, draining her magic and shifting the Cavern's walls, thus imprisoning her now powerless spirit inside. The Dwarves thank both Elli and Ellon before finally being free and passing into the afterlife in peace.
In the Nintendo DS version, there are two additional levels that can be accessed in the Dragon’s Lair at any time in the game. Elli encounters a yellow "wererat" called Flopsie stuck in Gaya’s food pen with an Orc, who promises to lead the elf to a hidden treasure in exchange for freeing only him. Upon releasing Flopsie, he leads Elli into a fiery cavern called Brimstone before Gaya’s nests of eggs. By this point it is revealed that Flopsie only used Elli to gain access to Gaya’s eggs to feed on them. Elli pursues Flopsie into monster insect invested burrows where the wererat is surrounded and slaughtered by giant centipedes.
Upon its first release on the mobile phone, Orcs & Elves was received well by critics with an average score of 86% at Game Rankings
. IGN
praised the game's look by stating "There's no way you cannot be impressed with the overall look and atmosphere of the game" while pointing out that it is "remarkably similar in mechanics and control" to Doom RPG
. 1UP
praised the story for having more depth than most other games on the mobile phone, that it "has some characters we can care a bit about and a story that goes beyond a thin excuse to run around killing things in mazes."
The later Nintendo DS release was met with a less positive, yet still fair response, with an average critic score of 72%. Many complaints came from the fact the game had been ported to a more technically capable system, making its origins as a mobile phone game more noticeable, such as simple graphics and short game length. GameSpot
noted this by saying "Orcs & Elves' simplicity doesn't do much to hide its roots as a mobile phone game" Eurogamer
mentioned "what would be a surprising effort for a mobile phone is somewhat disappointing on the DS", being more of "a thick lump of nostalgia" while GameSpy
found it "looks different and plays better than the mobile phone original" and that "more than innovating, the game is designed to stay true to a certain tradition that old-school players will definitely welcome after years of starvation."
On the game's level design Game Trailers found it made the game "pretty engaging throughout", being "nothing out of the ordinary yet oddly compelling", yet "a short lived experience". GamesRadar
concluded that the "dungeons are well-designed, the action is well-balanced and fun, and even the characters are likable." Reviewing the latest version, IGN still felt "even with its limitations, Orcs & Elves’ fast-paced, turn-based style is a refreshing change of pace from the evolved role-playing game design" while Game Informer
more negatively concluded "you may be better off making up your own fantasy game with RPG Maker."
.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing adventure
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
video game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
for the mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. It was developed by John Carmack and Fountainhead Entertainment, produced by id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
, published by EA Mobile and licensed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the DS version. It was first released on the mobile phone on May 1, 2006 before being ported to the Nintendo DS on November 15, 2007. The game is based on Doom RPG
Doom RPG
Doom RPG is a mobile phone game developed by Fountainhead Entertainment. It combines the Doom first-person shooter franchise with role-playing elements. The storyline incorporates many of the events of Doom 3, but involves different characters than those in the computer version...
s engine and is id's first original intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
since Quake
Quake (series)
The Quake series is a line of first-person shooter video games produced by id Software.-Overview:The Quake series is somewhat unusual in that its focus changes frequently; the story of Quake II has nothing to do with Quake, and Quake III Arena has little to do with either of its predecessors...
. The later DS port of the game included graphical enhancements, such as 3D environments and camera cutscenes, along with improved character sprites, two new levels and the use of the touchscreen feature.
The game is described as an adventure-RPG, in which the protagonist, a young Elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
must retake a dwarven city from the evil army of Orcs occupying it. A sequel, titled Orcs & Elves II, has been released for mobile phones.
Gameplay
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, played from a first person perspective. Each individual action by the player counts as a "turn", whether that be movement, using an item or weapon or casting a spell in which other foes will also move and attack in turns following each. Each forward move by the player is done on an invisible grid that makes up each level in order to retain the turn-based element while appearing more like a first person adventure due to its fast paced nature.
Each level is set in a maze environment such as a dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
or cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
rn with a start and end point, containing multiple corridors and rooms that can be visited at any time. Many paths are cut off and require certain objectives to be completed in order to advance, such as activate hidden switches, locate helpful ghosts and opening rune gates that require a code of four runes. Some foes also require different strategies in order to defeat with some being resistant to certain attacks such as magic.
In the Nintendo DS version of the game, spells can be cast through drawing runes on the touchscreen for each spell using the DS' stylus. Movement, item management and menu navigation can also be done using this feature along with the option of button controls.
Characters
Player’s take control of the protagonist Elli, an Elf warrior and son of the famous Elf adventurer Eol. Despite his heroic position, Elli is never seen outside of the player’s first person perspective (except in concept art found online or unlockable in the DS version) and never directly speaks to other characters. However, Elli wields a wandWand
A wand is a thin, straight, hand-held stick of wood, stone, ivory, or metal. Generally, in modern language, wands are ceremonial and/or have associations with magic but there have been other uses, all stemming from the original meaning as a synonym of rod and virge, both of which had a similar...
known as Ellon, that not only can speak but exchanges dialogue with others throughout the story, making Ellon Elli’s form of interaction. Despite being only a wand however, Ellon embodies an almost human personality, in many instances often exchanging jokes or arguments with friend and foe alike.
Another prominent character is King Brahm, king of the Dwarf mountain city of Zharrakarag and friend of Elli’s father, Eol. While not initially seen at the beginning of the story, Elli must locate him in order to learn more and eventually track down the perpetrators of the Orc invasion. Other friendly characters encountered throughout the game are the ghosts of the fallen dwarf inhabitants, who despite their demise aid the player through guiding them and unlocking impassable doors. Some of the dwarf ghosts are encountered multiple times, such as Sarbok, a dwarf ale brewer who will invite Elli to drink with him before continuing with the quest on several occasions and Nestri, the first dwarf encountered, proving to be a key ally throughout.
Another recurring character is the dragon Gaya, who sits in a lair near the top of the mountain guarding a vast treasure who uses it to trade with adventurers and the dwarves, where King Brahm made a deal with the dragon as a supplier. Elli can teleport to in between levels via portals and can even trade rare artifacts for better, more expensive equipment.
Plot
From the beginning, Elli and Ellon receive a "cryptic message" from King Brahm, the Dwarf ruler of Mount Zharrkarag and close friend of Elli's father.Upon arriving at Zharrkarag, Elli and Ellon encounter a ghost of a fallen Dwarf inhabitant, Iog or Nestri who informs the pair that the mountain city has been attacked by Orcs. With the help of other Dwarf ghosts, the pair reach the Dragon’s Lair, home of the dragon Gaya who assists the player throughout by trading loot with Elli. As they explore the prison, they encounter a captive Dark Elf, revealing their part in the invasion. Later, after battling through waves of Orcs and giant insects, Elli encounters and defeats the great weaver Sonja.
Moving into the Zharrkarag forge, the ghost of the Forge Master informs Elli and Ellon that King Brahm is dead but can still be contacted in the Dwarf King’s Throne Room. After meeting the King, Elli is given possession of his powerful Warhammer Abraxas to aid him in battle against the Orc warlord Bruul. Upon reaching the Pit and defeating Bruul, Elli is informed that the leader of the overall invasion is Kai'Laria, a powerful dark elf sorceress. Elli and Ellon confront her in the Twilight Cavern where at first it appears she is defeated, but she quickly returns as a ghost, supposedly invincible against physical attacks and thus more powerful. However before she can strike back, the ghosts of the fallen Dwarves appear and surround her, draining her magic and shifting the Cavern's walls, thus imprisoning her now powerless spirit inside. The Dwarves thank both Elli and Ellon before finally being free and passing into the afterlife in peace.
In the Nintendo DS version, there are two additional levels that can be accessed in the Dragon’s Lair at any time in the game. Elli encounters a yellow "wererat" called Flopsie stuck in Gaya’s food pen with an Orc, who promises to lead the elf to a hidden treasure in exchange for freeing only him. Upon releasing Flopsie, he leads Elli into a fiery cavern called Brimstone before Gaya’s nests of eggs. By this point it is revealed that Flopsie only used Elli to gain access to Gaya’s eggs to feed on them. Elli pursues Flopsie into monster insect invested burrows where the wererat is surrounded and slaughtered by giant centipedes.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Mobile Phone | |
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
8.4/10 |
| 1UP 1UP.com 1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009.... |
Grade A |
| DS | |
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
8/10 |
| 1UP 1UP.com 1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009.... |
Grade B |
| GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... |
7/10 |
| Game Informer Game Informer Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations... |
6.75/10 |
| GameSpy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current... |
3.5/5 |
| Eurogamer Eurogamer Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on... |
6/10 |
| Game Trailers | 7.9/10 |
Upon its first release on the mobile phone, Orcs & Elves was received well by critics with an average score of 86% at Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the game's look by stating "There's no way you cannot be impressed with the overall look and atmosphere of the game" while pointing out that it is "remarkably similar in mechanics and control" to Doom RPG
Doom RPG
Doom RPG is a mobile phone game developed by Fountainhead Entertainment. It combines the Doom first-person shooter franchise with role-playing elements. The storyline incorporates many of the events of Doom 3, but involves different characters than those in the computer version...
. 1UP
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
praised the story for having more depth than most other games on the mobile phone, that it "has some characters we can care a bit about and a story that goes beyond a thin excuse to run around killing things in mazes."
The later Nintendo DS release was met with a less positive, yet still fair response, with an average critic score of 72%. Many complaints came from the fact the game had been ported to a more technically capable system, making its origins as a mobile phone game more noticeable, such as simple graphics and short game length. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
noted this by saying "Orcs & Elves' simplicity doesn't do much to hide its roots as a mobile phone game" Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
mentioned "what would be a surprising effort for a mobile phone is somewhat disappointing on the DS", being more of "a thick lump of nostalgia" while GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
found it "looks different and plays better than the mobile phone original" and that "more than innovating, the game is designed to stay true to a certain tradition that old-school players will definitely welcome after years of starvation."
On the game's level design Game Trailers found it made the game "pretty engaging throughout", being "nothing out of the ordinary yet oddly compelling", yet "a short lived experience". GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
concluded that the "dungeons are well-designed, the action is well-balanced and fun, and even the characters are likable." Reviewing the latest version, IGN still felt "even with its limitations, Orcs & Elves’ fast-paced, turn-based style is a refreshing change of pace from the evolved role-playing game design" while Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
more negatively concluded "you may be better off making up your own fantasy game with RPG Maker."
Awards
Before its release on the mobile phone, IGN named Orcs & Elves Best RPG at their Best of E3 2006 Awards, Wireless category. Following its mobile release, it as named Best Mobile Game at the 10th annual Interactive Achievement Awards and at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention. IGN later award it Best Story for their Best of 2006 Wireless awards and included in the best games of 2006 list by The Village VoiceThe Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
.