It's been less than a year since Orcs Must Die! taught us that prejudiced genocide can be glib fun, and already the fiendish brutes are mounting up for a counterattack. With such little time between the release of the original and this sequel, it's not hard to see why this new game can feel at times more like an expansion pack than a proper follow-up. Having said that, Orcs Must Die! 2 does add just enough in the way of new weapons, traps, and upgrades to keep the single player fresh, all while tossing another player into the fray for good measure. It's a safe and in many ways predictable sequel, but one that should keep fans of the original pleased for a long time to come regardless.

The most notable change made to the formula in this sequel is, of course, the addition of co-op play. While you fought to take down the evil Queen of the Orcs, simply called the Sorceress, in the last game, she actually returns as a playable character this time around as her "loyal" minions turn on her. Those playing by themselves will be able to choose between the two characters, each of whom has their own skill and weapon proficiencies. Playing with a partner is really where it's at, though, and it's in these moments of cooperation that Orcs Must Die! 2 is at its hectic best. Coordinating fiendish traps and deadly chokepoints with a partner can be a lot of fun, especially in the game's difficult later levels.

Speaking of difficulty, those playing alone will most certainly notice a steep incline in challenge. That's because the game as a whole seems to have been balanced for co-op play, and while single players can certainly survive the game's challenges, it will often be by the skin of your teeth and will come as the result of many failed attempts. Even in the first three levels, you will notice that Orcs Must Die! 2 fancies itself a more hardcore experience than the first. In the original, it was a good seven or eight levels before things began to feel truly challenging. In the sequel, new enemy types and multiple enemy spawn points are introduced almost immediately. Many of the game's levels benefit from this, but others are clearly designed with two players in mind. So lone wolves be warned, Orcs Must Die! 2's later levels will pose a significant and often frustrating challenge.

Those levels somehow aren't as numerous here as they were in the original, either. While the original game sported over twenty levels, Orcs Must Die! 2 boasts a paltry fifteen. It's the kind of game that can be carved through in a solid afternoon or two, especially when you have a good co-op partner there to back you up. Of course, you may wish to go back to older levels and earn more skulls, which still function as your currency in the in-game shop. The only problem with that theory is that the upgrades are more or less pointless after you've already beaten the game, so why bother going back for more skulls at all?

At least the upgrade store has undergone significant, well, upgrades. Unlike the last game's Spellbook, which was more or less a straightforward slog to the most powerful incarnation of an item or trap, this shop allows players to customize the items to have unique and powerful effects. Each weapon and trap has three upgrades, of which only two can be equipped at a time. The first upgrade will always be of your standard faster, harder, stronger variety, increasing your item's stats but not messing around with the core functionality of the item. The second and third upgrades, on the other hand, will often add unique and powerful effects to your attacks. One, for example, might make your Grinder trap cause bleeding damage to enemies it sucks in, while the other will make the trap recharge itself much faster. Since you can only have one of these special upgrades equipped at a time, you will need to examine your playstyle and decide which one fits your personality best.

Character customization has also been furthered in the form of trinkets. These will bestow passive buffs upon you, but, when equipped and activated, will also project active effects onto the battlefield. An early trinket bestows regenerative health upon your character so long as you have it equipped on one of the hotkeys, but if you hit the hotkey and use the trinket as you would a weapon, you will find that it also has the ability to heal you and your ally in the midst of battle. Later trinkets will give you the ability to freeze enemies, burn them, or even increase your base's overall health.

Visually, Orcs Must Die! 2 is virtually the same as its predecessor. It's clear that, in the very short development time provided them, the developers at Robot were focused on things other than tuning and tweaking the graphics. The Apprentice has been beefed up a bit since his last outing, and several new and imposing enemy types have been added, but aside from these minor aesthetic changes everything else looks the same. Even the menus adopt the same list-style format, fine for a game of this nature but perhaps a little Spartan. It's especially cumbersome when attempting to create a co-op game, as there are no Quick Match or Matchmaking options, only the option to invite players from your friends list. It's annoying and unintuitive that the game's biggest and best new feature doesn't have the Matchmaking backbone to support it.

Orcs Must Die! 2 is a sequel in the most Spartan sense of the word. It adds what few things felt glaringly absent in the original, wipes its green, scaly hands, and walks away self-satisfied. Yes, the new Spellbook is a huge improvement, and yes co-op is a lot of fun, but the clunky interface, been-there-done-that gameplay, and lack of matchmaking options ensure that Orcs Must Die! 2 isn't quite the "must" it could have been.

Score: 8/10