The past few years have seen me converted into a huge fan of first person dungeon exploring RPGs. It’s a surprising turn for me. I grew up on video games. The NES was as much a focal point of my youth as elementary school. That said, before the 2007, I had never even touched an RPG that didn’t come after a J. My concept of role-playing had been built from the ground up by games like Final Fantasy. So, it surprises me that lately, while I still love some of the old JRPGs that held my attention way back when, my role-playing style of choice has drifted to a more western aesthetic.

Along those lines, I’m happy to recommend one of my favorite little titles: Orcs and Elves for the Nintendo DS. Now, one might ask, why recommend this game? It isn’t nearly as long as other dungeon crawler games like Etrian Odyssey or The Dark Spire, which can now be found at GameStop for twenty bucks by the way. Nor, is Orcs and Elves especially difficult. If you possess even a semblance of intelligent thought, you should be able to plow through this game with relative ease.

What makes Orcs and Elves great is simply its no frills fun. The gameplay is easy to pick up and enjoyable. The game’s story is basic, but still endowed with enough charm and some surprisingly good humor to keep you going and above all, chuckling throughout. Will it last you a long time? No. Will it challenge you all that much? No. But will you have fun with Orcs and Elves? Yes indeedily you will.

The game isn’t without flaws though. Flaws that are paradoxically tied to its strengths. The game isn’t much of a challenge, and if that’s what you’re looking for then you’ll probably find this simple adventure a bit too lightweight for your tastes. Similarly, the game’s sub par length is a huge detractor. This is especially true for the bargain shopper who will want to get the most out of their money. Orcs and Elves is very affordable, but it in no way has any of the replay value you might get by investing in a more expensive game like Oblivion or Fallout 3. As well, if you are a person who dislikes games on the basis of their visual and audio presentation, Orcs and Elves will probably be the equivalent of walking on hot coals. The game is a mix of ugly 3D and poorly drawn 2D that rarely meshes well. The sound could have come from the original Game Boy. Neither really takes away from the gameplay in any way, but if poor looking games irk you, you may want to stay away.

In the end though, the better points of Orcs and Elves win out over its faults. It’s a charming game that leaves little impression once it’s over, but like so many popcorn blockbusters, it’s great while it lasts. So if you have ten bucks to spare and feel like some cheap RPG thrills, head into Gamestop and see if you can find a copy. I doubt you’ll regret it.

Can be found at:

Amazon (Note: Used Amazon prices are subject to change)

New 17.99, New, 5.90 Used

Gamestop

New 9.99