Of Orcs and Men

Of Orcs and Men is a PC third-person action RPG with tactical combat, stealth, and a dark-fantasy campaign told from the perspective of the persecuted Orcs and Goblins. Steam and GOG still list it under the original name, Of Orcs And Men, with no verified rebrand, remaster, definitive edition, or free-to-play transition. Developed by Cyanide Studio and Spiders, it follows the paired protagonists Arkail and Styx on a mission to assassinate the human Emperor.

Two protagonists, one tactical combat loop

The central design idea is direct control of two very different characters. Arkail is a powerful Bloodjaw Orc built for close-range pressure, crowd control, and absorbing punishment. Styx is a Goblin assassin who relies on stealth, daggers, throwing knives, and carefully chosen targets.

You can switch between Arkail and Styx during exploration or combat. The inactive character follows the active one, but the pair are not interchangeable. Arkail handles enemies that must be confronted, while Styx can approach isolated targets, enter stealth stance, and begin an encounter from a more favorable position.

Combat is best understood as a hybrid of real-time action and tactical pausing rather than conventional turn-based RPG combat. The Tactical Menu lets you select attacks, choose targets, queue abilities, and coordinate both characters before allowing the fight to continue. This makes positioning and sequencing more important than simply repeating the strongest attack.

Arkail and Styx also operate with different combat resources. Arkail’s actions interact with his rage, while Styx manages concentration. Their abilities and stances encourage a complementary rhythm: Arkail can draw attention and disrupt groups while Styx exploits openings, weak targets, and enemy positioning.

Styx’s stealth and Arkail’s rage

Styx is not just a secondary ranged fighter. His stealth tools can change how a battle begins. He can move ahead of Arkail, investigate patrols, and eliminate suitable isolated enemies before the Orc enters the area. That makes scouting a practical part of the combat loop rather than a separate optional activity.

Stealth is limited by the game’s encounter design. Many situations still lead to open combat, and Styx is vulnerable when surrounded. The strongest approach is usually selective: remove a useful target quietly, then switch to Arkail when the remaining enemies are too numerous or too alert for a clean assassination.

Arkail’s offensive and defensive stances create a different type of decision-making. Offensive actions improve his ability to pressure enemies, while defensive options help him endure attacks and control attention. His rage can make him more dangerous, but it also demands awareness because losing control can complicate the fight and put Styx at risk.

Character development is handled through attributes and skill choices rather than a large equipment treadmill. Arkail and Styx each have distinct ability paths, allowing players to emphasize heavy melee control, durability, stealth kills, ranged attacks, support effects, or cooperation between the two protagonists.

A campaign built around persecution and revolt

The story reverses the usual fantasy viewpoint. The Empire of Men has expanded into Orc and Goblin territory, while greenskins are persecuted, enslaved, and massacred. Arkail is sent behind enemy lines with the objective of killing the Emperor, turning a military assassination into a wider attempt to protect his people.

Arkail and Styx provide contrasting personalities as well as contrasting mechanics. Arkail is an aggressive Orc warrior shaped by violence and military duty. Styx is a cynical Goblin assassin whose experience with infiltration and survival gives the journey a more personal, suspicious tone. Their relationship is a major reason to continue through the more linear stretches of the campaign.

The game is structured as a focused story-driven adventure rather than an open-world sandbox. Exploration takes place across connected mission areas with conversations, combat encounters, stealth opportunities, side objectives, and collectible rewards. Players looking for a compact campaign with a defined narrative arc will find a clearer fit here than players seeking endless procedural content.

Content model and progression

The PC package is a single-player campaign centered on Arkail and Styx. Current Steam and GOG listings do not present a season pass, multiplayer expansion, or separate campaign add-on as part of the game’s standard content model. The main progression comes from completing story chapters, earning experience, improving attributes, and unlocking skills for both characters.

Equipment exists, but the game does not revolve around constant randomized loot drops or a large crafting economy. Weapons, armor, and upgrades support the two-character combat system, while skill selection has the larger effect on how encounters are approached.

That structure gives the game a clear identity. It is a narrative action RPG with tactical management, not a loot-driven dungeon crawler. Players who want a comparable Spiders-developed RPG with more emphasis on character builds and real-time combat can also explore story-focused third-person action RPGs such as Mars: War Logs, although its science-fiction setting and solo protagonist create a different rhythm.

PC features, controls, and storefront differences

The PC version supports keyboard and mouse controls as well as an Xbox 360 controller for Windows. The manual specifically documents character switching, the tactical menu, stealth stance, inventory, skills, map, quest log, quick save, and quick load controls. Controller support is therefore present, but the game’s tactical menus and legacy interface may feel more natural with keyboard and mouse for some players.

Steam lists Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Family Sharing, and single-player functionality. No multiplayer, co-op, split-screen, or competitive mode is listed. There is also no verified anti-cheat requirement because the game is designed as an offline-oriented single-player RPG.

GOG sells the same game under the same name and identifies its edition as DRM-free, with no activation or online connection required to play. Steam and GOG are therefore not different story editions; the main practical distinction is the storefront and its launcher or DRM model.

Steam lists interface support for English, German, French, Italian, Spanish from Spain, Russian, Polish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Full English voice audio is listed, while the other supported languages are presented primarily as interface localization. Players should not assume that every listed language includes dubbed dialogue.

Who should play Of Orcs and Men?

This is a good fit for PC players who enjoy story-driven fantasy RPGs, tactical combat with a pause function, companion coordination, and unusual protagonists. It is especially suited to players who like alternating between direct combat and stealth preparation instead of committing to one character archetype.

The game is less suitable for anyone expecting a broad open world, deep loot customization, party-based co-op, or a purely stealth-focused campaign. Styx can infiltrate and assassinate, but the overall experience regularly returns to guided combat encounters where Arkail’s abilities matter.

Players who want the same universe with a stronger emphasis on pure goblin infiltration should consider third-person fantasy stealth games like Styx: Master of Shadows. That game narrows the focus to Styx, vertical infiltration, patrol manipulation, and silent takedowns, whereas Of Orcs and Men is defined by the tension between stealth and frontline combat.

Of Orcs and Men FAQ

Is Of Orcs and Men a renamed game on PC?

No verified rebrand was found. Steam and GOG continue to list the game as Of Orcs And Men. It is not currently presented as a remastered, definitive, classic, or free-to-play edition.

Is Of Orcs and Men turn-based?

Not in the traditional sense. It uses real-time combat with a tactical pause menu, queued commands, selectable targets, character switching, and stance management. Steam’s turn-based tag reflects the deliberate command system, but battles do not proceed through fixed player and enemy turns.

Can you play as both Arkail and Styx?

Yes. The player can switch between Arkail and Styx during exploration and combat. Their different roles are central to the game: Arkail specializes in force and control, while Styx focuses on stealth, assassination, ranged attacks, and tactical positioning.

Does Of Orcs and Men have co-op multiplayer?

No. The PC storefront listings identify it as a single-player game and do not list online co-op, local co-op, split-screen, or competitive multiplayer.

Does the PC version support a controller?

Yes. The official manual documents support for an Xbox 360 controller for Windows in addition to keyboard and mouse controls. The tactical interface still makes keyboard and mouse a practical choice for players who frequently manage queued commands and menus.

Is Of Orcs and Men DRM-free?

The GOG edition is listed as DRM-free and does not require activation or an online connection to play. The Steam edition uses the Steam storefront and its associated client features, including Steam Cloud and achievements.

What kind of RPG is Of Orcs and Men?

It is a linear, story-focused third-person action RPG with tactical pausing, stealth encounters, skill progression, and two-character control. Its main appeal is the interaction between Arkail’s combat abilities and Styx’s assassination tools, not open-world exploration or randomized loot.