Undead Horde
Nintendo Switch

Developed By : 10Tons Ltd
Published By : 10Tons Ltd
Category : Action, RPG
Release Date : May 15, 2019

Ever since I got my Switch, I’ve been slowly getting introduced to the company 10Tons. The first title of theirs I got to experience was Crimsonland, a top-down zombie shooter that I could not stop playing through the night. From there, I slowly expanded my library with as many of their games as possible, and found the same thing happening : these games were tough to put down. So, as the chance to dive into their newest title Undead Horde on the Nintendo Switch presented itself, naturally I couldn’t resist.

In this game, you’ll take on the role of a necromancer. The ancient lands of the dead have become riddled with pesky living people, and it’s up to you to claim it all back. What better way to do this than put your power of raising the dead to good use. Whether it’s a body that’s already been buried for years, or a fresh corpse from a recently slain enemy, you’ll be able to raise up just about anyone and have them fight for your cause.

Initially, the number of enemies you can summon with you, as well as the types, will be severely limited. However, both of these will grow considerably as you level up and defeat enemies respectively. Very early in the game, you’ll come to a crypt which will serve as a sort of hub for your playthrough. Here is where you can hunker down to heal up, or summon your army from their tombs. Scattered all around the crypt area are tons and tons of tombs, each one representing a different type of character. These will have a number with them that denotes how many of that enemy type you’ll need to kill before you gain the ability to summon them to fight for you.

In the field, the group that you summon will move where you command them. For the most part, you’ll be sending them after your enemies, but remember you’re not just out to kill the living, you’re trying to reclaim your own lands back. Every area that you encounter will have not only enemies to squash, but buildings that they’ve erected as well. Bad news for them, they haven’t been paying rent, so send your minions to evict them the fun way : by leveling the building entirely! When all buildings in an area have been destroyed, that area will officially be reclaimed as your own.

As you play, your necromancer will level up. Each time you level up you’ll have an important decision to make. There will be three choices that come with some varying upgrades, but it really boils down to the important ones : you can increase your maximum health, your maximum magic, or the maximum size party you’re allowed to order around. Your magic ability comes after a few levels, and is a way for you to chuck some damage and assist your minions.

The other way you have of personally dealing damage yourself, is with your weapon. You won’t be able to hack and slash freely, but the cooldown between each swing will vary depending on the weapon. At first you’ll carry a basic sword, but tons of other weapons will be randomly generated as you lay waste to buildings and armies.

While it wasn’t my favorite experience with a 10Tons game, Undead Horde was still a lot of fun. The horde management was very simplistic and easy to get used to, sending dozens of undead fighting for you with the press of a single button. It can seem like there is so much to do, but you also have a lot of help as you play too. Above the mini-map is a couple of numbers representing how many enemy units and buildings remain in the entire area.

If you have played anything previous from this company, you’ll feel right at home in this game. If it is to be your first experience, this isn’t a bad introduction to the things 10Tons can do. Undead Horde is incredibly easy to pick up and learn, and is the perfect game whether you want to sit down and marathon it, or play in short bursts. Definitely get to the eShop as soon as possible and download your copy!