In a bold creative choice, Of Orcs and Men puts you in control of the “monsters” – Arkail, a brutish orc, and Styx, a stealthy, smart-ass goblin. Both of them are well-written and it's interesting to see how their interactions with each other change as the story progresses. The plot also contains a few unexpected and well-developed twists, which turns the original plan into something much greater.

The developers have also done a good job connecting the characters' personalities to their fighting styles. The combat is real-time-with-pause, allowing you to switch back and forth between characters and queue attacks – but before charging into battle you can try sneaking around with Styx and quietly assassinate as many enemies as possible.

The orc, Arkail, is a great embodiment of the berserker-type warrior, and not just in the writing. He sports a rage meter that fills when he takes damage. Once full, he goes into a literally uncontrollable rage. It can turn the tide of a battle in your favour due to the damage boost, but can also cost you heavily thanks to the lack of defence and its potential to accidentally kill Styx. Some combo attacks are also available, such as having Arkail throw the goblin into enemies.

Unfortunately, the game is extremely linear, with almost no exploration or player agency. The maps are repetitive, mostly long corridors full of combat, with minimal detours to occasionally find some loot. There are a handful of side-quests, but they usually just offer more of the same. And there's pretty much no choice and consequence – the game is going to play out in a certain way no matter your dialogue choices.

Of Orcs and Men is definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy story-driven RPGs there's a very good chance you'll find yourself sucked in, wanting more of the amazing characters and world.