Tower defense game Orcs Must Die! 3 makes orc-killing its primary business, tasking the player with stopping wave after wave of these monsters from reaching the Rift. To accomplish this mission, players will need all the help they can get, which is why many turn to the Special Upgrades that can make their defenses all the more powerful. Getting these upgrades can be confusing, however. Here’s everything the player needs to knock about unlocking Special Upgrades in Orcs Must Die! 3.
RELATED: The Best Games From The Biggest Video Game Franchises
What Do Special Upgrades Apply To?
A common mistake regarding Special Upgrades is misunderstanding which items these upgrades apply to and which ones they don’t. Since it’s a waste of time to try and unlock down upgrades that don’t exist, it’s important to know that only Trinkets have Special Upgrades, so looking for Special Upgrades to make the best towers even better is a waste of time. Trinkets are items that enable the player to expend mana for various effects. These include casting spells as well as buffing the character or the Rift itself.
RELATED: The Biggest Video Game Franchises, Ranked By Number Of Titles
All good tower defense games have a variety of buildings, traps, and other means of keeping things interesting, and Orcs Must Die! 3 is no exception. The seven Trinkets and their Special Upgrades are as follows:
The Empty Rift reduces the point value of the first enemy to enter the Rift to zero, essentially acting as a shield against the first enemy to break through. The Freedom Trinket grants co-op players a 25% speed buff for 5 seconds when they break free of stun, allowing them to get back into the fight quicker. The Healing Trinket raises the character’s maximum health, allowing them to take more of a beating in battle before going down. The Jar Of Ghosts increases passive fear duration by 1 second. The Mana Rage Trinket reduces the cost of the first spell cast after using this Trinket to 0, allowing the player to use cast more spells overall. The Ring Of Storms increases the duration of Rift Storms by 5 seconds, a sizable buff that can do serious damage to approaching Orcs. The Trap Reset Trinket reduces this Trinket’s own cooldown, allowing the player to reset all of their traps 10 seconds earlier.
How To Unlock Special Upgrades
Special Upgrades are unlocked using Skulls, the currency that players receive for performing well on levels. The number of Skulls that the player is awarded after a level depends upon the number of Rift Points and time remaining upon completion. In short, the fewer orcs that break through the player’s defenses, and the faster the player completes their objective and clears the level, the more Skulls they receives. Having the right weapon can make a big difference here.
RELATED: The Best Video Game Bosses And Enemies Of 2021
Every player should know that Skulls are spent to upgrade Traps, but they are also spent to purchase Special Upgrades for Trinkets. Players interested in farming Skulls as quickly as possible in order to unlock Special Upgrades are best served farming so in the game’s earlier levels, as they are considerably easier than later levels and even come equipped with pre-installed traps that further simplify things for the player.
Players receive between 1 and 5 Skulls upon completing a level, with 5 Skulls being a perfect score. Bonus Skulls are awarded if specific conditions on the level are met. Playing well and playing fast are the two keys to earning Skulls and thereby unlocking Special Upgrades. The better the player does, the sooner they will have their prize.
Orcs Must Die! 3 is available now for PC.
MORE: Best Free Simulation Games On Steam
