G4TV

It would be easy to classify Overlord as a knock-off of Nintendo’s Pikmin because it is.  But it would be a mistake to dismiss the game because of it. I really enjoyed Pikmin and I wish there were more games like it.  Overlord certainly does much to scratch that itch, but more importantly, the game wanders off in its own creative direction and is all the better for it.

It’s good to be the King

In the game, players take control of the Overlord - an evil, ruthless despot who rules the land with the help of his horde of impish minions.  At the start of the game, things aren’t looking so good.  Your evil tower is in disrepair, most of your minions have set off for greener pastures, and the people in your realm have their own problems to deal with.

As you travel throughout the land, you’ll win back your minions, rebuild your tower, find true love, and solve all that is troubling your people.  Doesn’t sound all that evil, does it? Well, it all depends on how you want to deal with the quests at hand.  You can certainly be a kind ruler.  Go ahead and retrieve the food that was stolen from a nearby town and give it back.  Or maybe you could just keep it for yourself.  If you really want to, you can kill everyone in town while you’re at it.  Being bad or good can have a slight effect on the gameplay as well as giving you and your tower a different cosmetic look.

Fable-esque

Speaking of looks, the game has a great visual style that feels somewhat like a vastly upgraded version of Fable.  The tone of the game shares much in common with Fable as well.  It’s got that not-too-serious European humor thing going for it.  This goes a long way in making the game enjoyable through the rough spots. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Your minions, though disgusting little imps, are really kind of cute.  Their undying loyalty to the player makes you feel almost bad as you send them to their inevitable deaths.  As they scurry about doing your bidding, you’ll hear their delight upon finding a shiny weapon or piece of armor to use.  If they find any gold lying about, they’ll run right back to you, and present it with a flourish while saying, “For the master!” 

Pikmin-esque

Generally, the gameplay works well.  If you’ve played Pikmin, you’ll get comfortable with the concept rather fast.  If you’re new to this, Overlord does a splendid job introducing new gameplay concepts slowly and carefully throughout the first half of the game.

Basic minion commands are easy to use, and your little guys do a pretty good job taking care of themselves when things get hairy.  There are times though when getting them to focus on the task at hand doesn’t work so well.  These problems usually occur when you need to move them manually or guard a specific location.  Manual movement inevitably ends up with you accidentally drowning them in a pond or marching them into a poison cloud.

Haven’t I been here before?

As engaging as the game world is, there’s a lot of backtracking in Overlord.  You’ll need to wander around the same areas a lot in order to farm the land for more minions.  You’ll also spend a fair amount of time just figuring out what you need to do next.  To the game’s credit, it doesn’t spell out everything you need to do every step of the way.  Still, there were many times I got stuck not because I didn’t know what I needed to do, but because I got lost or the path I needed to take was obscured by the lush graphics. Including a map would have gone a long way in efficiently carrying out my evil deeds.

Overlord also suffers a bit from a pacing problem.  Towards the latter half of the game, things tend to rush to a conclusion, almost as if there was a bigger game planned, but they needed to cut stuff out in order to finish it.  There are all kinds of upgrade options for your tower and your equipment, but it doesn’t quite feel fleshed out.

Fit for a King

Even with these issues, Overlord a great play.  It’s got a great sense of humor and style.  In these summer months when there’s often not a lot to play, it’s a real treat to get a game that effortlessly mixes style, challenge, and fun.

Article by: Greg Bemis
Video produced by: Mark Fahey