Mischief, Mayhem & Minions!
Every now and then a game will come along with some great & innovative ideas and lasting appeal, but far too often games are released and have no particularly stand-out elements or anything to distinguish them from the rest of the fodder gamers have to wade through to find that real gaming gem. Overlord 2 is rather dull game that seems quite happy to sit in the fodder.
I have never played the first ‘Overlord’ game, so this review will not be a comparison, but based entirely on the game’s own merits & shortcomings. Saying this, it does mean that all of the concepts in ‘Overlord 2’ are new to me, so some things I say that I liked may or may not have been done better in the first game.
‘Overlord 2’ sees the player take on the character of a supposedly mighty & evil overlord, who has been raised by a horde of minions to take over duties from a previous overlord who apparently met a rather untimely demise. When the overlord comes of age, he is put in charge of the minions, and can use them at his will to wreak havoc on the empire (modelled after the Romans) and a group of rather camp conservationist elves. The overlord himself can fight enemies he comes up against, but he is a bit of a pushover so you will probably find yourself using the minions most of the time. There are 4 different types of minions, each with different abilities, strengths & weaknesses, & the ultimate point of the game is to spread evil throughout the land… How original…
Along the way, the overlord can use magic to enslave or kill peasants, in a rather unnecessary attempt to integrate moral choice. Magic can be used for other things as well, such as possessing minions to access certain areas, and casting various spells. Also, certain objects can be collected & used to forge new equipment, upgrade your dark tower in various ways, and buy accessories to woo your mistresses.
In spite of all of the flaws, ‘Overlord 2’ is still a fairly fun game
Despite the attempts made by the producers to keep the game interesting, it is largely very linear, and I found myself getting bored after a few levels (most of which consist of ‘go here, find this & kill anyone you encounter along the way’). The player has the option of exploring previously cleared areas to unlock a couple of extra bonuses & achievements, but to be honest I didn’t bother, I was already rather bored without visiting levels I’d already finished again. Some levels did stand out however, and a couple of times I did find myself enjoying this game a lot.
The game’s graphics are generally good, but seem a little on the unpolished side. I did notice some frame rate issues and texture pop-in, but not enough to detract from the game in a big way. All of the characters & creatures are well drawn, and look as realistic as is possible in a game like this.
I don’t really have a lot to say about the controls except for that they seem logically layed out, and while the minion controls take a little getting used to, the average player will pick it up in no time. Camera angles can be a little awkward sometimes, but nowhere near as bad as some games I’ve played.
One of the main highlights of playing this game was the scripting. While in places it may seem as if this game is aimed at younger audiences, it is very easy for all players to enjoy the game’s dark humour & satire, This, along with some good voice acting, helps draw the player into the game’s world, and while it doesn’t lead the player to make any real connection with the characters, I don’t think that was the developers’ intention.
In spite of all of the flaws, ‘Overlord 2’ is still a fairly fun game, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of people. It’s by no means a masterpiece, but it will keep the player amused for a couple of hours and while it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s worth downloading the demo or buying second hand for a rainy day.
The Bad: Repetitive gameplay for the most part, doesn’t really thrill & excite as much as it probably should.
