First Glance
Unlock your inner evil Overlord and command your minions to wreak some havoc.
The Short Story
Behind every Overlord is an army of willing minions that has to be micromanaged to
be effective. Being evil is fun but no one said it was going to be easy.
The Score
Unfortunately, Overlord isn’t the type of game you can put down for any length of time
and come back to without some problems. Add the length into the mix and this game
gets a 2 on the Busy Gamer scale.
Body of Review
Never let it be said that I’m not all about getting my evil groove on but Overlord is the
type of game that has a learning curve attached. As the game begins, you’re just a
fledging Overlord with a mere handful of minions to control. Your enemies are few
and weak and to build your
army, you’ll find yourself killing sheep. A lot of sheep. Seriously, a lot of sheep.
But as the game progresses, you’ll find the number of minions you control grows as
well as the types. Initially you start with the grunt minion, the brown imp, and
progress from there to a total of four different imp groups. Each type of imp you
come to control has its strengths and weaknesses and you’ll find you’ll need each
type in different circumstances as you progress through the world. And as your army
grows, so does the strength and number of your enemies.
You’ll find in short order that you’ll have to adapt very quickly to the scenario at hand
in order to be a successful Overlord. This means juggling the different types of
minions, which isn’t altogether difficult but can be awkward. Once the aspiring
Overlord masters the skill of juggling his minions, there’s also the personal combat
skills and spells to master. While not completely necessary, they make crushing
one’s enemies not only easier, but so much more satisfying.
You’ll not only use your minions for combat but there will be objects that need to be
moved out of the way for you to progress further through the lands you travel, not to
mention objects that will need to be carried back to your tower. And lest we forget,
the good old fashioned minion sacrifice for that much needed boost to your health or
mana. Ah, and then there’s the forging of your weapons and armor that can use the
blood of your minions to boost your own strengths. So much potential in those little
fellows.
There is a solid game here. Good graphics, humorous dialogue, and a solid control
scheme make for an enjoyable experience. The hilariously evil and questionably
moral characters are a fresh look at the “fairy tale” storyline. Unfortunately, the Busy
Gamer is going to have difficulty with this game due to the necessity of lengthy and
consistent play sessions in order to complete the game. Any length of time between
sessions will result in having to relearn the control scheme and/or remembering
where you were at on a quest.
Unlock your inner evil Overlord and command your minions to wreak some havoc.
The Short Story
Behind every Overlord is an army of willing minions that has to be micromanaged to
be effective. Being evil is fun but no one said it was going to be easy.
The Score
Unfortunately, Overlord isn’t the type of game you can put down for any length of time
and come back to without some problems. Add the length into the mix and this game
gets a 2 on the Busy Gamer scale.
Body of Review
Never let it be said that I’m not all about getting my evil groove on but Overlord is the
type of game that has a learning curve attached. As the game begins, you’re just a
fledging Overlord with a mere handful of minions to control. Your enemies are few
and weak and to build your
army, you’ll find yourself killing sheep. A lot of sheep. Seriously, a lot of sheep.
But as the game progresses, you’ll find the number of minions you control grows as
well as the types. Initially you start with the grunt minion, the brown imp, and
progress from there to a total of four different imp groups. Each type of imp you
come to control has its strengths and weaknesses and you’ll find you’ll need each
type in different circumstances as you progress through the world. And as your army
grows, so does the strength and number of your enemies.
You’ll find in short order that you’ll have to adapt very quickly to the scenario at hand
in order to be a successful Overlord. This means juggling the different types of
minions, which isn’t altogether difficult but can be awkward. Once the aspiring
Overlord masters the skill of juggling his minions, there’s also the personal combat
skills and spells to master. While not completely necessary, they make crushing
one’s enemies not only easier, but so much more satisfying.
You’ll not only use your minions for combat but there will be objects that need to be
moved out of the way for you to progress further through the lands you travel, not to
mention objects that will need to be carried back to your tower. And lest we forget,
the good old fashioned minion sacrifice for that much needed boost to your health or
mana. Ah, and then there’s the forging of your weapons and armor that can use the
blood of your minions to boost your own strengths. So much potential in those little
fellows.
There is a solid game here. Good graphics, humorous dialogue, and a solid control
scheme make for an enjoyable experience. The hilariously evil and questionably
moral characters are a fresh look at the “fairy tale” storyline. Unfortunately, the Busy
Gamer is going to have difficulty with this game due to the necessity of lengthy and
consistent play sessions in order to complete the game. Any length of time between
sessions will result in having to relearn the control scheme and/or remembering
where you were at on a quest.
BusyGamer Rating
OVERLORD
PLATFORM : XBOX 360, PC
COMPANY: TRIUMPH STUDIOS & CODEMASTERS
REVIEWER: Grits Review Main
