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Overlord II
| Genre | Action |
| Developer | Triumph Studios |
| Publisher | Codemasters |
| Modes | Single/ Multiplayer |
| Rating | PEGI 16+ |
| Released | 26.06.2009 |
Sometimes it's fun to be the bad guy. It seems that the majority of game protagonists these days are heroes fighting against some evil force for the greater good of humanity. Overlord II puts you in the shoes of an evil lord, set to wreak havoc on anything in your path. With legions of minions at your command you are able to take down enemies on your quest for world domination. Overlord was a breath of fresh air to the genre, it offered something a bit different from the conventional action game. A large focus was placed on controlling minions to do your dirty work, the sequel follows on from this by adding a few new features but there are a few problems that have been left unaddressed.
Overlord II seems to suffer from issues with camera positioning which was also an issue in the original title. Walking around open environments is not a problem but when you enter a narrow passage the camera can suddenly change angle making it hard to focus on enemies. The control of the game is very closely linked to the camera angles and while these issues do not make the game unplayable, they can be slightly irritating. It seems the locking system in these tight areas becomes awkward and it is often difficult to lock onto the desired target. Don't get us wrong, Triumph Studios have put in a lot of effort to resolve these issues but they haven’t quite managed to completely iron them out.
Enough of the fault finding, Overlord II is generally a fun game to play, its innovative gameplay is combined with some light comedy to make it an enjoyable experience. Throughout the game you collect life-force by getting your minions to kill enemies. Gradually, the more you explore, you will become stronger and your minions will become more effective. Minions can now mount wild animals and operate war machines. Your Overlord will also be able to forge new armour and weapons as the game progresses. Once you become wealthy and powerful you'll be able to deck out your evil pad with artifacts and more importantly, women.
In a nut shell, Overlord II is all about gaining power and living out your dream of dominating the world. Lets face it, we have all dreamed of owning a small army of evil little minions and using them to destroy absolutely anything. Ultimately, your goal is to destroy a Roman-esque world, one enemy at a time. You are able to achieve complete carnage as you and your minions grow in power. The controls couldn’t be much simpler, lock onto a target and send your gang of little scamps to batter an opponent with a couple of button presses. If you happen to loose a few of your minions there are plenty of gates to the underworld dotted around the map to summon more. The further you get in the game, the more minions you can summon at any one time.
The missions are nice and varied. It's not all about the constant destruction and slaughter; you will be given opportunities to commandeer slave ships, complete puzzles and take out giant bosses strategically. Understandably there are more quests in Overlord II and the size of the map has been increased considerably to give you an increased lasting appeal. Multiplayer modes include different variations of versus and co-operative modes.
Comedy was a big aspect of the original title and is a rare feature in any video game. Overlord II achieves a humorous side to the gameplay with some clever voice acting and amusing character animation. A great example is the slightly camp rainbow elves who keep popping up throughout the game with lines like "can't we all just get along." If you enjoy killing fluffy animals then this is the game for you, seals and rabbits are amongst the targets for your minions.
Many of the issues from the first game have been rectified. The death of your minions in the original game would get incredibly annoying. Over the course of the game they acquire unique items and weapons but when they died there was no way of getting these back. This is not a problem in Overlord II thanks to the addition of resurrection; for a small fee you are able to get your favourite minions back in the game without having to reload from a save as with the previous game. Their levels and equipment are returned in tact and you are able to continue to go about your evil business once more.
The graphics could be better but they are satisfactory for a game such as this. The environment and characters have a cartoon style about them which adds to the overall feel of the game. The visuals do the job but don't expect to have your breath taken away by the scenery. However, there is a noticeable improvement from the original Overlord game. As for the sound, it's brilliant, the voice acting is very well done and you will often find yourself with a smile on your face during gameplay.
In short, Overlord II is a solid sequel; it improves on some core aspects of the original game whilst adding some new features. There are a few minor issues that have not been completely ironed out but they are not enough, on balance, to make this a bad game. What stands out about the Overlord series is that it's something a bit different from the conventional action game. The controls are simple and it is a game that you can genuinely enjoy thanks to its humorous and light nature. Amusing voice acting and cartoon-style graphics make Overlord II an overall more relaxed game.