Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	8
Sound:	7
FunFactor:	8
PlasmaFactor:	8
Overall:	7.8

Overlord Review
December 31, 1969

I cannot begin to count how many times I have had the “wouldn’t it be great to play as a bad guy in a video game” conversation. Thankfully, Codemasters has made one of my fantasies a reality in the form of Overlord, where villainy is the key to victory. Overlord was released June 26^th of this year, and this dungeon crawler has a lot to offer gamers willing to stick with the game. With all the minion kicking, peasant-torching, and halfling-hacking that this game provides, does it still hold up as a solid game six months after its release?

Gameplay

Overlord begins with you, the player, waking up from a centuries-old slumber by your loyal Minions. Gnarl, the elder Minion, informs you that the old Overlord has been slain by knights and the castle ransacked by the entire populace of the world. As the new Overlord, it is your job to gather your Minions, rebuild your home and force the whole world into slavery by fear or force.

You are immediately thrown into a tutorial, although it almost is not necessary; the controls are intuitive and suit the game well. The Overlord himself does not have a complex set of moves. Pressing A repeatedly lets loose a simple combo while pressing X unleashes a magical attack. While the Overlord’s moves seem limited, the main draw of the game is in controlling your Minions. These little guys can do anything, from attacking various enemies to smashing open a new pathway to scavenging the area for gold and armor. Minions are sent forth by hitting the right trigger button to target an enemy and B calls then right back to your side. You can also more accurately control your crew by moving the right analog stick. This is a particularly useful move for when you need to get your Minions into hard-to-reach areas, secret places or even surprise attack your enemies! They even come in four varieties: brown (standard battle units), red (which can run through and toss fire), green (nimble and immune to poison), and blue (water resistant and can resurrect fallen minions).

At its core, Overlord is a dungeon crawler. You will explore huge, tunnel-filled labyrinths which may take an hour or more to complete. If you are not a fan of dungeon crawlers, then Overlord may not be the game for you. I found it a bit tedious after a while, but the thrill of seeing my minions overwhelm a room full of enemies or destroying entire dining halls kept me playing. Also, there is a sense of pride you take in your Minions staying alive long enough to get the armor and weapon upgrades. They go from a small, shriveled looking band of miscreants to a force that is to be feared.

The castle works as the central hub for your Overlord to get around. There are teleportation platforms that appear frequently across all landscapes; this is convenient because the game world itself is huge. There are a total of five kingdoms in Overlord and each kingdom has a few villages and dungeons. Walking from each of the five massive kingdoms would be a tedious chore, so Codemasters made it easier by implementing teleportation. Of course taking the long way around does have its own rewards, as enemies and destructible environments often re-spawn, giving you a chance to get extra gold and armor.

There is, however, one huge gripe I have with this game: Where are the in-game maps? It seems totally insane not to include at least some sort of guidance system when you have levels as huge as the ones in this title. Sure, you can probably re-trace your steps back to where you last left off, but some of the stages (the Half-ling hive comes to mind) have rooms that are nearly identical to one another, making even that a troublesome chore.

“Shiny! Pretty! Master keep?!”

Overlord is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to the visuals. The lighting effects are stunning and really show off what the X-Box 360 can do. Most of the monster and character models are just as gorgeous; they are well-rendered and the animations are fluid. One of the neatest visual effects in the game comes when you upgrade your Minions’ armor and weapons. The models themselves change to represent what they have equipped which makes them appear much more threatening. Not all games have a feature like that (I’m looking at you, Dynasty Warriors), so seeing it here is a welcome change of pace.

There are, however, portions of the game that make you wonder if the developers got lazy towards the end of their deadlines. Most of the environmental textures (such as walls or houses) look absolutely fabulous, but most of the floor and field textures seem completely outdated. It is rather jarring to see a lively, well-rendered village and then immediately walk out into a field that seems totally dead by comparison. Also, while there is no greater satisfaction than torching a half-ling, they look as if they walked directly out of an older X-Box game. Why not put more effort into an enemy you see so frequently, especially within the first few hours of gameplay? This game does have some great visuals to check out, and each dungeon has a distinct feel to it.

Sound

The only thing that you can say about the music in Overlord is that it is appropriate. For a game that has some of the most epic scenery and battles this side of Mordor, the music just seems to fall flat. One would hope to hear sweeping scores as you and your minions besiege a new village, but there is not a single piece that stands out as being memorable. In fact, unless you are engaged in combat or are about to crash a festival, music is sparse.

The sound effects do make up for where the music stumbles. The voices are all very appropriate, from the simple-minded peasants, who all seem to be a little too preoccupied with pumpkins, to the over-the-top bosses you will encounter. The dialogue itself is very funny and you are sure to chuckle at Sir William’s rants as you wear him down hit by hit. Of course, the Minions truly steal the show. Whether it is their throaty battle cries or their endearing love for their Overlord, the Minions are funny and terrific little characters by themselves.

Plasma Factor

Being selective in my misdeeds was a blast. Sure I could keep the people of Spree alive to do my bidding, but I’ll take their entire supply of food and keep it at my castle to feed my minions. There are moments like this which are cackle-inducing, and it definitely makes you want to play the game a second time through to see how the alternate decision would have rewarded you.

Conclusion

Overlord is one of the better games on the market for the X-Box 360. The combat is simplistic enough where anyone can master them but it remains engaging enough to keep veteran game players happy. What’s more, Majesco has an expansion pack on the way that adds a 2-player offline mode and a huge, 4-level expansion to the story mode. While the dungeon-crawling may turn off some, this game has a lot to offer if you give it a chance. If you’re at all curious about what it is like to seize the lands from the bad guy’s perspective, or just want to play a solid action fantasy title that’ll make you laugh, then Overlord may very well be the game for you!

Gameplay: 8 Graphics: 8 Sound: 7 Value:  8 PlasmaFactor: 8

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By: Peter Temple, Staff Writer