Overlord 2 Review

In 2007 Overlord made its debut on the Xbox 360 and PC. The game set itself apart by offering squad based gameplay and some light strategic elements. Two years on and the antihero and his minions are back to make more trouble in Overlord 2.

The story of Overlord 2 continues from the first with the overlord's son found by Gnarl and the minions in the snowy town of Nordberg. The evil doer in training is subject to raising for 13 years until he is ready to start his dark domain. This time a roman like empire stands between the dark lord and his world conquest. Once again the Overlord is completely wordless and the story is told through cut scenes or lines narrated by Gnarl through the gameplay. The characters may seem underdeveloped but the humorous and witty dialogue written by Rhianna Pratchett manage to pull through.

Overlord 2 follows a linear quest of at least 15 hours as the player works to overthrow the empire and conquer the world. The game gives you a choice to be evil (domination) or really evil (destruction) This could have been fleshed out with more emphasis but there are many other elements to consider as well. There are many objects to collect in Overlord like life force to increase your minion count and resurrect the fallen, dark crystals to upgrade minions and build weapons and also spell catalysts to upgrade your magic. You will need to backtrack occasionally to get these but most of the time you'll be running a straight path killing enemies you encounter and wreaking the scenery. The Overlord's home in the Netherworld is once again the games central HUB where you can jump into quests, upgrade your minions and weapons or visit the private quarters with a mistress or two. As in the first game Overlord 2 features multiplayer for two players online and off but its pretty pointless online because you can never find a game. Perhaps in Overlord 3 Triumph Studios will add a full 16 player mode or even coop. DLC is being released that should extend the length after the lengthy campaign has been completed

The key to winning the game are your minions. These devious devils will follow you around and can also reach areas that you can't. There are 4 types of minion this time. Browns can take the most damage, Reds throw fire from a distance, Greens sneak around with a back stab attack and Blues revive dead minions. The minions have now learned to man heavy machinery like boats and catapults and can also mount up on wolves, spiders and salamanders for extra health and abilities. Minions generally act well however they can become stuck on objects and are prone to suicide by water. As for the dark lord he can use either melee weapons of three different types of magic. However when fighting tougher enemies like frogs and entire legions many minions die and you will too if you aren't prepared. Whenever I attempted to hit a legion they simply blocked every blow. This has a negative impact on the atmosphere because it makes you feel less like an overlord. Controls are mostly smooth except for the camera. The right stick both moves the camera and sweeps the minions. This can be annoying especially when you are surrounded by dozens of enemies. The lock on doesn't fare well either. It will often switch between many targets without the player moving the right stick and it can be hard to find the right angle to lock on to the target you wish. Although these problems do persist the game is generally fun. There's lots of guilty pleasure to be had as you watch the minions pillage, destroy and do the dirty work for you.

Overlord 2 looks much better than the original. Gone are the brown levels and in are snow, city and jungle settings. The voice acting is brilliant channeling the minions personality well. The music and sound are both acceptable as they both kick in at the right moments with fast paced tunes and satisfying hits with your melee weapon. On the other hand the frame rate is poor compared to other games and slows down in both cut scenes and gameplay. Also character animation in cut scenes is quite awkward and generally the game doesn't look the best it could have been.

Although flaws do drag, Overlord 2 manages to win you over with its charm and unique style of play. It falls short of triple a status but hopefully the developer will have learned from its mistakes and will work hard to make the next Overlord a revolution. But if you like being evil and squad gameplay then this is the game for you

Rating: 8/10