Review: Overlord II (PS3)

Taking place way after the events of the first game you control an all new Overlord who as a child is thrown out of the town by the Empire whose a little annoyed with your troublesome, magic using self. From here you’re taken down to the Netherworld where you’re taken in by the minions and groomed to become the new Overlord. Of course, being evil and all you want to exact your revenge on the Empire by destroying them and their town.

What sets Overlord II apart from other third person action games (apart from the original obviously) is the use of minions. These little troublemakers will aid you in your quest to overthrow the Empire. There are four types that you find as you progress through the game. First there are the standard browns who let their firsts do the talking. Then there are the reds who unleash fireballs, the stealthy greens and the blues who can heal your fallen minions. Each one needs to be utilised in the right way to get the best out of them. For instance, there’s no point in sending the greens headfirst into battle when they’re likely to get slaughtered.

Each minion skill can also be used in puzzle solving ways. The red variety can use their fire to set off bombs for example, and the blues can use their water swimming ability to reach places you cannot. They can also be manipulated with the right stick to send them ahead and mystical pillars found throughout the game can even put you inside one of their bodies. There is a lot of tactical thinking needed, not just how you approach the variety of enemies you face, but also how the minions can traverse the environment. Unfortunately because of the poor map system used when exploring the world it can be far too difficult to understand where you’re supposed to be heading. It’s one of the faults with the game that stop this from becoming a must have purchase.

Controls can be a little on the awkward side. Being used to using the second stick as a way of changing the camera becomes a hindrance once you realise this is a way of moving the minions. The camera itself can be a little erratic as the two camera positions found here are not the best, and often can get stuck behind pieces of scenery when you find yourself hugging the wall. It’s also not ideal that when you use the right stick to sweep your minions from one place to the other the camera doesn’t follow them and is instead stuck on you. So if you’re trying to find a hidden passage then you’ll need to get really close to the TV.

One thing Overlord does do well is the humour. Like we said, controlling a villainous character often isn’t our cup of tea, but facing off against the characters you find here makes it that much easier. The Empire is portrayed like a cross between the Roman army and a Monty Python sketch. All armoured up, though take out their leader and they suddenly turn into a bunch of headless chickens, running around praying you don’t unleash your minions on them. Then there are the Elves, with their love for animals and the environment making them the perfect candidate for the Green Party. And finally lets not forget the fairies with their womanly charms.

What the game does exceptionally well is making you believe that you have this huge army at your disposal. Your tower is a big and ominous beast that has all sorts of areas to upgrade yourself, your armies, and even the tower itself. Finding them can prove quite difficult as your tower is exceptionally large, with the throne room leading off to various other sections each having a specific purpose, whether it be to resurrect fallen minions or improve your armour. There’s plenty to do in the world and even finding all the minion types can take quite a while. You even have a multiplayer to lengthen the experience with co-op and versus modes.

If destruction and mayhem are your thing then there is enough here to warrant a purchase. But with a few tweaks here and there, Overlord II could have been something a little more special.

Rating: 7 / 10

Words by Adam Gulliver