Overlord

The puzzle-action gameplay, battling both the enemy and the elements, is simply tuned to perfection and the oh-so-spectacular bosses play like an orchestra of action and strategy. [July 2007, p.60]

Overlord really bucks the trend; if you're the sort of guy who likes seeing the bad guy win then you will love it. The game is immense fun that doesn't take the whole evil thing too seriously; its humorous themes and beautiful graphics are backed up with entertaining and engaging gameplay that make it a worthy purchase.

Its fresh take on the fantasy genre, excellent minion mechanics and morbid humor make for a gaming experience you won't soon forget.

Overall, Overlord is an exciting romp through a twisted fairy-tale land. While it lacks any incredibly difficult challenges, it delivers a laugh-a-minute story that is very well executed.

This game is one of those rare instances where the stars align and every element combines to create something fresh, original and great. Kudos to the entire crew at Triumph Studios...you've lived up to your name.

It's got a surprising amount of depth and innovation in a lot of different areas of design, excellent humor, art work and sound.

If I wasn’t clear until now, Overlord is a great game. Even though it has a few quirks, it has something that most titles today lack: originality.

There are a few minor flaws, but the game runs at a steady framerate and the control scheme is easy to both learn and implement. Fun is an underscoring element here.

In the end, don't think about what you're not getting in Overlord: what you are getting is a hilarious, complex, unique experience. It's an absolute must-have for PC gamers. [Sept 2007, p.66]

Whacking Hobbits, looting houses, causing havok - being evil can be fun, sure. But who'd expect that being evil can even cause tears of laughter?

Overlord won’t keep you coming back and again for more, but it’s a satisfying, amusing experience that’s fairly unusual in today’s games industry, even if it isn’t quite the bad boy it wants to be.

Not the groundbreaking action-RPG it's billed as, but sweeping your malevolent minion hordes across the screen is great fun. [Aug 2007, p.54]

More than the script (generally witty and sharp, if occasionally undercut by an iffy voice-actor) or the graphic design (a brother to Fable's faux-fantasy charm), the constant capering of your charges is what gives the game its personality. That is, they have a lot of personality and so does the game.

Your flunkies also embody Overlord's one weak point: Loosen the iron grip, and they'll stupidly drown themselves chasing after a bug...or race headlong into overwhelming odds. Maybe the boneheaded A.I. is intentional; maybe they're supposed to be feral lemmings, and the game's forcing you to slow down for tactics -- but I ain't buying it.

The evil, yet light-hearted, humor and richly detailed world combine for a game that is worth diving into.

But the “evil or eviler” tagline has more to do with marketing than with the game, which for the most part offers a choice closer to being an evil or benevolent despot.

Overlord delivers a fun experience and is well worth the $39.99 retail price of admission.

Overlord might be a short lived experience but nothing quite like it exists for the Xbox 360 right now. The gameplay is sound, the humour is all too apparent and we doubt you’ll walk away unimpressed. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a little bit more going for it online.

Controlling your horde of loyal and evil Naši youth feels refreshing compared to the typical action adventure formula. The technical execution is solid and the over the top fantasy cliché humour works decently. The game does not have a whole lot of longevity or challenge but it does have burning hobbits. [Aug 2007]

If Overlord is a villain, then it's one of those buffoon-ish sidekicks in a Disney movie. It tries and tries hard to be dark, to carry out depraved deeds and thwart the heroes. But it just can't help but cutely (and it is cute) bumble every attempt, conform to cliches at every chance, and grin gently at its own sophomoric humour. [July 2007, p.82]

The pure joy of commanding a small army of malicious minions more than makes up for Overlord's minor shortcomings.

The balancing could do with some tweaking, with some enemies too hard to defeat and some bosses too easy. [Aug 2007, p.70]

Overlord is an entertaining game that should keep you smiling for its duration, but certain control complexities and a distinct lack of evil keep it from being a truly great next-gen adventure.

Overlord offers players a chance to let their imp armies run amok, looting and destroying the countryside. However, the gimmick grows stale and its charm gets lost with the buggy controls and the boredom of wandering around in circles.

Control niggles aside this is a great game. There's imagination in the storyline, context and setting, humour throughout and plenty of fun to be had.