Overlord II Review

Time to step back into the Netherworld...

When Triumph Studios released Overlord in 2007, many praised the game's innovative take on the genre, with comparisons to Pikmin and Gremlins bestowed upon what was a truly original release in a crowded market.

However, the title was beset by technical issues, including game-braking bugs that would not allow some gamers to proceed further than 70 per cent of the way through. So, has Triumph learned its lesson?

In this respect, a resounding yes, because Overlord II is, I'm pleased to say, bug-free. The big question, then - is the game better than its predecessor? Well, this one's a little harder to answer.

Those who played the first Overlord two years ago will be aware that the game saw you take control of the titular character who had control over a number of minions, each with special abilities.

The aim was to use these subordinates to your advantage by instructing them to attack towns and villages for your own gain by using abilities such as poison, fire and melee, usually with the result that artefacts and treasures are retrieved and placed back in the Overlord's own tower.


The problem is that this is an almost exact description of the sequel, as the premise and gameplay is near-identical. Once again, the player assumes control of a mighty Overlord, though in this instance you're a young wiper-snapper picked up by the minions to lead them.

Once more, the quest revolves around accumulating treasure that can then be spent on upgrading the tower. My main issue with this is that I had a somewhat welcome, but nonetheless resounding, sense of déjà vu when playing through Overlord II.

It may have just been me, but some of the villages bore a striking resemblance to those seen in the original and raiding houses almost seemed too easy.

In addition, another feature made its return in Overlord II, and this time it was not so welcome - the camera. Once again, the screen begins spinning around for seemingly no reason as the camera gets stuck on pieces of scenery and causes plans to go awry; very frustrating.


However, the sequel does include a map that allows the player to locate items of interest and plot the most ideal route through the land. Truth be told, this is the most welcome addition to the game and in my opinion is the saviour of Overlord II.

By utilising the map, players can now maraud through settlements in the knowledge that the third-person viewpoint will not suddenly deviate and leave them with an eagle-eye view of proceedings; very satisfying.

Also pleasing is the graphical upgrade that Triumph has lavished upon Overlord II. The minions themselves seem to positively glow red, blue, green and brown, and care has clearly been placed on the creation of the tower, which looks increasingly impressive as you add to it throughout the game. It's also good to hear that the developers started on the PlayStation 3 from the outset this time around, meaning no shoddy porting.

On the subject of enhancements, the minions themselves have been tweaked just enough to make another visit to the Netherworld a jolly experience. The little critters were undoubtedly the greatest thing about Overlord thanks to their inane chatter and wicked humour, and Overlord II is no different.


Once again, Rhianna Pratchett has helmed the script and shows she undeniably has a knack for transferring real-world observations into video game comedy, with the Elves, who take on the role of environmental activists, being a clear parody of Greenpeace supporters.

The stars of the show are the minions, however; who have spent the generation gap between the two titles learning to mount and ride wild creatures. From salamanders to (shudder) giant spiders, the critters utilise whichever beast they can in order to trample through innocent villagers.

There's a general sense of lunacy in the game and, whereas the first Overlord enticed the player to be either 'evil' or 'really evil', this seems to have been thrown out of the window. Somehow, in an industry like video games, where you can brutalise an enemy in Manhunt, having the ability to give a villager back their stolen belongings is not even remotely sinister.

In fact, it seems like Overlord II has something of an identity crisis. Whereas the moral choice was present in Overlord to a certain extent, its sequel seems to verge between silliness and violence, which is unlikely to solely appeal to either adult gamers or those from a younger demographic, let alone both.


Take, for example, the opportunity to take many mistresses and make them all your wives; the game makes no secret of the fact that these marriages have been consummated. Polygamy may be relevant in a title such as Grand Theft Auto, where mature themes are the order of the day, but not when followed with a fart gag as a minion breaks wind.

The new Dominate and Pillage option is an interesting, if not original idea. At certain points in the game, the player has the option to maraud through a village and destroy all in the Overlord's path (Dominate), or choose to pluck treasure from homes and daughters from their fathers (Pillage).

This works to a certain extent, and its great fun blasting innocent bumpkins off the map. The main problem is that many villages can be destroyed in a single attack, which renders many Minions useless and soon becomes very repetitive.

Again, the game's inconsistency rears its ugly head here. Blasting through towns takes seconds sometimes, but then an excruciatingly tricky section will send you back to the cruelly-placed checkpoints.

The multiplayer has clearly received a little thought and introduces the concept of fighting either in teams or against each other, but the execution feels a little tacked on. It's a shame, because Overlord II tries so hard to better its older brother.


And ultimately, this is where the problem lies. Overlord II is simply too much like the first game. It's impossible not to reference the 2007 title while mentioning this one, which would be fine if the original was a classic title, but Overlord II needed more than an incremental upgrade.

So, another fun-filled trip to the Netherworld that's not without its faults but provides just enough entertainment to be warranted. It's just a shame that two years has brought such a marginal improvement on the formula. Unless a third title overhauls the series, the prospect of a trilogy seems unlikely.

7.5/10

James McCann