Monday, December 29

OVERLORD - true evil reveals


Evil deeds won't just do themselves.

Admit it; you've always wanted a little gremlin that followed you around telling you how awesome you were, no matter how many times you put a boot to its face. The kind of little minion that would tell you how great you were for dumping your girlfriend in favor of her more voluptuous sister or for choosing money over saving lives. If you just grinned a little bit, then the twisted and evil humor that defines Overlord is right up your alley. Borrowing heavily from Pikmin, Overlord takes you through a lighthearted quest to restore a dark kingdom to its former glory. On its way, Overlord carves out its own little niche both unique and enjoyable. - ign review


If you've played Pikmin before, Overlord will be about as familiar to you as your favorite pair of boxers. You play the role of a dark overlord, brought forth to control a horde of minions that wreak havoc upon the world as you work to restore your once glorious kingdom. Your pack of minions begins small, but increases in both variety and size as you progress through the game to uncover new powers, spells, and pieces of your dark tower. These little guys are the keys to your success. They fight and die for you, team up to move objects too heavy for you to lift, and provide enough laughs to make even the most angelic of us feel good about doing evil. Without them, you're helpless. This makes harvesting the essence orbs and locating spawning pits an integral part of the game. - ign review


The real success in Overlord comes from the interactions that can be had between the minions and the rest of the world. Sweep your horde over a table with a few pints of beer and the minions will drink it and then empty their bladders with a maniacal chuckle. Give them access to a pumpkin patch and they'll tear it to bits and create sweet helmets to wear. The minions are animated well, even though the overlord looks a bit stiff (If he's supposed to be so evil, why does he walk like such a tool?), and watching them smash and interact with their surroundings is a joy. - ign review


With four types of minions that each possess their own unique abilities, Overlord is primed for some fancy puzzles. For the most part, though, the game shies away from forcing gamers to use their brains. Much of the game is in fact a trial in collecting enough minions and directing them forward to overwhelm obstacles or enemies. We did come across a decent number of puzzles, but these are few and far between, and the ones we didn't encounter weren't particularly challenging. In fact, much of the thinking in Overlord comes from being lost as you try to figure out where to head next. An in-game map would have greatly reduced this issue, but then the game would be about as straightforward and linear as they come. If you know what you're doing, you can easily beat the game in under 15 hours. - ign review


And getting lost in the world is one of the best parts about Overlord. The detailed environments, clever missions, and quirky inhabitants are all as interesting as they are visually appealing. Exploring the world as you seek to improve your dark tower and please your mistress (Good or evil, it's your choice as to which to take home. Bonus!) remains interesting for hours on end, even though the puzzle design isn't the most intriguing. There's a lot packed into Overlord that all encourages completists to have a go at nailing every optional task. - ign review



Overlord Trailer - The Rise of the Overlord


Overlord Evilness Trailer















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