[Video Game] Overlord II

[setrataeso]

Name: Overlord II
Publisher: Codemasters
Developer: Triumph Studios
Genre: Action-Adventure

Usually, when the genre action-adventure pops up, I get excited. Likely my favourite genre, action-adventure games have always had a place in my heart as where I got into video games. Simple ones like Super Mario World or Kirby 64, or more complex ones like A Link to the Past or Prince of Persia have always been favourites of mine. Nowadays, the genre doesn't have the same spring that it used to, but occasionally a gem is born that will go down in history. Overlord II has been out for a little while, and I thought I'd shed some light on one of the more interesting games of the summer.

Overlord II is published by Codemasters, famed publisher and developer of many games, and developed by Triumph Studios, who are known mainly for the Overlord series of games and the Age of Wonders games for you PC gamers. So far Overlord has gained a good deal of praise and criticism throughout their series that span the 360, PS3, Pc, Wii, and DS systems. Since the first game was released 2 years ago, the series has had several spinoffs and re-releases, but Overlord II is the proper sequel to Overlord.

Storywise, Overlord II follows where Overlord left off: you are a big, evil lord who is doing...something. Come to think of it, the stories for Overlord II and it's predecessor are both hard to figure out. You're left assuming that your overlord is trying to take over the world, but for most of the game you take over villages, castles, and trees instead. The storytelling, is done through the point of view of the overlord, but the minions do all the VO.

Okay, lets take a few steps back and explain the game. Overlord II, like the first is an action-adventure game that feels like a mix of Fable and Pikmin. The art style, sound design, and the entire premise of the game feel quite a bit like a Fable game. The gameplay, however, is a lot like Pikmin. You control an army (although it's more of a horde) of evil minions that resemble goblins or gnomes. The minions are coloured differently from each other to signify different powers (brown is physical, red is fire, etc). Controlling the minions is done with the right thumbstick, or can be done by targeting with the left trigger and ordering minions with right trigger. Your overlord has his own attacks as well: he can wield deadly swords and maces, and can use magic spells. Relatively speaking, the overlord is not a powerhouse like you might expect. He will go down in a few hits, so the idea is to use your minions strategically. Don't be fooled though; this is no strategy game. The only strategy remains as to who you kill first, as most of the ordering of the minions will be done by sending all of your guys at one guy, swarming him, and doing the same with every enemy you encounter.

Not to say that the gameplay is bad, however a lot of the flaws of the first game have still not been fixed. The primary issue is the controls. Overlord II is much more a PC game then a console game. The controls seem like they would make more sense on a mouse and keyboard then on a controller. Moving the camera is done with the right thumbstick; the same thumbstick is used for moving minions. This becomes a tremendous problem very quickly. Within 5 minutes of playing the training mission, I was checking to see if there were any other ways to operate the camera. Not so.

The first few hours of gameplay do a very poor job of getting the player into the game. At no point during these levels do they mention anything that suggests that the game will get bigger, better, or make more sense, story-wise. Usually I would say the game does get bigger, better, and clearer but for Overlord II, there seems to be no evidence to say that is the case. Despite it's hints that the world is very big, Overlord II remains a very linear experience; more than I would say I'm used to. There are very few separate paths to take, or places to explore. Most story missions gain their length from the repetition and sheer slowness of your overlord's foot speed. The game also never makes any sense in the grand scope of things. The separate missions are easy enough to understand, as they usually involve destroying or dominating certain people or places. The game also never hits a point where it becomes more fun; in fact, I would say it becomes less fun as it becomes more frustrating instead.

The moral choice system is present in this game, but set slightly differently. Instead of a simple good/evil approach, Triumph has decided to make the choices an evil/evil choice. As I said before the game revolves around either destroying or dominating people or places of importance. The choice is just that: destroy the king or enslave him, smash the castle or take it over. It's actually a welcome addition as it gives the game an extra shot of personality (not that it needed any more), however it doesn't affect the actual turnout of fun. The sequel also tones down the puzzle solving in favour of more simple action. Not a good or bad thing, as the difference is not particularly jarring, and both sections remain probably the two better parts of gameplay, so better you trade one for the other then have both become stale.

The minions remain the heart of the game, alongside the addition of some truly funny side characters. Overlord II, like the first, is very funny. And not just one kind of funny either; there are witty lines, slapstick humour, clever puns, and hilarious voicework. During the first few missions the enemies are wood elves who act and speak just like hippies. The minions always have funny lines when they pipe up, and the loading screens features musings of Gnarl, a particularly evil minion who shares his evil insights, and they are always very fun to read. The music sounds like something ripped right out of a Fable game, and the game even looks like Fable. It seems to always be snowing when you are outdoors, otherwise you're in a forest and everything looks colourful and vibrant. The game looks pretty nice, but the graphical issues from the first game still present. There are clipping issues and poor draw-in, and overall the game has fairly blurry visuals and it becomes difficult to make out what going on a lot.

The game does feature multiplayer modes, as well. As to whether they are fun or not, I wouldn't know. There are never, I repeat, never any players online. I don't see the Overlord series having much multiplayer success, as people who are going to be into it are likely gamers playing Fable II or some other RPG.

Overlord II has a lot of charm and humour to it, but it has very little depth or fun. As an art form, Overlord II succeeds in entertaining the gamer, but as a game it falls short of its potential. Overlord had the same issues, but the sequel failed to repair these. As to whether or not I can reccomend Overlord II, it remains a question of what you are looking for in a game: solid gameplay or a compelling story. Unfortunately, Overlord II has neither. While there is charm, there are lots of obstacles to overcome before the series can advance.

5.5/10