Assume the Mantle of Overlord

Published June 18, 2007

Opposing every nefarious plan of world domination is a strutting hero questing to shut down the machinations of evil. You know the type, a self-righteous, jaw-jutting, sword-wielding heroic fool too void of common sense to bend to evil's will. In Overlord™, you play no such character.

Now that's what a villainous Overlord should look like.

Instead, you'll step into the armor-clad boots of a dark lord of chaos. You are the Overlord of mischief and villainy who stomps about the countryside with minions in tow, burning down meadows, stomping on Halflings and double-crossing witless villagers ignorant enough to hail you as their hero. Tasty.

You find your fortress of darkness in shambles,
your myriad powers stripped from you, and a world
far removed from quaking fear. It's time to go work.

Welcome to Villainy
Developer Triumph Studios has crafted a tremendously innovative and equally hilarious tribute to fantasy role-playing games from the comically twisted perspective of an evil Overlord. From quaint villages in distress, dark dungeons and torture chambers, Halflings in merriment in their round little houses, damsels in need of rescuing, and much more, Overlord approaches them all with a knowing nod and fresh perspective.

Learning the Ropes
You'll begin your career in malice by being awakened by a group of eager evil minions. Chief among these helpers is your guide to mischief, Gnarl, who offers tips and helpful hints along the way. He is, essentially, your walking, talking, joke-cracking, tutorial to the dark side.

That's going to hurt.

Unfortunately, after shaking off the rust from your armor and dried blood from your battle-axe, you find your fortress of darkness in shambles, your myriad powers stripped from you, and a world far removed from quaking fear. It's time to go to work.

Overlord employs gameplay culled from action, role-playing, and real-time strategy genres. Here are the basics:

• The game is played from the third-person perspective and the camera can be toggled between a three-quarters isometric view and one pulled in tight, behind the back of our titular villain.
• You move with the left control stick, perform standard attacks with A, and target-lock enemies by holding down the left trigger.
• The bulk of the action is handled not by you, but by your minions. Order them to attack or target an object with the right trigger, or use the right control stick to move them en masse to an enemy or objective. The right control stick is particularly useful when guiding them through a complicated path, and since you're in direct control of their movement, you won't need to worry about the little guys getting stuck behind or on objects.
• If the minions get spread out too far, call them back to you by holding down B.
• The D-pad is used to select your various powers, such as Fireball, and X is used to initiate them.

Don't worry. You'll be fine!

Classic Encounters
Your time in the world of Overlord runs the gamut from intensive combat to tricky puzzle-solving and everything in between. For example:

• Clearing a barrier may require the use of minions to haul the obstacle away.
• Rid a field filled with Halflings by setting the field ablaze with your fire spell.
• Send minions inside a house to wreak havoc, and bar the door in order to stop enemies from endlessly spawning.
• Use minions to break apart objects to unleash enemies.
• When your minions break jars, barrels, and boxes, they'll pay you tribute as their Overlord with the gold and treasure they find.

The Varied Sides of Villainy
Though your purpose as Overlord is to sow the seeds of fear and discontent, there are various paths to choose along the way. For example, early on, you may retrieve precious supplies for the human village of Spree. You can, of course, choose to take the supplies back to your fortress and deny the villagers their due. However, while offering up the supplies as a gift may seem a "heroic" act and not at all to your liking, the allegiance of the villagers might be helpful in your quest for eventual dominance.

Overlord for Xbox 360 is a rare gaming gem. It is a feat of innovative and original design with bells and whistles worthy of next-gen gaming. Every once in a while, a sleeper hit comes along that recalls the daring design so prevalent in the early years of gaming. Overlord looks to be one such game.

Article by Ryan Treit