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To this day, the original Overlord game remains on my list of the most underappreciated games in recent years. Featuring a pitch-perfect dark fairy tale vibe and some of the funniest moments you�ll see in a game � Overlord taught us just how good it could feel to be bad.
Now, nearly two years later; Codemasters has given us Overlord II, which for better or worse is everything its predecessor was � and more. The charm, humor and fun are still intact, but sadly so are the game�s monumental technical flaws and bugs. Still though, those looking for a fun experience that�s different from the typical shoot everything that moves fray will find much to like in Overlord II.
Set dozens of years after the original release, you�ll be playing as the son of the original Overlord (referenced in previous games as the Overlad). Your hero is stoic, quiet and fear-inducing. Hailing from the obviously Roman inspired Civilization known as �The Glorious Empire,� our protagonist is on a quest to eradicate and enslave the world�s mythic creatures. At the start of the game you�re set off onto a quest to track down the world�s myths one by one.
If you�ve played, or even heard of Overlord before, you�ll know that you won�t be alone in your quest. The real stars of the game are your impish minions who carry your evil bidding � albeit in hilarious ways. With a simple wave of your arm you send your minions out to accomplish your objectives while you have the choice to either stand back or jump into the action. It�s not as easy as it sounds though, as you�re minions aren�t exactly the smartest, and often times you�ll have to go back and tweak their actions before the right one is performed.
Your minions haven�t spent the last two years dormant � no, they�ve been learning. There�s now a much wider variety of actions your little assistants can perform. They can use disguises, ride mounts and even operate machinery. These new enhancements do a great job at expanding the gameplay to include a much more varied list of objectives. You�ll run into different species of minions (well, different colors), each with a different skill set, and you�ll use each one.
This time around, The Overlord can posses one of his minions, leading to a first-person view from the perspective of the minion. It doesn�t happen often, but when it does, it�s worth it. You�ll get to do everything from attempting stealth to using some pretty bad-ass weaponry like cannons and catapults. The new abilities, especially the possession, really helped open up the franchise�s gameplay.
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The game isn�t without its fair share of issues though. As you�ll be spending most of the game�s sequences directing your minions � you can�t help but get the sense that your Overlord character is a bit of a weakling � an issue when you take into account that he�s supposed to be a major badass. Go ahead, try to go into battle sans your minions, you�ll quickly notice that unless it�s a one on one battle � you�re probably not going to do so well. Then again � you have to wonder; was that the idea? Call me crazy, but I�d like to think that my Overlord uses his minions not because he has to, but because he can.
Another issue with the game�s mechanics is one that can�t be questioned. On consoles, like most games � you�ll control the camera with the right thumbstick. Sounds about normal right? Take into account that you�ll also be controlling your minions with that same right thumbstick. Sound frustrating? Yeah, it can be. At times, the system works like a charm, but at other times � and of course, it always seems to be at those crucial moments�it�s insanely frustrating. You�ll want to send your minions to attack a certain area or worse, attack an enemy intent on causing you harm, but instead you�ll merely move the camera. Ugh indeed.
On top of everything � Overlord�s sense of humor and style will�well, should�win over most gamers. Consider the world the game takes place in as a dark and twisted version of all those fairy tales you�ve heard as a kid. No, don�t get me wrong � they�re not dark and twisted to the extent that they�re dirty � the developers at Codemasters have done a great job teetering on the edge of humor and indecency. You�re going to laugh very loud during parts of Overlord II, in fact you will during a lot of it.
On top of Overlord�s lengthy 20-hour single-player campaign, there�s two-player cooperative and competitive play. The modes are a nice touch � but you can�t help but feel that they�re all but tacked on. They lack some of the modes, abilities and depth found elsewhere in the game, but you can�t deny just how fun it is to play with a friend. Each game that I played ran smoothly with little to no lag and was technically sound, even if it wasn�t what it could have been.
Those that give Overlord II a chance will find a lot to like here. It�s funny, chaotic and addicting, but at the same time its glitchy, mechanically flawed and somehow feels unfinished in some places. For those that loved the original, you�re going to find more of the same gameplay here, but Overlord II will do little to sway the opinion of those who didn�t dig the original.
CHEATfactor
CHEATS USED: One Hit Kills, Target Freeze, Super Speed, Unlimited Health, more
My main problem with Overlord II was that while he looked physically impressive � the Overlord character seemed weak without his minions � and while this may have been done with purpose, I want substance with my style. The �one hit kills by Overlord� cheat in the trainer fixes this issue � almost too much. After using it, even the largest foes can fall with one swing of your sword -- hence you have little use for your minions. I found myself using them for defensive purposes, or just sending them on mindless mayhem trips throughout the maps.
The great thing about the Overlord II trainer is that you�re going to be able to customize your experience with a wide range of cheats. You can change your characters speed, strength and level, along with affecting those of your minions and your targets. Its fun to use the �Target freeze� cheat to set your minions in place to attack them, and then unfreeze them just as they�re about to strike. Ahh the pleasure of being bad�
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