Metascore
68 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 30
  2. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. A damn fine game when all is said and done. It's a focused, linear experience that never really slows down.
  2. 83
    In a way, Dark Legend is like Overlord with training wheels on. Which isn't by any means a bad thing.
  3. With no doubt Overlord Dark Legend is fresh air for the console portfolio, not only for its control system -which we have already seen in other games-, but also for that uninhibited and "bad-ass" style it has.
  4. 76
    Despite of a significant weakness in the controls, it's a title Wii owners should definitely have played. Graphically the game looks good and the sound is actually pretty decent. In short: The Overlord has returned to tell us the story about the rise of his existence, although he stutters while doing this.
  5. 75
    Climax Studios has done a nice job of crafting a fun world to explore and plenty of enemies to decimate. The real issue is engine stability, and polish.
  6. Rock solidly made and full of evil-flavoured charm, but you can't help but wish this had been so much more. The Little King still rules Wii. [Aug 2009, p.58]
  7. All in all, Dark Legend gets a lot right, and as the Wii missed out on the well-reviewed original Overlord, gamers who own Wiis but no other gaming platforms should definitely give it a shot.
  8. Dark Legend is still pretty fun but maybe too simple compared to the other Overlord games: the game is a good start for this franchise on Wii, with all the advantage and limitation that remote control can brings.
  9. Great for those who have yet to experience the Overlord series. Everyone else should pass.
  10. With its joyfully evil brand of warm humour enlivening every encounter, it's a game that makes you feel good about being bad. And with slick controls and a satisfying blend of action and strategy, it's a game that's never less than enjoyable to play. But while it provides superior controls and less frustration than Overlord II, it regrettably falls down by failing to offer enough of a concerted challenge.
  11. Merely a good version of a great product.
  12. Dark Legend on Wii manages to be an extremely competent third-party offering. It's too easy and suffers from a few technical shortcomings, but the campaign is always fun and entertaining. As an intro to Overlord, Dark Legend does its job. Play it on Wii and then move on to the superior and altogether more challenging next-gen sequel.
  13. Dark Legend attractive visuals often force the action to chug, an overabundance of minions makes the game far too easy and at times incompetent artificial intelligence forces you to reissue the same commands to brain dead minions. If you can deal with those issues, then you'll probably enjoy this dark and destructive adventure.
  14. Overlord: Dark Legend never gets very challenging and let's you do good deeds with the ultimate bad guy, which can be a bit strange. Luckily, the game is fun the play and looks and sounds excellent.
  15. A mixture of genres that is neatly put together but has annoying slowdowns.
  16. The official debut of Overlord on Nintendo hardware has to be considered more than good. Dark Legend is a funny mix of humor and action with a solid gameplay made of strategy and action.
  17. The game's design is overly simplistic, perhaps as an attempted nod to younger players. It hurts the experience, since it feels like you've won every fight before you even begin, even against bosses. It's rare that any puzzle or battle requires more than the mildest attention. Even knowing that, Dark Legend benefits from its clever premise – one that certainly stands apart from the rest of the Wii ­catalog.
  18. Commanding minions to wreak havoc in a fairy-tale world is just plain fun. [Aug 2009, p.91]
  19. Of the three games in the Overlord family, Dark Legend is something of a black sheep. It's smaller in scope and lacks some fundamental parts of the formula, but in its pursuit to be different, it's managed to one-up its cousins in certain key ways. The series' minion-control mechanics are a shoe-in on the Wii, and as an Overlord game, it succeeds at what it aims to deliver: mindless fun with irresistible charm.
  20. Although Overlord Dark Legend is fairly short and easy to finish, it delivers enough fun to keep you playing. There is enough variety in gameplay to compensate for the lack of difficulty, and commanding minions with the Wii-mote feels like a natural thing to do.
  21. 70
    Dark Legend's fun, I just don't think that a person with considerable skill at games will find it all that challenging. Still, if you want a good, humorous story, and are looking for something to entertain you (albeit briefly), then Dark Legend is among the better choices for the Wii.
  22. A potentially great game ruined by control issues. Stick with Little King's Story for your RTS adventure kicks.
  23. A nice Control System and an humorous adventure seem solid "pros", but the adventure is really short, and the technical aspect is not so exciting.
  24. It's a lot of fun while it lasts. [Aug 2009, p.75]
  25. If the game was going to be this short, then it should have been made a tad bit more difficult to balance out the lack of content.
  26. It's a shame that Overlord: Dark Legend is riddled with bugs and performance issues. If you look beyond these shortcomings you'll actually find a really enjoyable adventure with lots of evil and playful charm. But the various issues coupled with the short lifespan means this game is best suited for the younger audience at best.
  27. 60
    I do commend Codemasters for catering to the Wii with a brand new Overlord game instead of porting over Overlord II, which could only have ended in tears -- but give us a challenge guys. We're not stupid.
  28. Dark Legend possesses all the sly wit you'd expect from an Overlord game. Too bad the action and the once-engaging puzzles are all dumbed down.
  29. For those of us who are open to innovation and who appreciate the fantastical, immersive experiences the craft can throw up, Overlord: Dark Legend is destined to feel like something of a wasted opportunity.
  30. The controls are superior to Overlord II, but the gameplay and difficulty is even more simplified.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. 5
    Overlord series takes the stage on the Nintendo Wii to take control of the control set up and offer a Pikmin like experience while Pikmin 3 is no where to be seen. For the most part the game works. It gives you a world to explore, missions to do and a control scheme that works quite well. The problem is that the game feels half done. Controls of the Overlord and the minions work good, but as you venture deeper into the game you notice several glitches. I experienced 2 game freezes, one of the bosses froze and another fell through the geometry of the level! After the final boss the game just ends. That's it. Just when the story gets going it ends. On top of that the game doesn't give you much info on the Forge Upgrades. What suit is better? I had tons of money to afford everything by the time I was done the 3rd boss battle. It was easy, yet fun if the game didn't crash or glitch out. If you need a Pikmin-esque game for cheap, pick this one up... but don't expect more then 10 hours out of it. Full Review »
  2. SergiV
    9
    Great game!! A lot of reviewers underating the wii games just because is a less powerful console, but I think this is not fair. Overlord for the wii is a very enjoyable game for the platform and with impressive visuals. Just play it and don't listen to the critic. Just play. And the, if you want to critic the game just do it, but after play it. Full Review »
  3. SarahB
    10
    My favorite game so far this year, Game play made very easy / natural using the Wii mote. Great fun - try it!