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Overlord

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 27 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 38 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Codemasters

Developer: Triumph Studios

Genre(s): Action, Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: June 26, 2007

Summary

Controlling a mysterious figure that has inherited the legacy of the evil, long-dead Overlord, the player emerges, near death, from the ruins of the old Overlord's Dark Tower. Only the player's actions determine if they will rise to become the new all-powerful Overlord; it's all down to how much of a bad ass they want to be in order to succeed...evil or really evil! Played out with plenty of black humour and dark irony, the game immerses players in twisted parodies of classic fantasy scenarios and characters. Overlord's key innovation is the introduction of an array of impish creatures – the Minions. They believe you are the old Overlord reborn and will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and die for you. Throughout the game players actively control a horde of these gremlin-like critters and they follow your every instruction no matter how despotic or, for the Minions, life threatening it is. [Codemasters]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameFAQs

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

PC Gamer

I guess it's true what they say: Bad guys have more fun. [Oct 2007, p.64]

Cheat Code Central

Its fresh take on the fantasy genre, excellent minion mechanics and morbid humor make for a gaming experience you won't soon forget.

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Play Magazine

The puzzle-action gameplay, battling both the enemy and the elements, is simply tuned to perfection and the oh-so-spectacular bosses play like an orchestra of action and strategy. [July 2007, p.60]

AceGamez

Overlord really bucks the trend; if you're the sort of guy who likes seeing the bad guy win then you will love it. The game is immense fun that doesn't take the whole evil thing too seriously; its humorous themes and beautiful graphics are backed up with entertaining and engaging gameplay that make it a worthy purchase.

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Gamer 2.0

Overall, Overlord is an exciting romp through a twisted fairy-tale land. While it lacks any incredibly difficult challenges, it delivers a laugh-a-minute story that is very well executed.

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Game Almighty

This game is one of those rare instances where the stars align and every element combines to create something fresh, original and great. Kudos to the entire crew at Triumph Studios...you've lived up to your name.

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ActionTrip

It's got a surprising amount of depth and innovation in a lot of different areas of design, excellent humor, art work and sound.

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Computer Games Online RO

If I wasn’t clear until now, Overlord is a great game. Even though it has a few quirks, it has something that most titles today lack: originality.

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GameZone

There are a few minor flaws, but the game runs at a steady framerate and the control scheme is easy to both learn and implement. Fun is an underscoring element here.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

In the end, don't think about what you're not getting in Overlord: what you are getting is a hilarious, complex, unique experience. It's an absolute must-have for PC gamers. [Sept 2007, p.66]

GameStar

Whacking Hobbits, looting houses, causing havok - being evil can be fun, sure. But who'd expect that being evil can even cause tears of laughter?

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Overlord won’t keep you coming back and again for more, but it’s a satisfying, amusing experience that’s fairly unusual in today’s games industry, even if it isn’t quite the bad boy it wants to be.

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PC Format

Not the groundbreaking action-RPG it's billed as, but sweeping your malevolent minion hordes across the screen is great fun. [Aug 2007, p.54]

IGN

The evil, yet light-hearted, humor and richly detailed world combine for a game that is worth diving into.

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The New York Times

But the “evil or eviler” tagline has more to do with marketing than with the game, which for the most part offers a choice closer to being an evil or benevolent despot.

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Worth Playing

Overlord delivers a fun experience and is well worth the $39.99 retail price of admission.

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Eurogamer

More than the script (generally witty and sharp, if occasionally undercut by an iffy voice-actor) or the graphic design (a brother to Fable's faux-fantasy charm), the constant capering of your charges is what gives the game its personality. That is, they have a lot of personality and so does the game.

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1UP

Your flunkies also embody Overlord's one weak point: Loosen the iron grip, and they'll stupidly drown themselves chasing after a bug...or race headlong into overwhelming odds. Maybe the boneheaded A.I. is intentional; maybe they're supposed to be feral lemmings, and the game's forcing you to slow down for tactics -- but I ain't buying it.

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IC-Games

Overlord might be a short lived experience but nothing quite like it exists for the Xbox 360 right now. The gameplay is sound, the humour is all too apparent and we doubt you’ll walk away unimpressed. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a little bit more going for it online.

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Pelit (Finland)

Controlling your horde of loyal and evil Naši youth feels refreshing compared to the typical action adventure formula. The technical execution is solid and the over the top fantasy cliché humour works decently. The game does not have a whole lot of longevity or challenge but it does have burning hobbits. [Aug 2007]

PC Gamer UK

If Overlord is a villain, then it's one of those buffoon-ish sidekicks in a Disney movie. It tries and tries hard to be dark, to carry out depraved deeds and thwart the heroes. But it just can't help but cutely (and it is cute) bumble every attempt, conform to cliches at every chance, and grin gently at its own sophomoric humour. [July 2007, p.82]

GameSpot

The pure joy of commanding a small army of malicious minions more than makes up for Overlord's minor shortcomings.

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PC Zone UK

The balancing could do with some tweaking, with some enemies too hard to defeat and some bosses too easy. [Aug 2007, p.70]

VideoGamer

Overlord is an entertaining game that should keep you smiling for its duration, but certain control complexities and a distinct lack of evil keep it from being a truly great next-gen adventure.

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GameDaily

Overlord offers players a chance to let their imp armies run amok, looting and destroying the countryside. However, the gimmick grows stale and its charm gets lost with the buggy controls and the boredom of wandering around in circles.

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Boomtown

Control niggles aside this is a great game. There's imagination in the storyline, context and setting, humour throughout and plenty of fun to be had.

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GameTap

You find yourself in a game resembling a mix of Fable and Pikmin.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 38 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

nina gave it a9:
excelent game. childish enough for kids to enjoy. but enough adult humor hidden in for adults to have fun as well. the gameplay mechanic works for everyone. I must recomend geting a controller though as minion control is a pain without it. fun for all ages. and twisted enough to realy take out pent up aggression with if you are playing as the TRUELY evil overloard

John C gave it a10:
One of the funnest games ive played in the past few months was a nice break from the old FPS. Some of the best comedy ive seen in a video game love the minions. Also got it on an amazing deal on steam only $8 in a compilation with Overlord+ Hell Rising, and Overlord II ty steam for putting this on sell or i probably would have never played it.

[anonymous] gave it a10:
this game really brings out some of the best games ive played : fable and pikmin. the controls are awesome and the humor is great

J M gave it a9:
what i've found its that if you wish to avoid all the loading screens then you could grab the console versions ( at the time of writinng the game is now out on ps3, xbox 360 and being worked for the wii) but in terms of the game it's just what i need to fill the niche of mayhem, richly combined with whacky characters, humour and a quirky minion system. the bosses, though a little lacking in the difficulty sector, accurately depict their downfall (see each boss has succumbed to one of the seven deadly sins). the pc i have found can be at times clumsy with controlls like this (psychonauts is another example). the camera is at times difficult to work with but its all countered by the fact that you can slaughter a village for stress relief. once the sequel is released the pain can really begin

Jim T gave it a9:
Too funny to be evil. Hilarious Minion actions, the concept is so simple controls extremely easy to use fun with evil! Quell your evil desires...

Thiago S gave it a9:
Nice and fun game with some dark humor and good graphics and sounds (if you can run it at the max setting)

Andreas gave it a10:
Overlord is so nice realy good play respect CodeMasters

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