OVERLORD II

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : Triumph Studios

Publisher : Codemasters

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Fantasy Action Adventure

Release Date : June 23 , 2009

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows XP / Windows Vista

CPU : Intel Core 2 Duo Processor / AMD Athlon64 X2 3600+

Memory (RAM) : 2 GB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 9.0c Compatible Video Card with Memory 512 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce 7900 Series
ATI : Radeon HD 2400 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 1.5 GB

GAME FEATURES :-

The evil little scamps have used the time off to learn how to operate machinery, wear disguises, sail the open seas, ride mounts, and get possessed by their evil master, as well as develop an uncanny talent for attacking baby seals. These additions make Overlord II a more varied experience than the first game, and while some of the issues that hampered the original have been addressed, they haven't exactly been fixed. Overlord II retains the gleeful maliciousness of the series; thus, it's still great fun to have a small army of nasty little blighters at your disposal to wreak havoc. But because the in-game camera is still shaky, the targeting spotty, and the minions apt to do some very dumb things, you can expect quite a bit of frustration to go along with your enjoyment. The game is set dozens of years after the first game, so you'll have to start your evil dominion from scratch, with the new enemy being the Roman-like Glorious Empire. The tone of the game is satirical, sharp, and more than a little silly--the elves here are portrayed as hippie environmentalists, the Empire nobles are obese snobs, and the fairies are ridiculously overendowed. Meanwhile, the soldiers act like they stepped straight out of an Asterix comic. It's all harmless fun, and while you will get to kill your fair share of cute animals, your silent, mainly charmless overlord won't really get to do anything too nasty. The minions are a cackling, gleeful lot of destructive slobs who are endearing in their dedication to their master, and it's a joy to watch them attack enemies, harass innocents, and act like general nuisances. You'll be well into the game before you find all four types of minions--the melee-focused browns, the flame-throwing reds, the sneak-attacking greens, and the magic-heavy blues--but when you do, you'll have a formidable miniarmy at your disposal. For the most part, your minions are dependable creatures who'll find the best path to take or attack the most present danger. They can, however, still be quite dumb, which means a certain amount of micromanagement from their overlord is in order. Minions will often stop to pick up booty when there are still plenty of dangerous enemies attacking, and some are prone to aquatic suicide by trying to pick up objects close to water. Three of the four minion types have their own specific beastie they can ride, allowing them to vastly increase their effectiveness and speed. It's satisfying to see your reds do damaging rolling-strafing runs atop their fire lizards. And breaking through a heavily shielded phalanx becomes a breeze when your browns are mounted on their wolves. These are some of the best sequences in the game, with one highlight being a stealth mission through a heavily guarded Empire fort using your newly found greens. You'll also get to control some hefty weaponry in the form of catapults and arrow turrets, as well as take on enemy ships with your own minion-rowed vessel. In some ridiculous but quite funny missions, you'll be able to disguise your minions to gain entry into heavily guarded areas. Individually, these specific events don't occur that often, but collectively, these welcome additions mean you shouldn't get stuck with doing the same thing over and over again during Overlord II's lengthy single-player campaign.

In crowded situations, it will often target fleeing civilians or large objects, completely ignoring the heavily armed opponent standing right in front of you. Even the addition of a minimap--something the first version of Overlord lacked--is a hit-or-miss affair. The minimap only shows one view, and it's a fairly close-up view of your surrounds. So while it does have markers to show your next objective or checkpoint, it's still quite difficult to know which way to go given the many twisting paths that are common in Overlord's levels. The game also has two-player competitive and cooperative modes, which you can take both offline and online, although these aren't as deep and fully featured as many modern multiplayer offerings. There are only four modes in total, with each of the modes being played on its own individual map. The most fun is the cooperative Arena, which sees you and a fellow Overlord taking on wave after wave of enemies. Offline, you can play these modes in split-screen. Online matches were a little tough to find on both the 360 and PS3 versions, but what matches we did play ran mostly smoothly, with only occasional lag. Environments are much more detailed this time around, and you'll find yourself in a variety of locations that include snowy passes, tropical jungles, green hills, and even the overlord's gigantic stalactite-like underground tower. The stars of the show--the minions--also look better, with their wiry, crooked frames and gaping smiles, which are strangely endearing in their repulsiveness. The bad news is there are not enough audio snippets, which means you'll hear the same lines spoken time and again. It's funny to hear your minions adoringly squeal as they offer their ill-gotten treasure to you, but it gets grating after a little while. If you can get past the wonky camera and are content to micromanage your minions, as well as the targeting system, then Overlord II is an ideal way to spend some of your spare time if you want to be a little evil. After all, you'd probably get arrested if you try to club a baby seal in real life. This demon-controlling adventure lets you do more fun things with your evil minions, but Overlord II hasn't shaken all of the issues that held back the first game.

GAME REVIEW :-

7/10

Overlord II Trailer :-