For the harbinger of evil, the master of savage destruction, a looming entity poised to cast darkness over the lands with eviler than evil deeds – the Overlord is (whisper it), a bit of a pansy. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t get results, he just lets his minions do the talking.

Clad by your scuttling hordes in some menacing Tolkien-esque gear, you take control of the Overlord, a dark being who, after a vanquished predecessor, has a lot of work to do in order to reclaim a kingdom and plunge it into despair. Dark? Not by a country mile. Knocking around your dilapidated tower is a rasping old man/monster who sets you on your path to non-righteousness. Starting out with tasks as simple as reclaiming the beating heart of your domain or thieving a crane to clear up the rubble, gameplay eases through its linearity. Utilising a sprawling map that opens up as you progress, earlier missions see your Overlord traversing green, green lands pitted against some dumpy ‘halfl ing’ adversaries. It’s a good thing you have your snarling minions handy. These critters are very much the dark allure of Codemasters’ quirky action adventure, and by simply summoning them from plentiful locations throughout your travels, the power of destruction is at your command. Be it ravaging pumpkin patches in search of treasure for their, let’s face it, lazy master or swamping a gaggle of nasty oiks, tougher adversaries soon breed nastier minions all with a wealth of magical powers.

Pitted against seven differing bosses, locations range from dingy mansions to fi re-scorched terrains, all bringing forth a foe that is to be dispatched accordingly. Frustratingly, a pleasing seek-and-destroy combat system soon breeds tedium as that nagging feeling of a pedestrian nature sets in. This is exemplifi ed in the most rampant of boss battles – your minions are climbing all over a lake-bursting serpent, fi re-throwing imps are lending assistance on the pool side, yet, you fancy jumping in to deal that swift death knell: chance would be a fi ne thing. Weaker than a dark lord should ever be, the leader at your fi ngertips isn’t blessed with the hardiest of battling stamina (despite the hefty armour) and any lengthy combat soon sees him being sent back to the underworld.

Yet Overlord is a game that serves to please its master (read: player), and despite a slight basic feeling and a resignation to the fact that fi ghting skills aren’t your antihero’s forte, the game maintains interest with its drip-fed structure and slow inclusion of new beasties to control. Just stand back, lift an arm and raise holy hell.

Shaun Davis