I've played enough of Overlord now to get a proper feel for the game (one of the seven bosses dead, three of the four minion colours collected). I am continuing to like it.
The PC control system works pretty well. The console version of the game uses an analogue stick to let you tell your minions where to go, on the occasions when you're not just saying "go in the direction I'm pointing", but need to steer them around the map. The PC version lets you do this by holding both mouse buttons and moving the mouse. This usually does not result in half of your minions drowning.
The different flavours of minion are also pretty easy to manage, because the game deliberately limits you to ordering one type around at a time, or telling them all to move at once. I presume they were tempted to include some kind of RTS-type grouping so you could order two or three flavours around in a group; I'm glad they didn't, if only because that would have further tempted them to make fights you could only win by doing that.
The level design is also good. The levels so far look like the kind of "natural layout" game levels in which you're forever wandering around places you've already been trying to figure out where the hell you need to go next, but they are not in fact that kind of level. Which is good, because there's no map display.
The level structure - move this to access that, get a shortcut back to the start when you get to the end, all that stuff - is also competently done.
I've seen a couple of bugs - the game locked up once, and there's other occasional oddness like minions that're carrying something getting stuck on an obstacle even after you've removed it. The bugs are easy to work around, though.
Back in the real world, I keep feeling the urge to order our cats to charge out, kill something, and bring back treasure.
The first part's probably quite doable, but the cats unfortunately do not share my opinions regarding what constitutes "treasure".
2 July 2007 at 9:25 am
I suspect "order" and "cats" should not share a sentance. Considering "Cat Overlord" as a concept, until you wake to find a freshly dispatched bird or small native animal sharing your pillow, you know you are less than equal in the relationship. This would be where most people commit the Cat Overlord equivalenr of a CLM by reacting poorly to this ... FTA proposal?
2 July 2007 at 9:20 pm
Heh. When has a relationship with a cat ever been equal?
We all know who the cute, furry overlords of our lives actually are. As much as many would not like to admit it.
Also, this game looks pretty cool. Checked out The Darkness yet? It has minions of a similar bent, but also bequeathes you nasty shadow-tentacles (Of Doom) for those times when minions Just Won't Do.
3 July 2007 at 7:26 am
My only problem with Overlord is that in some ways I'm acting as the "diet coke" of evil, to steal a line from Dr Evil. Killing a couple of peasants doesn't change the fact that I'm still out there saving them from their various problems.
3 July 2007 at 10:58 pm
> Killing a couple of peasants doesn’t change the fact
Indeed - I mentioned this "wimping out" in my post about the demo.
You certainly can kill every single innocent you see, though, if you want. I don't know if the town areas respawn if you killed everyone the last time you were there, but the Xbox version of the game has Achievements for all sorts of dastardly deeds.
There's little point to actually doing this, though, unless you want some very slightly different level 3 spells, a little shuffling of the outcomes of the side quests, and a much more impressive cape. That's all the practical difference it makes.
As you say, all of the actual goals of the game are pretty much "Chaotic Good", at worst.
(And now I'm up to the stupid sand worms and beetles level, and having a lot less fun.)
3 July 2007 at 11:43 pm
I presume you've seen the Ars interview ... http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/talking-with-rhianna-pratchett-writer-and-co-story-designer-of-overlord.ars?bub
4 July 2007 at 12:23 am
> I presume you’ve seen the Ars interview
Nope - thanks for that!
(And yes, she's that Rhianna Pratchett.)