Codemasters today announced that the Overlord® II playable demo is now available from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox® 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® [UK: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802434D0809].

Ensuring that all future megalomaniacs will be able to take the Minion horde for a test drive ahead the full game's launch on June 26th†, playable demos for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC versions are scheduled to follow in the next week. Gamers can also preview the game's tyrannical treats in the '10 Reasons Why it's Cool to be Evil' video, now playing at www.OverlordGame.com

In the Overlord II demo, players step into the big spiky boots of a new Overlord whose sights are firmly set on becoming the king of chaos, the bringer of evil and the master of Minions. As the demo opens the Overlord, aided and abetted by a team of brown fighter Minions, emerges from his underground lair into the ice caves only to discover a Yeti frozen in a block of ice. The Minions can, in their inimitably violent way, 'defrost' him and then give chase as he knuckles out into the snowy wastes of the Hunting Grounds, near the town of Nordberg.

Then it's time to put the Minions to work, harvesting valuable life-force from the indigenous fauna. Minions will happily lock onto anything in the vicinity - including fluffy seal pups ('Well,' argue the Minions, 'the smelly furballs are eating all the lovely fishies'). There are also Nordburgian Hunters and hippy, peace-loving elves to contend with but, as ever, the Minions aren't fussy who they attack for their master.

To speed their progress, Minions can befriend a pack of wolves and ride them through the snowy landscape like a Minion Cavalry. The wolf-mounted Minion is an altogether tougher force and more deadly - wolves have their own attack moves and will knock enemies off their feet through sheer force, biting and goring opponents into submission.