Written by: Mark

 

 

 

Let’s start the review by firstly stating that Overlord: Dark Legend is not the same game as Overlord 2 (review) released on Xbox 360 and PS3 despite being released at the same time.

 

"Overlord: Dark Legend" offers a totally different story which acts more as a prequel to previous games in the series. This is not really a surprise as it is the first of the series to receive a release on the Nintendo Wii so it has proven a clever move to re-invent the franchise to a new audience.

 

 

In Overlord: Dark Legend the story starts with a flashback to the overlord’s teenage years and this sets the scene for the story well and players have to progress in order to become the evil ruler of the kingdom in decline. Whilst some gamers may wish to dive straight into the actions of commanding armies and committing evil deeds personally I found that this introduction fit in well and added more depth to the game and gave it that little more substance to it’s overall story.

 

Once the story progresses the player gains more power and control over minion armies and has various quests to complete to gain power over the kingdom, and this is where the action really starts.

 

 

 

Although the overlord is the main character in the game the main actions involve controlling an army of minions who do the dirty work for you. Each class of minion has their own abilities and assist the player in solving relatively simple puzzles and destroying buildings and enemies.

 

The Wii version of the game seems to be more of a point and click kind of game than other formats thanks to the Wii’s control system and does work better in many respects than the use of a 360/PS3 joypad particularly when controlling a minion army which seems so much easier with a Wiimote.

 

Unlike other versions less strategy is needed as minions now re-spawn into any of the four colours which does make the game far easier and more accessible for the younger player as you never feel the frustration at seeing a particular class all dying and having to restart certain quests.

 

On the flipside the game never really offers that much of a challenge and whilst this can lead to much less of a stop start affair it also becomes far too simple once you grasp the concept of the controls and recognise the strengths of each class of minion.

 

 

Combat remains pretty simple with the overlord character having powers of attack and magic at his disposal and this is simply done by pressing of buttons rather than fully utilising the motion sensing controls. The key difference between the Wii version and other formats is having the ability to grab a minion by the neck using the a and b buttons and shaking the Wiimote. This builds up explosive power and sends the minion off to a selected target on a kind of suicide mission in which he blows himself and the target up. Whilst this may sound cruel what you have to remember is that the game is about being as evil as possible and if taking into context adds to the games humour.

 

 

On the topic of humour you sense that the game never sets out to take itself too seriously, particularly the minions who come out with witty one liners and through their choice of weaponry which can range from anything such as fruit and vegetables to other random pieces of scenery.

 

Whilst the storyline may not be the strongest out there the gameplay does have plenty of good points and as a result the game flows pretty well. Admittedly it never reaches the enjoyment levels of bigger budget releases such as Zelda or Mario it is still a pretty decent playable game.

 

 

 

Understandably the Wii does lack graphical power compared to other next gen consoles and it would be unfair to expect anything on a par graphically with other Overlord games on different platforms.

 

For the most part graphics are acceptable with the fantasy setting coming across fairly well without being too absorbing. The downside though is that there are quite a few glitches in the overall presentation which does take away a fair bit of the enjoyment although does not spoil the game too much.

 

The soundtrack in the game is an interesting one with the audio tracks very hit and miss particularly with their volume level. The saving grace to this is the voice acting which has enough humour and use of actors which suit the characters well.

 

Unlike the Xbox 360 version this game seems to presented in a style to suit gamers of all ages and abilities and in this respect I have to say it succeeds although I still feel it would have benefited with the inclusion of a multilayer co-op which to me is what the Wii console is all about and that is families being able to play together.

 

 

 

A major criticism I had with the recently reviewed Xbox 360 version was the use of the in-game camera which often led to confusion. However the Wii version does have a decent camera system which can be moved using the buttons on the nunchuck controller and although this is still by no means perfect does work pretty well and makes the action pretty easy to follow.

 

 

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with "Overlord: Dark Legend" and how the game translates to the Nintendo Wii particularly through it’s use of the controls. In addition the fact that the game is more of a prequel is a very welcome inclusion which should encourage new players of the series to give it a try.

 

Admittedly it does contain numerous flaws and it cannot compete with other bigger budget titles, however the gameplay and story is solid enough without ever being spectacular.

 

The Nintendo Wii in many ways is a strange console with very few essential titles, however for anyone looking for a game that may give a fair amount of enjoyment then Overlord: Dark Legend may be the one for you.

 

 

 

 

+ Easily accessible to gamers of all ages and abilities
+ Utilises to Wii controls pretty well
+ Good humour
+ Nice touch to have the game as a prequel to other Overlord games