Overlord is an action role-playing game under the Codemasters label, the same development team that made popular game series such as the DiRT and Grid franchise which are both excellent racing titles. Overlord is a must-play for RPG players out there, but the series is left behind after various action role-playing titles came out later such as Dark Souls, Elder Scrolls, and so many more games that suits the genre.
Though it never took off and was overshadowed by other games, Overlord still has a place in the hearts of many as it was the game that introduced them to RPG back when it was fair and challenging rather than hard and complicated. RPGs have a reputation of being too difficult, and Overlord doesn’t make the players suffer that much.
But the challenge today is determining which games are totally unplayable and which ones are worth a shot. Let’s take a closer look at the Overlord franchise, ranking every game from worst to best.
Starting at the sixth spot…
6. Overlord: Fellowship of Evil
| Developer | Codemasters |
| Release Date | October 20, 2015 |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Released on October 20, 2015, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil has to be the worst game to ever came out from the series due to how it was cheaply done. When Metacritic scored this game a 33%, that’s where I had skepticism if the game was really that bad or if it is just a victim of poor reviews and lazy journalism. But it turns out: It was that bad.
The final game in the franchise is something you cannot follow up with especially of how horrible it is. When it was announced back then, people were anticipating for Overlord to be on newer platforms. But the results? Maybe being not too vocal about the game is a pretty fair choice, after all. And yes, this game put a nail in the coffin of the Overlord franchise. But they just announced that there will be a new Overlord game, so the battle is not over yet.
It is flat and boring, the Diablo-style of gameplay didn’t suit well, and you’re better off napping and playing Diablo itself rather than playing this hot pile of garbage. The frustration you will feel when playing this game makes you want to break your controller, and a franchise being under new management is a factor in the game’s death too. But the new game is in the works, anyway. But will it revive this sinking game series? Who knows? Maybe it won’t be that bad.
5. Overlord: Minions
| Developer | Climax Group, Climax Studios |
| Release Date | June 23, 2009 |
| Platforms | DS |
Overlord: Minions is a puzzle game of all sorts, and to sum it up: It is a spin-off game made by Climax Studios and is published by Codemasters themselves. For a puzzle game, Overlord: Minions is pretty decent but some games that came out on the Nintendo DS are either ways to raise funds or try their luck on the handheld gaming market, seeing if something clicks for the casual audience.
The touch-screen controls are hell-bound, according to some players who played this game on the DS. This game is a poor attempt just to say that the series tried to make its way to the handheld platforms, although they have a bright future to keep going. They didn’t invest all that much in creating an Overlord game focused on handheld gaming, but hey, at least they tried.
If they only polished this game and capitalized on the positives, they could have made a great puzzle adventure-type of game. And to think that Climax Studios either make games that are hit or miss and Overlord: Minions is certainly a huge miss. But at least this isn’t the game that hurt the franchise’s reputation the most since it wasn’t a mainline entry for the series.
4. Overlord: Dark Legend
| Developer | Climax Group, Climax Studios |
| Release Date | June 23, 2009 |
| Platforms | Wii |
Overlord: Dark Legend is made by Climax Studios and is released the same day as Overlord: Minions but this time on the Nintendo Wii. Overlord: Dark Legend is a cool name for an RPG game and all but the game itself is quite the contrary. See, the game suffers from a limited platform and that is the Wii, and what you get is a bland game with only a few redeeming qualities.
The controls are way too compromised due to the fact that Wii’s controls aren’t meant for RPG games such as Overlord, and the game is relatively short and ends once things get so engaging. And the overall difficulty of the game really compromises the potential that it gives, making it too simplified and shallow.
Overlord: Dark Legend is a toned-down version of the original grim dark-like entry aimed at the demographic of the console, but they managed to properly aim for an audience this time, unlike the Nintendo DS Overlord title that didn’t live up to what made it famous. There is no reason to binge into this game, but if you’re looking to finish all of the games, Overlord: Dark Legend is a must-play.
3. Overlord II
| Developer | Triumph Studios, Virtual Programming |
| Release Date | June 23, 2009 |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Linux |
2009 might be the most ambitious year for the franchise, and Overlord II is the one that hit the spot on the various titles they have released on June 23rd. Being the true sequel of the first Overlord, the second game had that momentum going to become a strong RPG title at the time. But instead, we get a snoozefest of a game that only excels on the linear storytelling it has.
But what Overlord II didn’t do right is to become a better version than its predecessors. A lot of features are lacking, and it just focused on tossing in new gameplay elements to cover up the obvious flaws of the game. The choices in the development of the game were questionable, resulting in an output that didn’t match the first entry in terms of content.
Overlord II prioritizes the story rather than the RPG gameplay that gives players several options on their approach to the game, and after you play it, it doesn’t feel as satisfying and complete. You will crave for more, and that is why some players keep coming back on the first Overlord game.
2. Overlord: Raising Hell
| Developer | Triumph Studios, Virtual Programming, 4J Studios |
| Release Date | February 15, 2008 |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Linux |
Overlord: Raising Hell is an expansion set for the first Overlord game, and it gives the players more content such as weapons, enemies, levels, and a new plot that lets you play as a villain. The idea of being the antagonist in the game was new and fresh in the eyes of many, especially from a narrative standpoint where you further the storyline as the evil wrongdoer that opposes the heroes.
As a form of downloadable content, Overlord: Raising Hell is a blast when it comes to being an expansion to the base game. It provides more to play with and when you enjoyed the first Overlord game, you can pretty much hop in and play Rising Hell and see it for yourself. Despite that, the graphics might not be tolerable for modern players. But don’t worry, there are mods to further improve the outdated visuals.
Overlord: Raising Hell has all the great ideas for a compelling expansion for an already established game, but it didn’t hit the mark as one of a kind because of its price at the time. But even if it is pricey for an expansion set, the features are worth it and compliments the first game so well.
1. Overlord
| Developer | Triumph Studios, Virtual Programming, 4J Studios |
| Release Date | June 26, 2007 |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Linux |
And here it is, the one-hit-wonder of the Overlord series. Released on June 26, 2007, Overlord is the foundation of the series due to its revolutionary RPG gameplay and a story that subverts the usual plot of the good being the ones you play as. This game proves further that being on the dark side is more fun than being a goody-two-shoes, giving you a more versatile nature to encounter matched with the uncanny fantasy setting you to play on.
A few moments into the game and you already see the innovative side of it, especially when you encounter the minions that are actually hilarious. Overlord manages to balance both menacing aesthetic and silly humor together, creating a black comedy-like tone into it as you progress. Overlord also relies on the textbook RPG gameplay that doesn’t make things way too convoluted and confusing.
As the first-ever installment to the franchise, Overlord never recovered from the reputation it had as soon as disappointing sequels followed. And for those who played it for the first time, it’s safe to say that this is their introduction to role-playing games in modern gaming.