Overlord

Mechanics

A bar that represents the corruption of the protagonist serves a fundamental role in creating the image of a very evil character. The value of the bar changes as the player makes various decisions. For example, after reclaiming a few villages from the hands of evil Halflings the player automatically gains the title of a lord protector of the saved territory and the citizens are very grateful. However, if the player decides to show them what a feudal tyranny and tortures are, next time he visits the area they will drop to their knees and beg him to spare their life. From time to time they even offer their virgin daughters to the evil lord. This increases the bad reputation of the protagonist, pushing him in the right direction.

The minions that accompany the player are very grotesque. They are characterized by strength, physical fitness and great dumbness. If the player orders them to jump into a cliff or into fire, they will do it without a second thought. The player can also use them to blow up cities with explosives. It doesn’t matter to them that they die in the process. As an Overlord the player can recruit new Minions from the souls of defeated enemies.

The programmers are proudly saying that their game can be completed without making anything evil, but it’s hard to fight the temptation of abusing the subjects, stealing the power of living creatures or exterminating characters that are based on typical fantasy tropes. The fact that the game isn’t one hundred percent serious and it is filled with black humor makes performing controversial actions easier.