In most fantasy action-adventure games, you take on the role of the hapless hero pitted against some evil force or another, hacking your way through wave after wave of minions deployed to do you in.

Several games have experimented a little with the idea of blurring the line between good and evil (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, for example) but Overlord completely turns the tables, placing you into the heavily-armoured helmet of a bone fide baddie and providing you with your very own bottomless supply of minions to command.

It’s an amusing premise and one that the game does its best to live up to. You start off being resurrected by your faithful acolytes, your ‘predecessor’ having been offed by some do-gooder prior to the events of the game. Your evil lair is in a terrible state and you’re a bit wobbly on your feet. Thankfully, you have your minions to look after you and it’s not long before you’re off pillaging the land, smiting your foes and generally being an all-round bad boy.

Hats off to developer Triumph Studios for trying something a little different; Overlord’s mechanics are certainly different (although it has shades of Dungeon Keeper and the classic Evil Genius), being a mixture of action and strategy.

The game uses a third-person viewpoint but frequently requires you to hang back and send in minions to perform some task or other. This might be as simple as moving an obstacle or attacking an enemy but, as the game progresses, the usage of minions gradually becomes more complex, while your gremlin-like helpers develop new and interesting talents.

That’s not to say that your own character is by any means a weakling. He has a weapon that can be used to take out foes himself, as well as a series of rather natty spells that can be employed to zap the bad guys (or should that be good guys?).

Further evil abilities gradually return to the Overlord throughout the game as he grows in strength and stature and makes repairs to his Dark Tower – the source of much of his power. As you progress you’ll also get access to new weapons, alternative minion types and you can even take on a mistress.

Overlord is an impressive-looking game, with some neat details in the on-screen visuals and a design style that both venerates and pokes fun at the fantasy genre. It’s definitely fun in small doses, but the subversive nature of the game won’t necessarily be to everyone’s tastes.

Overlord’s innovation is to be applauded, but it sometimes feels a bit too knowing and it can be difficult to fully immerse yourself in a game has its tongue so firmly wedged in its cheek.

Vista compatible: Yes