Overlord demo on Live

By Robert Purchese Published 8 June, 2007

Go and get evil.

A demo for Codemasters' deliciously dastardly game Overlord is now available on Xbox Live, with a PC version expected to follow early next week on the official site.

The publisher also confirmed a European release date of 29th June for both games.

The demo lets you romp around the tranquil area of Mellow Hills, unleashing your venom on the land by using your minion horde. We got a little confused yesterday when the US pretended that the taster had already been released, but you can rest assured now that we're telling the truth. Or pretending to.

Triumph Studios is the fiendish brain behind Overlord, and has refreshingly done away with the notion of being a goody; only evil or more evil is on the menu.

It's also devilishly fun, as we found out when we went to play the game. Find out more in our first impressions of Overlord.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Gl3n #1 5 years ago

    I'm gonna have to be downloading me a this.

  • absolutezero #2 5 years ago

    turning on 360.. NOW.

    Excited.

  • Machetazo #3 5 years ago

    Amen to the above. Time to grab this, before the queues go crazy.

  • absolutezero #4 5 years ago

    Too late, d-load is slooooooooooooow

  • asphaltcowboy #5 5 years ago

    Damn, way too many games to play!

  • Haloboy #6 5 years ago

    So much for PC owners getting the demo first then eh?

  • menage #7 5 years ago

    Great!!!

  • IAmBatman #8 5 years ago

    How big is the xbox download?

  • souljacker2000 #9 5 years ago

    Im at work any 1 played it? wot u think?

  • Haloboy #10 5 years ago

    I think you should do some work!

  • souljacker2000 #11 5 years ago

    Ok mum

  • morriss #12 5 years ago

    WooHoo!! :)

  • reality_cheque #13 5 years ago

    Right, that's this downloaded when I get home then :)

  • absolutezero #14 5 years ago

    Playing now with a big stupid grin.

    EEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!! MUA HA HAHA

    You can kick the Jester as much as you want :D Burning a field full of hobbits!
    awww its too short :(
    Edited by 2 at 08/06/07 @ 13:44

  • crashVoodoo #15 5 years ago

    you started playing at 13:35 and finished playing on your edit at 13:36 ?

    man that is short

  • absolutezero #16 5 years ago

    Nah I was a fair distance through before posting that. Theres a tutorial thing and then a tiny bit in the first main area.

  • ostrasized #17 5 years ago

    I say, that's rather good!

  • Cuke #18 5 years ago

    bloody typical, I wake up this morning and see two new demos on live, set them both downloading and then get to work and find there's now a third, the best of the lot and I'll have to wait till tonight to even start it off....

    should be a good weekend of demo playing tho :)

  • Krusty #19 5 years ago

    Looking forward to trying this out.

    Just need to pppput dddown the steering wheel :o)
    Forza is the dogs danglies...

    So much to do so little time.

  • rashes #20 5 years ago

    so much for a summer dought.... this, darkness, DIRT, Forza, etc..

  • Crea #21 5 years ago

    Hmmm, is it worth getting do you think, based on demo observations?

  • BBIAJ #22 5 years ago

    Bloody loving this me!

    Pre-ordering... NOW!

  • Darren #23 5 years ago

    The Official Xbox 360 Magazine reviewed this game this month and gave it just 6/10. Considering how official magazines have a tendency to overrate games that other deem 10-20% worse, I'm not expecting great things from the game but I'll certainly check out the free demo... after the inevitable 4-8 hour download which I seem to get these days! /rolls eyes

  • evilashchris #24 5 years ago

    I just played through and loved it, bwah ha ha haaaaaaa!!!

  • captainrentboy #25 5 years ago

    It's good, but the camera's junk, and the control system just feels a little weird in general, using the right stick to direct minions as opposed to panning the camera around your character just feels a bit strange :/
    Seemed fun though, voiceover work was funny, and the graphics were acceptable if a lil jaggy.
    The minions are cool lil bastards.

  • MrMarbles #26 5 years ago

    You can click the Right Stick to get a better overview of the surrounding area.

    And holding the left bumper button allows you to pan the camera with the Right Stick as you would in any third person game.

    Considering how much you'll undoubtedly have to control your minions in this game, I'd say that it's wise to make controlling them the Right Stick's priority.

  • Keso #27 5 years ago

    I liked it when they made pumpkin helmets... :D

  • numptyboymatt #28 5 years ago

    Good demo, if not a bit short. I also got confused with the control system at first, but once you get used to it, its not too bad.

    Reminds me of Pilkmin on the Gamecube.

  • Scimarad #29 5 years ago

    "Go and rescue our men...failing that, hold still so I can get a better aim":-)

    I might have to buy this.
    Edited by 1 at 09/06/07 @ 10:19

  • Machetazo #30 5 years ago

    "And holding the left bumper button allows you to pan the camera with the Right Stick as you would in any third person game.

    Considering how much you'll undoubtedly have to control your minions in this game, I'd say that it's wise to make controlling them the Right Stick's priority. "

    I thought the right-stick control was a masterstroke. You could send your minions exactly where you wanted them to go. Far better than some previous solutions to 3D third-person selection. I didn't notice that you could pan the camera in that way. It's great that that functionality's also in there.

    In terms of a review of the demo: /Dances gleefully :D Fantastic!

  • Verwandlung #31 5 years ago

    pc demo next week

  • NthSimulachum #32 5 years ago

    I liked the demo, but I worry about possible lack of variation throughout the game.

  • MikeP #33 5 years ago

    Really enjoyed the demo - didn't realise you could click the right stick to get a better view of the surroundings.

    For me this game's come out of nowhere and it's now a definite buy.

  • Phattso #34 5 years ago

    The demo really impressed me, but I do wonder if it can keep up the enjoyment levels for the entire length of the game without getting boring or repetitive.

    I was ___this___ close to pre-ordering it, but I think I'll wait for a couple of reviews first. If this gets 7's or better then I reckon it'll be a goer. :)

  • onyx_elite #35 5 years ago

    "For da Overlord!"


    \0/ \o/ \O/ \0/ \o/

  • Verwandlung #36 5 years ago

    downloading pc demo now. high high hopes....

  • symmetry #37 5 years ago

    OMG that was awesome fun! Just like evil Pikmin!

    I really hope the full game keeps up that level of fun.

  • BarrettBonden #38 5 years ago

    Control system is a little bit fiddly and too many cutscenes interrupting play for my liking. Also the animation on the Overlord is a bit pants, he looks like an oaf when he runs. Pardon my negativity in the face of such enthusiasm on this thread. The evil thing must be rubbing off.

    Good point by Darren though regarding the OXBM review. If they're giving it a 6 it really can't be up to much.

    Oh, and Lucas should sue over that Yoda character...

  • gaijin #39 5 years ago

    Point well made about Official This Brand Magazine reviews generally rating high - they have to, really, as the continued success and sales of that brand pay the bills. But even they have to mark something down occasionally, just to maintain a veneer of independence, so if an relatively low profile game comes along that nobody's expecting much from, perhaps in a genre not particularly associated with the platform - say something that's at root a puzzle game with some 'quirky' humour - then you might as well sacrifice it to the gods of editorial impartiality...

    at least that's what I'm hoping, given the dearth of games to keep me ticking over during the next few months, and the fact that while promising, I felt the fear mentioned by a couple of others that the basic concept may begin to drag unless they do something interesting with the other minion types...


    hwuh huh huh (compulsory Evil laugh)

    Edited by 1 at 12/06/07 @ 09:40