Controls are a mixed bag.  Performing the Overlord’s actions and moving around his minions is relatively hassle-free, but switching off between the different minion types can be a challenge in the middle of a fight, and the auto-camera leaves much to be desired.  There is a reset button that re-centers the view, but other than that, you won’t have direct control over your perspective because the right stick is relegated to minion control. 

Making matters worse, for some reason there is no map in Overlord.  For a game that consists of constant travel, it can be rather difficult figuring out where to go next to complete your objectives, and I found myself back-tracking more than I would have liked to.  On one mission, I was told to go towards a village to the East of my current location, but this directional information was meaningless considering the lack of an in-game map or compass. It took about a half hour of trial and error before happening upon my destination, and really cut into my enjoyment of the game.  This problem is compounded by lengthy load screens which pop up with enough frequency to detract from the experience somewhat.  Making matters worse, although the Overlord can teleport back to his castle and then warp to other locations from there, often the areas I wanted to return to were inaccessible for reasons I couldn’t fully understand. 

Following the recent trend for what are primarily single player games, Overlord’s online multiplayer component is tacked on and forgettable.  It seems these days many Xbox 360 games just throw together an online portion simply to add to their feature set with little regard for quality.  It may offer a few minutes of mindless fun, but Overlord online leaves much to be desired given the multitude of excellent multiplayer titles available on the console.     

Although Overlord has personality in spades, restrictive controls and design choices sabotage an otherwise worthwhile experience, proving once again that the devil is in the details.  If the game had included a map and a better camera system, it could have been a real gem.  As it is, players will be drawn into the vibrant world of Overlord, but only the most persistent will have the patience to endure the games significant flaws.  I guess personality can only take you so far.