Overlord II Feedback

TAG finished designing, creating and managing the audio for Overlord II earlier this year – developed by Triumph Studios and published by Codemasters.

TAG were not only responsible for all the sound effects in the game, but also had a big hand in the dialogue, working with scriptwriter Rhianna Pratchett, casting, directing and producing all the UK dialogue. We also worked closely with Michiel van den Bos, who provided the excellent musical accompaniment to the game.

The game has been released for a while now, is widely available, and has been very well reviewed by many magazines and internet sites across the world.

Here are just a few of the nice things said about the audio…

And it’s no surprise that the audio is similarly top-notch, with the excellent voice cast returning to give Gnarl and the minions an infectious character that somehow works even better the second time around. Hearing a minion ensemble singing ‘Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses’ out of the blue right after they’ve stolen a bunch of kid’s clothes is priceless, and one of innumerable moments where you’ll be grinning helplessly.” eurogamer.net

“Special mention must go to the game’s audio work, with the musical score through to the superb minion voices fitting the tone perfectly. The minions are chattier than in the original game, so you’ll hear them shout out far more catchphrases and even sing songs – which you’d really have to be a bitter scrooge to not raise a smile at. Minion leader Gnarl is once again voiced brilliantly and acts as a consistent help figure throughout the campaign, while your jester Quaver is again on hand to take a beating – although his annoying voice means it’s fully justified” videogamer.com

“Good sound design, some nice ambient and spot effects with some really meaty weapons sounds. The ambient sounds of the various levels all add to the different themed atmosphere.” amesxtreme.net

“Not one to usually give equal weighting for a game’s audio experience, it would actually be unfair to apply the same rule of thumb to Overlord II. Without the hisses, snarks, irrelevant commentary and war cry of your evil minions, the game would probably be stripped of its essence. Other than being tongue-in-cheek stupid, your personal army of uglies do provide much of the humour that carries the game forward. And this is what essentially makes Overlord II a little better than your average run-of-the-mill game. By incorporating slick lines here and there, satirically portraying your enemies as stereotypes, employing exaggerated voiceover work and having an overall flamboyant coat of audio paint; it’s a game that benefits from all the clamor’n’clatter of your demon slaves.”  thekoalition.com

“Accompanying these sumptuous visuals is a range of ambient sound effects and varied, orchestral music that is very effective at enhancing the atmosphere, whether you’re exploring or in the midst of an almighty battle. The voice acting is great, too; Gnarl steals the show with his brilliantly delivered cringing yet devious tone and often laugh out loud funny lines, while the West Country accent of the local yokels is equally amusing.”  acegamez.co.uk

“I do love the game’s voice acting and the funny lines of dialogue that is heard throughout the game. The surfer dude accents on the Elves are hilarious, especially when you’re doing something as atrocious as stepping on little gnomes right in front of them or setting fires. The soundtrack is not bad at all but it’s the sound effects that do sound good enough that you’ll definitely play the game with the volume up.” xbox360.gamezone.com

“From the cries and plea’s of ruined peasants to the somewhat evil musical score, Overlord 2’s sound department has it all. Much like the afore mentioned graphics of the game, the musical score and detailed background sounds make for a very fitting evil experience. And to sweeten this lot of excellence is the games humorous dialogue, as covered in the gameplay section. All in all, Overlord 2’s sound very much makes the entire evil concept play funner and seem believable, even when it involves a horde of little demon creatures running around putting things on their heads.”  allagegaming.com

“Voice acting has been kept at a very high production value level, from hapless villagers to your servant’s replies and reactions according to the situation. On top of that, you’ll get your own private orchestra for your tower in the form of symphonic musical instruments that your minions will bash to accompany your jester’s narration. Oh, and he’s capable of stringing up rimes now! As for the sound effects, they carry more ‘weight’, from the clash of arms to the fine art of ‘structure appreciation’ –in other words town and village sacking-. Your attaché comes up with even more hilarious and absurd instructions and guidelines almost forcing you to stop for a while and recompose yourself. As for the soundtrack, the opening theme is enough to set the tone for the rest of the game with its tone, tempo and vocals. In all fairness, Overlord 2 is a strong candidate for the ‘Sound Suite of the Year’ award!”   “Strong humor, bigger levels than its predecessor, compelling plot, fantastic sound, good graphics.”egcgames.com

“Probably one of the more fun aspect of the game is the sound. While the musical score isn’t really anything to write home about, seeing as how most of the songs are just reused through out the game, the sound effects are great. This may sound strange, but even the sound of the magic that the Overlord uses just sounds evil and menacing. The sounds that the minions make as they tear through a city made me laugh more than once. They do get a little repetitive, but usually only when the Browns or the Greens are on their respective mounts. The ambient sound effects do a great job of creating the mood of the game and its environments.”  gamesareevil.com

“I enjoyed the music in Overlord 2, which at its best added to the drama of the mission. The voice acting was well done, and aided by a humorous script. While the main plot of the game was short it was enjoyable, and this was in a large part due to the voice acting in the game.”  beefjack.com

“The voice acting and dialog brought the story to life. The sound effects and music helped set the mood.”  8bitjoystick.com

“The voice acting is well performed and the music and sound effects are very atmospheric.” thunderboltgames.com