War for the Overworld
Overview -
The 'Dungeon Keeper' franchise debuted in the late 90s as a mix of real-time strategy and god game. It subverted the normal RPG stereotypes by giving the player control of an evil dungeon lord who must defend his home against do-gooding heroes and adventurers. In 2009, a group of fans began work on 'War for the Overworld', originally intended to be a continuation of 'Dungeon Keeper' and even make use of the intellectual property, although the IP plan was later abandoned. In 2012, developer Subterranean Games funded a Kickstarter for the project, and now we have the first real 'Dungeon Keeper' experience in 16 years (this doesn’t include last year’s terrible mobile game bearing the same name).
Video Review
'WftO' is powered by the Unity Engine, very popular in indie circles and usually quite good. There are some problems here, especially with the cursor, which is a huge demonic hand with little precision. The visuals of the game look better than 'Dungeon Keeper 2' (released in 1999), but not by much. The models and textures are blocky and the light sources are washed out.
Audio Review
As mentioned, Richard Ridings has returned to voice the mentor, and is the lynchpin of the game’s sound. The game has a soundtrack, but it’s quite faint. It’s usually covered by the sounds of daily life in the dungeon - the hammering of the chunders, the screams of pain, the crazed mutterings of the cultists, etc.
Final Thoughts
'War for the Overworld' is a game made by people who dearly love 'Dungeon Keeper', but love alone does not a good game make. The current form of the game is basically a beta, and has a lot of cleaning up to do. Despite its issues, which range from nagging to serious, I am having a blast playing it. Don’t come here expecting a polished product, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it.