Evil never dies, but Overlord II illustrates that it can decay over time. The first Overlord was a charming and humorous study in cartoonish malevolence, though it was difficult to appreciate in the face of its flaws. I had high hopes this sequel would rectify the issues and tap into the potential of the original. Instead, Overlord II just trades old problems for new ones – and the new ones are considerably worse.

The lack of a minimap was the most grievous offender in the first game, but the feature's inclusion in Overlord II does not improve things much. When level design is this dull, you just don't care where you are. The other new features, like sailing ships and possessing minions, are either half-baked or entirely broken; the attempt at a stealth section is particularly terrible. Variety is nice in theory, but it also needs to work in execution.

Tweaks to the combat and magic systems don't fare much better. Casting spells is useless; when I tried to use my fully powered-up shockwave spell on a swarm of guards, I was lucky if it even interrupted their attack animations, much less hurt them. While managing and controlling your minions works better than the last entry, the whole process of combat is a chore, since you're just repeating a handful of encounters using the same tactics.

With so many missteps, clever writing and funny moments with your minions remain the only real reasons to take up the overlord's mantle. Watching your gremlin-like thralls ravage towns, break things, and put crazy stuff on their heads is always good for a laugh. In most games, those little details act as the icing on the cake; in Overlord II, the icing is a weak attempt to cover up the cardboard prop cake underneath.

The real shame is that Overlord II can be entertaining. It shamelessly embraces its evil heritage, and goes to great lengths to put the hilarious minions front and center. On the other hand, it just doesn't play well. The controls are clunky, the pacing is unsatisfying, and the multiplayer feels tacked-on. While the original Overlord was a compelling game at heart, Overlord II just feels like an unpolished retread of ­familiar ground.