Codemasters today announces an original next-generation title with the signing of Overlord from developer Triumph Studios, whose pedigree includes the award-winning strategy series Age of Wonders.

Overlord is a groundbreaking action adventure, set in a seriously warped fantasy world. Scheduled for a summer 2007 release, Overlord will launch for PC and as a console exclusive for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Controlling a mysterious figure that has inherited the legacy of the evil, long-dead Overlord, the player emerges, near death, from the ruins of the old Overlord’s Dark Tower. Only the player’s actions will determine if they will rise to become the new all-powerful Overlord; it’s all down to how much of a bad ass they want to be in order to succeed... evil or really evil! Played out with plenty of black humour and dark irony, the game will immerse players in twisted parodies of classic fantasy scenarios and characters.

Overlord’s key innovation is the introduction of an array of impish creatures - the Minions. They believe you are the old Overlord reborn and will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and die for you. Throughout the game players will actively control a horde of these gremlin-like critters and they’ll follow your every instruction no matter how despotic or, for the Minions, life threatening it is.

Says Lennart Sas, Director at Triumph Studios: "Overlord offers a wealth of freedom and allows players to experience classic fantasy like never before. Working with the minions, players can loot and pillage their way through the game’s world or maybe resist the temptations of evil. In Overlord, player choices truly shape the world."