A great game, albeit notable flaws. Has an awful lot of charm and is remarkably evil. Camera is frustrating.
-When you first set forth on the PC version, you may note that some of the controls are mapped to odd places. Although the choice of key mapping may seem unfamiliar to PC gamers, you don't have to move either hand ever, so it is certainly not an issue. And if the default controls make you QQ, you can always change them in the handy configuration utility. Despite this versatility, the controls still have issues. The functions of sweeping and sending your minions can't seem to decide if they want to be a button that is held or toggled, often choosing such a designation at random. And as you may imagine, if you are stuck sweeping or sending, you won't be able to recall your horde until you un-toggle the first command. This is especially frustrating when you are desperately trying to recall your army before they get mashed by a charging Gargantuan.
-Right from the start this game really grows on you. Although your minions are more or less repulsive and unruly, you may find yourself surprisingly invested in their well-being. Getting your horde smashed by a boss almost brings tears to your eye. But one thing the reviewer for the console versions never mentioned is that you now have the ability to resurrect your favorite minions. Nothing was more heartbreaking in the original game than outfitting your snarling, squealing lot of Browns only to have them pitifully stomped by some nasty, mean boss. Now, with the appropriate life force investment, you can bring back your favorite minions from the cold reaches of Davy Jones' Locker. This is especially prudent now that all minions gain experience and improve their kit over time, and the towns you have dominion over will supply you will an abundance of life force.
-The variety of locales and missions should keep the interest of even the most discerning player. The levels are rife with places to explore, even within your own dark dominion and you are rewarded in treasure for such curious escapades. However, some places are tantalizingly out of reach until you complete a related mission or obtain the needed minion type, so don't be frustrated if you can't seem to figure out how to open this gate or to reach that area, because if you just continue the story, the method will more or less reveal itself.
-Ok, so first big gripe. The spider boss (I don't really think of this as a spoiler, but if you think knowing anything ahead of time is a spoiler than skip this paragraph). It took me five minutes just to realize my minions could even pick up and move bomb flowers, much less that they needed to move them over to the water inlets so that the seemingly useless water could be put to some use. The only hints Gnarl gives you after the first introduction is "You need to figure out some way of luring her away from the walls master, or you will never defeat her". This not only is misleading, but is said annoyingly often and doesn't help at all. Also the salamander boss, though a cake-walk in comparison, is still quite frustrating to fully figure out. In case any of you are still wondering, when you get to the part where he keeps jumping over that gap in the destroyed walkway, you walk down into the water and take out a less-than-obvious wooden debris pile which is propping up the ramp.
-Second big gripe: Spells. So I guess at some point in the story Gnarl tells you how to use your spells in all three ways, Target, Minion, and Halo. So far, I can only remember Target, which is the simplest, you just press the spell button when enemies are nearby. I can usually pull off the Minion spell, although it is quite unnecessary and inefficient at charging up more than one minion. I would find it more useful for regaining health. I could never remember how to use the Halo spell at all. It may be very useful, but I simply don't know how to do it. No manual came with the Steam version and the config utility only tells you what the spell button is, not how to use it correctly. So I guess in order to figure it out, I would have to start a new game and play for a few hours until I get to that point again where I earn that particular spell. If that isn't enough, there is the fact that your spell 'upgrades' are based solely on your alignment (Destruction or Dominion) and not on what you think would be more useful. For instance, there are many times I would like to unleash a way of destruction and take out those incredibly hardy elite guard formations, but because I enslave people, my wave portion of the spell would be pretty weak. Also, having the ability to munch on a minion to restore health would be very handy in a tight spot, but that ability is not buffed for those who like subverting as opposed to destroying. I'm just saying, sometimes I would like to choose what my spells do better as opposed to some unseen hand dictating that based on my alignment.
-The story-mode is sufficiently lengthy, although I blasted through it in a few days due to being a slob with no life. For anyone gets to play for a mere 3-4 hours per day, the campaign will probably take a week and some change, especially is you leave the side quests for later. The difficulty is spot-on for the most part, making the missions both challenging AND fun (though those nasty eradicators may give you a run for your money).
-So far I have forgone the multiplayer experience, so consider this a review of the single player. If I can, I will edit this later or add a second review for the MP component.