Developed by Vanillaware, the kings of 2D art, Unicorn Overlord looks to bring back the SRPG formula popularized by Ogre Battle. I admittedly had zero familiarity with that style before playing Unicorn Overlord. In it, you control Alain and his army as you seek to uproot the tyrannical overlord Valmore, 10 years after he stages a coup and conquers the continent of Fevrith. Along the way, you’ll encounter a massive cast of characters and units to recruit, from humble knights to beastkin and angels. But, does the art carry the package, or does it surpass other SRPGs like Fire Emblem?
The Art of War in Unicorn Overlord
In a departure from other Japanese SRPGs, the larger war plays out in real-time instead of in turns, but the unit combat is turn-based. Let me explain. You’ll tell your units where to go and watch them move when all other units do. If you encounter an enemy, a battle begins, which plays out according to set parameters. Unicorn Overlord is built upon “programming” your units to do specific actions under certain conditions. Let’s say you have an Archer going up against a Thief. Thief is a high-evasion class, but Archers have an ability called True Strike which never misses. You can program the archer to always use that ability against any class with high evasion. Free tip: turn the “Auto Pause” option on, as it keeps the enemy from getting a lead on you at the beginning of a stage.
Most enemies lack programming aside from the basic attack list. However, the game throws devilish unit combinations at you in later fights. Unicorn Overlord also has a Support system like Fire Emblem where units will form relationships as they battle together. In a feature I wish Fire Emblem would use, Unicorn Overlord explicitly tells you what enemy units you can talk to in battle. On the world map, you’ll explore and find towns to liberate while gathering resources. Enemies on the overworld will attack you but can be largely ignored. You have to win the combat with said enemies in a single turn, but as long as you have the most HP at the end, they will get stunned for a while. If you’re brave enough, you can immediately head off for end-game zones to try your luck and strategies. Good luck.
The Artistry of Unicorn Overlord
The fairly standard story uses the setting and tropes well. I appreciate a simple, well-executed narrative. Unicorn Overlord nails it. The dialogue is perfectly paced and lacks the excessive exposition that’s the curse of recent JRPGs. If you’re invested in the story, there is an optional interactive codex that recaps and expands on events you’ve seen. Do you see a key phrase you don’t remember or need more information about? Clicking it will take you to the entry. Unicorn Overlord respects your time and intelligence, and that’s a rarity among Atlus-published titles.
The music is a beautiful and fanciful mix of orchestral and woodwind instruments. However, as is always the case with Vanillaware, the visuals are the main draw.
Unicorn Overlord is brim-full of the incredible 2D art they’re famous for. Gorgeous handcrafted vistas and characters leap off the screen so that any single moment of gameplay could hang in a museum. That sounds like hyperbole, but I can’t stress how stunning the game is in motion. Even the world map’s relatively simplistic assets are rendered in exquisite detail. You can even customize any unit’s colors, and all of this was created by hand.
At a time when it’s becoming taboo — as Western and Japanese devs begin to shy away from letting their characters be any degree of titillating — Vanillaware lets their heroes and heroines be sexy. Finally, the localization is great. Though the prose is more flowery, no meaning is lost.
Closing Thoughts
Fans of Japanese fantasy tales, SRPGs, or Vanillaware shouldn’t miss Unicorn Overlord. It is among my favorites in the genre. Though the story isn’t unique, it’s told well and will draw you in. This is no 13 Sentinels, but it doesn’t have to be. I can’t think of any other game that lets you have up to 50 units on the field while giving you near-total control over anything they do. I want to try Ogre Battle next. The hands-off approach to combat may turn some away, but seeing your plan come alive is captivating. If you don’t want to engage with tactics, there’s a “Story” difficulty mode that makes the game a breeze.
The biggest thing Unicorn Overlord shows me is that there is an ocean’s worth of difference in quality between Vanillaware and other games. Even Atlus’ own games. This is a meaty, complete experience with zero DLC and no inevitable “enhanced version” in sight. Atlus isn’t even funding them well as a publisher if the studio heads claiming they ran out of money during development are to be believed. Vanillaware is an absolute gem of a company, so if you have any interest, pick this up. If you like sci-fi, give their prior release, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim a chance too. They definitely need love. An incredibly generous demo is available, with several hours of gameplay. Sadly, no PC release is in sight, because the gameplay would shine with a keyboard and mouse.
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