Review of Unicorn Overlord

The studio continues to offer another captivating experience, maintaining Vanillaware’s long-standing dominance.
Unicorn Overlord
Platform: PlayStation 5, also on PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One and Series S/X
Developer: Vanillaware
Publisher: Atlus
Release date: March 8th, 2024
Price: $59.99
Availability: PlayStation Store

Vanillaware, an Osaka-based band, boldly explores new genres. Real-time strategy game elements were modified for two-dimensional, side-scrolling playfields in 2007’s GrimGrimoire. Both Dragon’s Crown (2013) and Muramasa: The Demon Blade (2009) combined hack-and-slash action with role-playing aspects, giving them a welcome dose of longevity. Then there is 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, which skillfully incorporated aspects from visual novels, role-playing games, and adventure games into a non-linear plot. Four years later, that achievement is still unsurpassed.
Strangely, Unicorn Overlord, the studio’s most recent release, doesn’t have a strong initial impression. This is mostly the result of a storyline that at first seems uninteresting and an over-reliance on Western fantasy. Almost everything about it feels similar, with its magical ring, familiar classes of swordsmen, archers, and witches, and familiar categories of humans, elves, and creatures. You have probably already seen the tale of the bold queen who, before facing a dictatorial, mutinous commander, entrusted her son to the care of her dependable knight. It’s not shocking to hear that he’s discovered spearheading a rebellion ten years later, given that the jump cut occurs inside the first fifteen minutes of the film.

Alain Has Simple Rhymes
Alain, the main character of the game, is a little underdeveloped because the story, which spans five acts and about fifty hours, centers on a hero seeking revenge. Here’s where Vanillaware’s storytelling magic shines though: nearly all 60 of the game’s recruitable characters are more fascinating. The true stars of the show are Unicorn Overlord’s secondaries, which range from spies to seductive swamp witches, from priests to prisoners, giving Alain’s a lack of individuality.
Once a side quest is completed, some of these characters join your crew. But as Alain faces numerous moral conundrums, more people decide to join. When a murdering bandit begs for another opportunity, can you forgive them even if you know that your choice can come back to haunt you? The times you take your time perfecting an execution are incredibly reflective. I was eager to go back to them in further playsthroughs.
And here’s the thing: decisions you make have an impact. When you kill someone, they disappear from the game forever, and you never know how their death will affect the Overlord universe. Choose to spare them, and the overall plot’s course might not be much altered. However, you will see the results – as exemplified by the enemy general’s brief act of kindness following a conversation with one of Alain’s compelling allies.

Redeeming, Reforming, and Other Stories
Vanillaware occasionally makes us feel something deep inside, re-connecting us with a side of ourselves we may have forgotten. Alain may see the life path they followed when they reunite hours later. These “stories within a story” give the same sense of fulfillment as excellent storytelling. Apart from offering captivating backstories and extraordinary reunions, the game’s secondary characters enhance the overall environment of the game. You’ll notice different cultures and points of view in each region of Fevrith, which contribute to the rich past that many tactical role-playing games ignore.
Plotting the course of its story is another ability that Overlord excels at. Alain and a few of his close friends first appear to be up against overwhelming odds. But you sense the gathering momentum of a growing uprising as you start to liberate communities from the oppressive grip of tyranny and gain the respect of everyone around you. There’s a nice sense of development throughout the game as Alain may use his growing admiration to win over more characters to his cause.

Many different tactical scenarios
It should come as no surprise that none of the recruitables have particularly interesting backstories, but there is enough interesting character development to persuade you to put teammates with similar goals in the same unit. However, the level of difficulty you choose to play on will ultimately force you to plan ahead and assemble teams specifically designed for the various scenarios Overlord may present to you. Additionally, there are a lot more scenarios that make you think, in contrast to other TRPGs.
Occasionally, you’ll have to take control of weapons like ballistae and catapults, which each have a unique benefit, or capture garrisons. Naturally, your adversaries are formidable foes who frequently possess similar incentives. Making a strike team fit for conquest—whether it’s a burley detachment ready to besiege, a cavalry unit with lightning speed, or just a flying unit capable of sailing over enemies’ heads—thus provides part of the fun.

Success Comes from Synergy
The combat in Unicorn Overlord is divided into two halves. The initial section of the game lets you create and manage 10 distinct squads of up to six individuals, much as in a real-time strategy game. Unless you choose to pause the game and reroute a group of allies, they will follow your orders and you will trace their path on the map. When they come across the enemy, Overlord shows a side-on view of the action.
The second phase of Overlord’s conflicts automatically unfolds, with individual character talents and unit composition and formation playing a crucial role in determining victory. Classes that possess skills like protecting their comrades or launching a counterattack if one of your allies is attacked are examples of how synergy is essential. Initially, Vanillaware makes these interactions straightforward, imitating the classic “rock, scissors, paper” confrontations found in video games.
But eventually, there are more variables, which raises the amount of strategic options and the challenge of being well-prepared. Nevertheless, if you enjoy strategy games, features like equippable objects that provide benefits under specific circumstances could keep you interested. On the other hand, there’s a danger that the late-game showdowns will become boring if micromanaging doesn’t appeal. Thankfully, you may bypass these action scenes and receive an estimate of how well you’ll perform in battle.

In summary
Naturally, skipping combat will prevent you from enjoying one of Overlord’s greatest attractions. Every single visual component is painstakingly produced, giving it a painting appearance that lends a narrative sense, just like in Vanillaware’s earlier works. Unicorn Overlord is full of visual wonder, from battlegrounds that resemble elaborate dioramas to finely detailed animation that depicts the Wagnerian wrath of gryphon riders or just an exuberant staff swing before smashing an opponent. Although there is some dialogue that is voiceless, Basiscape’s outstanding soundtrack, bass-heavy sound effects, and excellent vocal talents more than make up for it.
Like earlier Vanillaware projects, Unicorn Overlord is a fantastic creation that seamlessly integrates a wide range of unique gameplay. The experience of the game can be similar at times, but it constantly keeps you on your toes with inventive battlefields thanks to its copious inspirations and improvements. Even while it may challenge established genre boundaries, Overlord is probably going to go down as one of the year’s finest tactical role-playing games.

I played Unicorn Overlord on the PlayStation 5 using a review code that the publisher sent me.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 95%
Story – 90%
Aesthetics – 95%
Content – 90%
Accessibility – 85%
Value – 90%
91%
EXCELLENT
Summary : In Unicorn Overlord, as in many of Vanillaware’s earlier works, sound, vision, and narrative all flow together seamlessly. As a consequence, you get a role-playing game that is ready to captivate you with its well-developed, recruitable characters and a combat system that will force you to tenaciously adjust your soldiers and think of new tactics when you’re not actually playing. Even though Overlord relies heavily on Western high fantasy and follows a fairly traditional plot, it shouldn’t be
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