Unicorn Overlord

Genre: Real-Time Strategy-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Unicorn Overlord, released in 2024 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, is a Strategy-RPG with Real-Time elements that set it apart from most other modern entries in the genre, and make this game seem distinctly like a spiritual successor to the Ogre Battle series.

The thing is, I have never liked the Ogre Battle games – although I have tremendous respect for Tactics Ogre, the Ogre Battle spin-off that codified the Tactics-style Strategy-RPG subgenre, the mainline Ogre Battle series always struck me as slow, clunky, inelegant, ugly, and lacking in player agency, and I alluded to this when I gave a brief review to the Wii U Virtual Console release of Ogre Battle 64. As such, you’ll no doubt understand when I say that I was not looking forward to playing Unicorn Overlord.

So imagine my surprise when I found myself absolutely enraptured by this game right from the start. In fact, virtually none of the flaws I took issue with in Ogre Battle are to be found in Unicorn Overlord, leaving the refreshingly unique elements of the gameplay to be appreciated. However, even more than this, Unicorn Overlord builds upon the foundation laid out by Ogre Battle, making for something even greater than its clear inspiration.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the presentation here is absolutely gorgeous. Developer Vanillaware, best known for prior games like GrimGrimoire, Odin’s Sphere, Dragon’s Crown, and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, has once again created a true work of art here, combining beautiful, intricately-designed, fluidly-animated anime-style 2D characters moving around in a 3D world with an effect that’s vaguely reminiscent of Square Enix’s “HD-2D” art style, minus the pixelated visuals. This is all backed by a stirring, beautifully-orchestrated soundtrack that perfectly fits the medieval fantasy setting, with some good examples including the Overworld Day theme and Ilena Battle Theme.

In addition to the beautiful visuals and wonderful soundtrack, Unicorn Overlord also features some good voice acting for its wide cast of characters, though I will note that they can only rise as high as their material, and here I think the game isn’t quite so extraordinary, with an uninspired plot about Alain, a princeling of a conquered kingdom growing up and trying to retake his country, coming to find that his mother’s former allies were turned against her via brainwashing that he can magically undo by beating them in battle and zapping them with his magic unicorn ring. At the very least, the quality of the moment-to-moment writing is generally strong, but the overarching plot definitely leaves something to be desired.

When it comes to the gameplay, Ogre Battle fans will find themselves in familiar territory, but for those who aren’t aware, players command units on a map, directing their paths. When encountering enemy units, your own units will battle them automatically, but the manner in which they fight will be determined by both your own preparations prior to battle and the enemy’s – which troops you have in each unit, how you’ve outfitted them, how you’ve arranged them, and so on. Players who choose to do so can actually skip ahead to the outcome of a battle right from the start, since you can safely predict that outcome based on the way the units have been set up.

As such, the strategy here is not in the battles themselves, but in how well you set up your units, and which units you send to face others. For example, it may be wise to use a unit with archers to fight thieves or flying units, who are weak to them… or perhaps you may want to hold back your archers to act as support, raining fire down on enemies in nearby battles. Do you assign cavalry to be the captain of a unit so you can take advantage of the improved movement speed, or is it better to assign a different captain that will lend your unit a defensive bonus in battle? What’s more, players who want to get even more detail-oriented can individually change the tactics each of their troops will approach battle with, giving you the ability to fine-tune your units into even greater synergy.

These strategic choices are further enhanced by the Valor system, which awards points based on victories in battle and strategic points captured. These points are required to summon additional units on the battlefield, or can instead be spent to use a unit’s Valor Skill, such as Alain’s ability to grant nearby units a first strike in their next battle. Properly utilized, one of these abilities can turn the tide of battle, but you’ll have to decide if that’s more important than summoning another unit.

Outside of battle, you’ll be able to freely roam the overworld map, though only areas you’ve already cleared will allow you to move around uncontested. You can use this to scope out what area you’ll make your next target, barter with friendly towns for equipment and supplies, get advice from NPCs, and dig up secrets at suspicious spots. Rather than being railroaded into a linear story, I thoroughly appreciated the freedom that this game’s overworld map affords the player.

When it comes to complaints, I do have a few. In battles, players automatically lose if enough time passes, something I feel forces players to rush even beyond reacting to the movement of troops on the battlefield, and while it may be a personal preference, I really did not care for this. I also think that the menu system is a unnecessarily confusing, making things as simple as outfitting your troops in new equipment far more trouble than it needs to be.

However, while I do have some small frustrations with a few gameplay elements, overall I was absolutely astounded at how much Unicorn Overlord exceeded my expectations. The presentation is outstanding, the strategic gameplay is delightful, and the freedom to explore the game’s map as you please it wonderful. Players who balk at making decisions in real-time may find this game to be too nerve-wracking for their tastes, but otherwise this is a must-play game for fans of RPG and Strategy games alike, and especially those who look back fondly on the Ogre Battle series – if that’s you, then you have no idea how much of a treat you’re in for here.

tl;dr – Unicorn Overlord is a Real-Time Strategy-RPG that plays like the classic Ogre Battle games, but is superior to those games in pretty much every way. An absolutely gorgeous presentation, well-crafted strategic gameplay, and free exploration of the game’s world all make this a game that both RPG and Strategy fans should definitely try out.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2024 Game Awards:

Winner:

Best RPG – Unicorn Overlord lets players loose on a massive map, with every location holding the promise of new rewards, new allies, a new town to liberate and bring into your fold. And all of this is done with mechanics truly unlike every other game out there today, and much-improved over the Ogre Battle games that inspired it.

Best Strategy Game – Yup, it’s both the best RPG and the best Strategy game in 2024! That’s because Unicorn Overlord’s real-time Strategy system is truly original, and massively streamlined over its Ogre Battle inspiration, with players needing to weigh the benefits of having a unit on your frontline compared to using them for support, or having them protect a vulnerable route from stragglers seeking to sneak past you. This plus the wonderful way these elements blend with the RPG elements make this a strategic masterpiece.

The “Wow, this game was way better than I expected!” Award – I try not to let my preconceptions color my opinions of a game before I play it, but I’m only human, and I expected to hate this game. Not only was this clearly a spiritual successor to the Ogre Battle series, which I dislike. It was also saddled with an absurd name that didn’t exactly instill confidence. Yet against all odds, this game not only surprised me, it became one of my favorite games on 2024 with its excellent gameplay (much improved from the ogre Battle games), and its phenomenal presentation.

Runner-Up: Game of the Year, Best Graphical Style

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