Etrange Overlord

Genre: Action

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local / Online)

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Review:

Etrange Overlord, released in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, is an Action game that has some light RPG and Real-Time Strategy elements, but not so much that I would describe this as an RPG or Strategy game. This game places you in the role of the titular Lady Etrange von Rosenburg, a powerful sorceress betrothed to the crown prince who was executed for committing some terrible crime and finds herself in hell. Undaunted, she starts to amass forces while fighting off demons trying to take her down.

The presentation in Etrange Overlord uses cel-shaded 3D visuals with character designs in a “chibi” anime style. Despite the game’s somewhat dark story, the overall tone is lighthearted and these visuals match that tone quite well, even if on a technical level they’re far from impressive.

These visuals are backed by an orchestral soundtrack and joined by Japanese-language voiced characters making for a very anime-esque presentation. However, this game does something interesting in that its characters will frequently break into song (again, in Japanese), making this feel a bit like a stage musical. It’s silly and strange, and fits this game’s eclectic tone quite well.

Before moving on, I need to take a moment to talk about the story, because I feel it’s one of the highlights of Etrange Overlord. Lady Etrange in particular makes for a delightful protagonist, with an upbeat and haughty demeanor, a quirky way of looking at things, and an apparent obliviousness to how her actions strike fear into those around her. Every step in her conquest of hell seems casual, as if done on a whim, and while it’s clear that back in the human world there were people conspiring to get her executed, it sems quite plausible that she might have committed the crime that led to her being brought to the guillotine.

When it comes to the gameplay, Etrange Overlord has you fighting in contained areas against multiple enemies, usually with multiple characters you can swap between. You can issue vague directives to these other characters, but they largely act of their own accord. You’ll also have some stages with strategic goals to accomplish within a time limit, like gaining control of specific zones.

One interesting mechanic is this game’s “revolving lane” mechanic, that essentially puts power-ups on a revolving conveyor throughout the level as you fight, which is a fun idea that makes the battlefields feel less static.

However, there are issues. The lack of control over your computer-controlled teammates really limits the sort of strategy you can execute in battle, and without good strategic options you’re left with combat that’s very simple, repetitive, and button-mashy. And as I noted earlier, the RPG elements here are very light, keeping you from getting a strong feeling of customization or progression through the game.

Finally, the camera is a pain here too, and it feels like the game forces you to babysit it in battles, which gets really annoying when you’re surrounded by enemies on all sides but can’t see the ones toward the bottom of the screen, or when you’re fighting a boss you’d like to have your character focus on but there’s no “lock-on” option.

Because of this, I think the gameplay is the weakest part of Etrange Overlord, and while I’d be interested to watch this game’s story as Lady Etrange casually takes over hell, I’m far less enthusiastic about slogging through the gameplay to see that story. And while this game isn’t without its merits, I cannot recommend it.

tl;dr – Etrange Overlord is an Action game with some light Strategy and RPG elements that follows the story of a sorceress executed and sent to hell who decides to take over the place, fighting hordes of demons as she recruits members into her ranks. The story and characters are great here, but the gameplay is shallow, repetitive, and lacking strategic agency, while also suffering from frustrating camera issues. While not a terrible game, this isn’t a game I can recommend.

Grade: C

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