Unicorn Overlord: The Kotaku Review

Posted by Mark McAmmond on Mar 7th 2024

Unicorn Overlord: The Kotaku Review

Vanillaware’s tactics RPG is one of the best games the genre has seen in recent memory

There is a satisfaction that comes from being told you are too weak to face a challenge and then quickly handing your enemy their defeat on a silver platter regardless. Being the David to your enemy’s Goliath and leveraging not just physical but strategic power to overcome the odds is a thrill that never gets old. That’s why no matter how many times I finish a battle in Unicorn Overlord,I remain eager to find my next combatant and teach them not to underestimate me.

The self-described tactical RPG (that is in reality more of a real-time strategy game) comes to us from Vanillaware, the developer behind games like Odin’s Sphere and13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and it’s a marvel of system design that blends planning ahead with fast-paced reactions. Just when you think you’ve learned everything you need to know about how to approach and win its large-scale tactical battles, it unveils yet another piece of the puzzle you need to consider. While the narrative of Vanillaware’s latest release doesn’t reach the heights that fans of the twisting 13 Sentinels may hope for, it doesn’t need to—not when its combat is so meticulously designed and captivating. Unicorn Overlord is one of the most impressive tactics games in recent memory, and it’s not to be missed.

Welcome to Fevrith, now let’s go to war
Unicorn Overlord takes place in the medieval world of Fevrith. Cast in the role of Prince Alain, the rightful heir to the throne, you are charged with liberating the world from the clutches of an evil emperor. It’s all fairly generic and mostly acts as set-dressing. All you really need to know for now is that Vanillaware’s tactics RPG is about assembling an army and winning battles across the map as part of your play to reclaim the throne.