Unicorn Overlord review: A perfect blend of tactical RPG styles in one great game

As a strategy RPG connoisseur, Unicorn Overlord is a game I’ve had my eye on for many months. Now that I’ve spent time getting deep into it, I can safely say that it’s one of the most enjoyable times I’ve had playing a strategy game. It combines the features I love about some of the best RPGs of all time without the parts of those games that made me want to throw my controller into the ocean.

It’s a beautiful game that offers ease of difficulty and nearly limitless tactical possibilities. While the story might not be the most mindblowing tale ever told, it gives players a gorgeous setting to explore, interesting characters to meet, and a wealth of emotional moments to behold.

If you’re in the market for a tactical RPG, Unicorn Overlord is going to deliver.

Unicorn Overlord is a blend of Fire Emblem and Ogre Battle in one place

This is a beautiful world filled with wonder, mystery, and tragedy (Image via Atlus)

Unicorn Overlord’s story isn’t going to set the world on fire, but the gameplay sure will. It’s set in a fantasy world where a powerful, evil emperor has overrun the land, demolishing everyone in his path. It’s up to the lone prince of the fallen kingdom of Cornia to set things right once and for all.

Using the Unicorn Ring, he can undo the tampering the sinister Galerius has put into the minds of others, but he can’t do it alone. This game has so many NPCs, factions, and units to keep track of. Thankfully, there’s a Library that updates anytime someone or something new shows up.

Vanillaware has seriously put together two of my favorite RPG styles and slapped them together in one masterful video game. Unicorn Overlord has the formation and overworld combat system of Ogre Battle, with the Class/Unit combat system of Fire Emblem. However, it fixes the things that both of those franchises do wrong.

The tactical possibilities are so vast, and you don't have to buy them like in FF12 (Image via Atlus)

Ogre Battle, for example, gives you a set amount of attacks per unit, depending on where they're positioned in your army. While that’s more or less the same, using AP (Action Points) and PP (Passive Points), you can do so much with each character.

As each character grows, it gains more Active and Passive Abilities, as seen in the image above. You can set a wide variety of conditional modifiers on each of these and set their priority so they trigger in ways that benefit you the most.

Now, you don’t have to do this. If you feel like you want a simpler playstyle, you aren’t required to fill out all those tactical bonuses. But the more effort you put in, the stronger your teams can be. You also have Fire Emblem’s class system, where each unit can upgrade. You don't have to worry about running out of equipment uses, nor do you have permadeath to deal with.

The stat and leveling system will feel familiar somewhat to Fire Emblem fans (Image via Atlus)

It keeps a similar combat system, though, where each unit type excels against certain others. That’s why I tend to build formations that complement one another or cover for a wide assortment of potential dangers. It makes Unicorn Overlord a game with endless tactical possibilities.

How exploration and combat work in the world of Unicorn Overlord

The map is surprisingly large and filled with mysteries (Image via Atlus)

Players explore Unicorn Overlord controlling Alain, the title's main protagonist. He runs (and eventually rides) across the map, interacting with everyone from peasants to enemy units. Enemy units can be fought, and if defeated, give the player Honor. Honor is one of the two main currencies used to upgrade units/formations alongside Renown.

There are so many things to do outside of the main quest, and I highly recommend taking the time to explore everywhere. There are sidequests (marked by exclamation marks), towns to free, optional battles, and a wealth of secrets. Once you’ve confirmed that you’re going into battle, though, that’s when things get serious.

Typically, there’s one major defeat condition: losing your primary base. Victory can mean anything from defeating one unit to claiming a fortress for your own. Units are deployed from forts and cities you control on the map for Valor Points. These points are also used to trigger various special abilities, so you must carefully consider what you do and when.

Battlefields might look a little cluttered on shorter maps, but they're easy to navigate (Image via Atlus)

By clicking on a unit and moving them, they’ll head toward a destination, whether to battle or to uncover a hidden item. When they clash with a foe, you’ll get the opportunity to automate the fight or watch the events unfold. If you have multiple units together in Unicorn Overlord, you can pick which one takes the field.

Like Fire Emblem, the latest tactical RPG to hit various platforms, Unicorn Overlord also gives you an estimation of how your party will fare. There’s so much more to it than that, though. Clashing in battle also costs Stamina, provided you’re the attacker. Moving across the map also drains Stamina, but there are abilities and items that can restore it; as can using the Rest function. What makes this such an engaging system, though, is that you have a time limit!

Even your default Level 20 unit can be useful in a formation system. Use him to help your weaker allies grow (Image via Atlus)

There’s an item you can use to restore Valor or extend the timer if you lose, but it’s not something you can get just anywhere. It’s a rare item found in exploration and other methods, so you can’t just spend them flagrantly.

I appreciate that these stages have a timer, though. One of the things that frustrates me about tactics games is how infuriatingly long some battles can be. This game mixes it up with short battles and longer sieges, all under a timer. It removes one stressor and adds a different, fresh one instead.

Unicorn Overlord’s visuals and audio are striking, offering a bit of fanservice

The character designs certainly stand out in this game (Image via Atlus)

I love the maps of Unicorn Overlord; they seamlessly blend the battlegrounds and the overworld. But the character designs are where the visuals really shine. If there’s anything Vanillaware excels at, it’s coming up with memorable characters that have just the right amount of fanservice.

When it comes to the male as well as female characters, this remains true. It just wouldn’t be a Vanillaware game without some fanservice, though. While some of it is a bit much—constantly heaving breasts, for example—I don’t especially mind. It just makes some of the serious moments incredibly comical.

On top of that, the game has gorgeous, serene music and a fantastic dub. This is easily one of my favorite soundtracks I've heard this year, and it fits the theme of the game perfectly.

In conclusion

In and out of combat, this strategy RPG promises to be memorable (Image via Atlus)

Unicorn Overlord is a must-play game for fans of all types of strategy RPGs. There are plenty of difficulty options, secrets to uncover, and exceptional siege battles to take part in. While the story, again, really didn’t blow me away, the moment-to-moment character interactions did. There’s lots of love and drama poured into each character.

I appreciate being able to choose who I recruit and who gets sent off/executed, because you need a ton of units. Sure, you can make generics, but I’d rather have a host of world-beaters on my team. My complaints are very few, though. The length of time it takes to unlock Unit Promotions and larger formations can be really tedious, for example. I wish it didn’t cost Honor to increase the size of a Formation as well as promote individual units.

I get the why, though. It makes players either grind more Honors or decide what matters more to them. It just felt a little frustrating when my list of characters lacked both power and large formations. Whether you like turn-based RPGs or real-time strategy RPGs, this game will bring something to the table for you.