Overview: Unicorn Overlord (Nintendo Change)

It’s most likely too early to be declaring my 2024 recreation of the yr. There’s lots to look ahead to, particularly in my favourite style: JRPGs. However having spent upwards of 100 hours on Unicorn Overlord, I’ll be very stunned if I’ve a greater time all through the remainder of the Nintendo Change’s twilight.

Unicorn Overlord is a tactical technique RPG from ATLUS and Vanillaware. It follows Alain, the would-be prince of Cornia had the dominion not been overthrown by Normal Valmore. Earlier than her final stand towards Valmore, Alain’s mom, Queen Ilenia, duties a guard, Josef, with defending her younger son and the Ring of the Unicorn. Valmore takes management of Cornia, locations all of the kingdoms of Fevrith below Zenoiran rule, and modifications his identify to Galerius, as would all of us, proper?

Ten years later, the island of Palevia is invaded by Zenoiran forces. Josef, Alain, and some buddies are capable of repel the assault, and we study the Ring of the Unicorn has the flexibility to dispel the magic that’s forcing one-time allies to serve below Galerius. Armed with this information and a can-do angle, Alain decides the time is nigh to assemble a military to liberate Fevrith.

The plot is usually melodramatic for the style, however not practically as heavy as what we’ve seen previously. All the pieces strikes alongside at a breezy tempo, or at the least as breezy as it may be with the entire side-battle motion at your disposal. Let’s not get into that, but, although. Let’s begin with the world map.

In most JRPGs, the map is both one thing that pushes icons round below grave narration or a method to get from right here to there with as few random battles as potential. In Unicorn Overlord, it’s a dwelling factor, and a key part to gameplay. Alain has to discover the world to construct his military, and there’s so much to do.

Finishing liberation battles will free cities for Alain to make the most of, offered he’s gathered sufficient sources to construct them up. Cities can present armor and provisions. Bigger cities may also present taverns the place Alain’s troops can share meals to extend rapport. You may station guards to assist accumulate supplies and to current with presents, additionally to extend rapport. Some cities have ports that let you sail to secluded areas for uncommon gadgets or to unravel quests.

The map additionally incorporates forts the place you may recruit mercenaries, develop your unit dimension, have interaction in mock battles, and extra. Quite a few relics are scattered about, lots of which you gained’t even know use till you’re about midway via the sport, or deeper. One among my favourite moments was once I stumbled upon a hidden catapult with the suggestion to disable it. In a later battle, the enemy officer was miffed to study a catapult was down, making my victory simpler to attain. There are quite a few moments like that scattered about, making map exploration not only a rewarding endeavor, but in addition an vital key to development.

After all, the meat of the sport is within the battles, and there’s far an excessive amount of nuance to enter full element right here. Mainly, you’re capable of assign items of as much as six troopers from these you’ve recruited or employed. Unicorn Overlord provides over 60 characters by recreation’s finish, all of whom include their very own distinctive ability set throughout a mess of sophistication sorts. The way you place them of their unit, the way you arm and decorate them, what expertise you give them, and the way you set off these expertise determines how efficient they’ll be in fight. It’s so much to consider, and it could simply turn into overwhelming should you’re not always managing who will get what new accent/weapon and who will get paired with whom.

The sport does let you have interaction in mock battles to check a unit’s effectiveness, however I discovered it simpler to only mimic enemy items. If a struggle is especially troublesome, I’d arrange a unit utilizing the enemy’s formation, then tweak it to swimsuit my wants.

However that’s simply the preparation. The battles happen in actual time on splendidly designed maps that stay numerous all through the sport’s entirety. They typically encompass deploying a couple of items at a time to assault the enemy’s stronghold whereas defending your personal. Valor factors decide what number of items might be deployed. Extra valor is achieved all through the battle, permitting you to deploy extra items or make the most of particular expertise that may improve assaults, buff or heal your items, transport items across the battlefield, and myriad different capabilities.

It appears like so much, however there’s extra. Assigning a unit’s chief determines the fundamental ability of that unit. Making a flier the chief permits that total unit to fly over in any other case impassable mountains and rivers. However flying items are prone to arrow assaults, so switching the chief to at least one with the flexibility to repel ranged assaults is then a good suggestion…offered you may have the valor factors to take action. Operating low on valor? Choose a unit chief who has the flexibility to replenish it extra rapidly or simply use an merchandise that negates ranged assaults.

Between the obtainable unit tweaks, the valor expertise, and numerous gadgets yow will discover/purchase to make use of on the battlefield, I by no means felt I didn’t stand an opportunity in a struggle. Even should you don’t put together properly, there’s normally a method to push via should you simply pause the motion and give it some thought—there’s virtually at all times a soldier on the with a valor ability to avoid wasting the day.

That’s really certainly one of my two minor complaints about Unicorn Overlord. For those who occur upon a pair unit setups that actually maximize effectivity, you should use them to push via all the recreation with out a lot issue. I had two (perhaps three) such items, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than they appeared able to clearing total battle maps on their very own. Models can tire on the battlefield, however there are such a lot of methods to replenish their stamina that fatigue is just about a non-factor.

I additionally felt there have been too many soldier courses to maintain monitor of. The builders may’ve lowered this by half and nonetheless had an intricate party-assembly system. As soon as I approached the sport’s midpoint, I simply had no want to gradual issues right down to tinker with unit symmetry, aside from to determine who so as to add when increasing items from 4 to 5. As such, loads of fascinating characters had been barely utilized. There was simply no want.

Possibly that’ll open up the sport to a number of playthroughs. The world of Fevrith will certainly be price extra journeys, because the surroundings can also be incredible. The fantasy landscapes are richly illustrated and a pleasure to discover, the character designs are heroic and enjoyable (if not a bit dated in a couple of cases), the music suits the world and the motion properly, and the voice appearing is strong, for essentially the most half. In brief, the sport’s design is cohesive; every half absolutely enhances the others.

So, sure, Unicorn Overlord is unquestionably an early candidate for my 2024 recreation of the yr. It achieves the whole lot it units out to perform, it manages a couple of surprises alongside the best way, and solely by nitpicking can I discover something unsuitable with it. Keep in mind that pleasure once you first performed a JRPG or technique recreation that actually clicked for you? It’s about to occur once more.