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Vanillaware does not miss. We have been spouting that line for ages, however with the arrival of Unicorn Overlord, it rings more true than ever earlier than. Following up on the very good 13 Sentinels was by no means going to be straightforward, however the Japanese studio has in some way manged to provide an equally wonderful recreation three years later — and it is not even in the identical style.
Unicorn Overlord is a method RPG that takes apparent inspiration from basic properties like Hearth Emblem and Ogre Battle / Ways Ogre. It is received an unmistakable old style air to it — not not like Dragon’s Crown, one other Vanillaware favorite — but it surely’s dripping within the developer’s trademark artwork fashion, and it is decked out in modernised design. That is very a lot Vanillaware’s tackle a longtime idea — once more, identical to Dragon’s Crown — however the title’s lack of originality by no means stops it from being a deeply fulfilling journey.
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Set in a world of medieval fantasy, full with magical artefacts, elves, and even massive furry lion folks, it is the sport’s plot that does not fairly weigh as much as the remainder of the package deal. Princely protagonist Alain is about as flat as revenge-seeking royalty will get, and the storytelling is basically dry and critical. In that sense, it is all very Hearth Emblem — however from a time when Nintendo’s collection hadn’t gone full anime. It isn’t dangerous, however exterior of some particularly dramatic scenes, it hardly ever has you glued to the display.
Nevertheless, identical to in Hearth Emblem, it is the encircling forged that’ll pull you thru. Unicorn Overlord boasts over 60 recruitable heroes throughout a marketing campaign that lasts round 50 hours — and you will little question develop to adore most of them. These are characters who earn your admiration by way of repeated battles, after they’re snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and making an attempt their finest to make you appear to be a tactical genius.
Some characters are launched by way of the primary story and may have a particular position to play, however many are discovered through facet quests — optionally available battles that, most of the time, really feel simply as essential to the general plot. There is a frequent inflow of recent heroes as you progress, and welcoming new allies to your military rapidly turns into one of many recreation’s most addictive parts.
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It is because Unicorn Overlord’s true brilliance lies in its gameplay loop. It does a frankly excellent job of conserving the ball rolling; there’s all the time a brand new tactic to think about, or a brand new hero to unleash. Even whenever you’re approaching the title’s closing act, you are still being introduced with beforehand unseen unit sorts and talents that may utterly change your strategic perspective. There aren’t many RPGs the place you’ll be able to say get together administration is definitely a spotlight of the expertise — however tinkering along with your troops in Unicorn Overlord is genuinely engrossing.
It is the sport’s comparatively distinctive unit system that makes all of this doable. As an alternative of utilising singular characters, you group your heroes collectively with the intention to create squads — and the mixtures are virtually countless. You possibly can type balanced events, with damage-tanking fighters within the entrance row, supported by archers and healers within the again, or you’ll be able to go for specialised hit squads who’ll tear particular opponents to items — the selection is all the time yours.
Don’t be concerned if that sounds overwhelming, as Unicorn Overlord’s studying curve is basically a factor of magnificence. To begin with, you’ll be able to solely create two or three items, every made up of two combatants. However over the course of the marketing campaign, you will steadily unlock extra squads, whereas your current events can attain a most capability of 5 characters. By the point you get to that time, you will have picked up on so many potential methods by way of the sport’s hands-on method, and every little thing simply unfolds in an impressively natural manner.
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When you’re carried out faffing about along with your squads, you will have to deploy them. Battles happen in real-time, however the recreation might be paused at any second, and stops mechanically each time a command is issued, or when one thing of be aware happens. Maps are principally linear when it comes to construction — combating your manner from garrison to garrison, capturing them as you go — however further hurdles, like barricades and catapults, are regularly labored into the method.
Map by map, the sport teaches you to look at your environment and plan accordingly. It isn’t that Unicorn Overlord’s battlefields are particularly advanced; the title’s tactical depth stems out of your skill to organize. Deploying the suitable items on the proper time, after which making the proper moment-to-moment choices is how you will earn your victories.
Certainly, as soon as two opposing items meet, the precise turn-based fight that ensues is automated. Characters act primarily based on their set techniques — basically behaviours that may be tweaked — and the class-specific talents that they’ve geared up. Once more, the depth on supply — and the obtainable customisation — is mindboggling (in a great way). On the sport’s straightforward or regular difficulties, you do not have to sweat the small print, as default techniques will usually show efficient. Nevertheless, those that crave a problem on onerous and really onerous might be pressured to think about each chance.
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That is the place a unit’s particular person strengths and weaknesses enter the equation. For instance, airborne griffon knights take enormous harm from archers, however archers are ineffective towards shield-bearing infantry. For context, it is by no means as simplistic as Hearth Emblem’s weapon triangle as a result of there are simply so many alternative lessons to think about, however usually talking, strengths and weaknesses nonetheless type the idea of Unicorn Overlord’s fight system.
Our solely qualm with fight is that, particularly later within the recreation, battles can actually begin to really feel stretched. Whenever you’ve received a unit made up of 5 characters, they usually’re combating towards 5 different characters, and everybody has entry to a wealth of motion factors as a result of they’re so excessive degree, you might be sat watching these skirmishes for minutes at a time. And whereas it is vastly rewarding to see the heroes you’ve got so rigorously nurtured take the win, longer fights would be the bane of much less affected person gamers.
Fortunately, there’s a fast-forward button for when tedium units in — and there is even an choice to outright skip fight scenes if precisely how issues are going to pan out. And on that be aware, the sport does offer you a fast overview earlier than every encounter begins. At a look, it’s going to provide you with incoming and outgoing harm totals, which helps you identify whether or not a combat with that exact unit is definitely worthwhile. A really considerate timesaver.
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In the meantime, exterior of battle, you traverse a large overworld map as Alain, but it surely’s not utterly open. When you can forge your individual path to a level, and there are a great deal of optionally available sights to see, you are usually pushed within the route of the subsequent story beat. However nonetheless, having a such a large world to discover helps Unicorn Overlord floor its storytelling, and in that sense, it feels rather more like a standard RPG than its friends — such as you’re on an precise journey, and you are not simply leaping between preset levels.
We stated this about 13 Sentinels, and it is the identical cope with Unicorn Overlord: Vanillaware’s patented artwork route elevates the expertise to a considerable extent. It is a attractive launch, with incredible character designs and a few luxurious backdrops. Even the menus are amazingly nicely introduced, giving the distinct impression that crafting this recreation’s visible identification was an actual labour of affection.