Unicorn Overlord
- March 8, 2024
- SEGA of America, Inc.
"Unicorn Overlord" is a tactical fantasy RPG available on PlayStation Store. After being consumed by evil, players must reclaim a treacherous continent as the powerful Overlord of Unicorns. Utilize strategic combat, customize your unicorn army, and explore a vast open world in this immersive and magical adventure.
Reviews
- Incredible amount of content and character customization, allowing for endless strategic possibilities.
- Beautiful graphics and art direction, combined with a strong soundtrack and quality voice acting.
- Engaging gameplay that mixes real-time strategy with tactical elements, providing a unique experience for fans of the genre.
- The story is generic and lacks depth, with clichéd characters and predictable plot points.
- Some players found the auto-battling system to be repetitive and the maps to lack variety in objectives.
- Limited post-game content and no New Game Plus mode, which may leave some players wanting more after completing the main story.
- story46 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game is widely regarded as generic and clichéd, often following familiar fantasy tropes without significant depth or character development. While some players found it serviceable and engaging enough to complement the strong gameplay, many expressed disappointment in its lack of originality and emotional resonance. Overall, the narrative is seen as a weak point that fails to elevate an otherwise well-crafted game.
“The story is awesome and a lot of fun, with decisions along the way actually playing into the game itself.”
“The story progression is steady and character development is engaging.”
“The tactics system, world map, characters, story, art, and colorful dialogue are all masterfully done.”
“The story is very generic fantasy fare; an evil general conquers the world and your hero is the only one who can save it.”
“However, the character development is fairly non-existent and the story has no depth to it.”
“Finally, the main story is so bog standard that even the 3DS Fire Emblem games would be unimpressed by the lack of ambition on display since the bad guys have no charisma or depth, you are the unequivocal good boy meant to fix everything, the world feels like a stock isekai, and there aren't any interesting twists or turns to be found anywhere.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is highly praised for its depth and engaging mechanics, blending JRPG and RTS elements effectively, reminiscent of classics like Shining Force and Final Fantasy Tactics. Players appreciate the numerous quality-of-life features, such as fast-forward options and auto-battling, which enhance the experience, although some find the maps repetitive and the story lacking. Overall, the gameplay is considered addictive and rewarding, making it a standout aspect despite some narrative shortcomings.
“The gameplay itself is excellent, the game runs great on the Switch -- docked or not docked.”
“There are a lot of convenience/QoL mechanics, the best being the fast forward; you can skip battles to see the results, but you can also watch them to learn what your troops are doing right. It's an auto battler where you direct your troops across an overworld battlefield and adjust the battle plan as it unfolds.”
“Overall, Unicorn Overlord is just a hair shy of being an instant classic for the genre, but nonetheless is a game I would highly recommend for people who enjoy these games for their gameplay.”
“The design somewhat fails once the player can form a few teams of the most broken units and just flatten everything in their way, but the gameplay is still really unique and refreshing.”
“Gameplay is blah.”
“Graphic are fabulous but the gameplay get boring and feels too easy real quick.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 12 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and high-quality animation, characteristic of Vanillaware's signature style. Players appreciate the vibrant art direction, detailed character designs, and breathtaking locales, which enhance the overall experience alongside the impressive soundtrack and voice acting. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The graphics are beautiful.”
“The visuals are great; Vanillaware is famous for their great animated 2D artwork, and they delivered here.”
“Peak Vanillaware graphics.”
“In short, the art style and direction is incredibly unique and simply amazing.”
“Every one, even the runt Dragon's Crown, had an art style, a gameplay mode, or a story so wonderful and polished that it more than papered over the entry's weaknesses.”
- music6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its high quality, contributing to an engaging atmosphere alongside impressive graphics and voice acting. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the game's art style and mechanics. Overall, the musical score is regarded as a significant factor in the game's appeal, with many players noting its excellence throughout extensive playtime.
“The music and artwork are incredible, along with high-quality voice acting, perfectly designed menus/maps, and a ton of 'quality of life' options and gameplay.”
“This game keeps me coming back weeks later with the promise of unique and engaging strategy planning, gorgeous graphics, a wonderful musical score, and solid voice acting throughout.”
“The art style, soundtrack, voice acting (played with English) and game mechanics were all amazing across my 60-hour playthrough.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many users noting extensive content that can exceed 100 hours on a first playthrough. Despite the absence of a new game plus mode, players appreciate the engaging art, subtle puzzles, and tactical challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“I’ll probably play it again soon; great replay value.”
“Great tactical challenge, beautiful visuals, very replayable.”
“60+ hours of content (my first run took 100 hours) and fairly replayable.”
“The art and replayability, along with subtle puzzles, kept the game alive.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players report that the game's battles are well-optimized, running smoothly even during extended play sessions. Many have enjoyed the depth of side quests and team optimization, with some spending up to 80 hours on their first playthrough at expert difficulty without performance issues.
“The battles run smoothly.”
“I took my time with side quests and team optimization, and managed to spend 80 hours on my first playthrough on expert difficulty.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it frustrating to play even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite the interesting gameplay, the lack of proper optimization leads to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
“I encountered numerous bugs and performance problems that hindered my overall experience, indicating a lack of attention to optimization.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is inconsistent; while some players find it engaging and well-paced, others criticize it for lacking depth and substance.
“The story progression is steady, and the character development is engaging.”
“The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the overall narrative.”
“I love how the characters evolve based on the choices I make throughout the game.”
“However, the character development is fairly non-existent and the story has no depth to it.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional, lacking any real growth or complexity throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that could influence character development.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its tone-deaf writing, which attempts to evoke empathy for characters involved in serious moral conflicts, such as murder and betrayal, but ultimately falls flat. The reviewer suggests that the dialogue feels out of place and better suited for lighter, more wholesome narratives, indicating a disconnect between the game's serious themes and its execution.
“This game explores the emotional turmoil of war, where characters grapple with their past actions and the consequences of their choices, creating a deep and impactful narrative.”
“The writing evokes a strong sense of empathy, as characters navigate their moral dilemmas and the weight of their decisions in a conflict-ridden world.”
“I was moved by the way the game portrays the complexities of human relationships amidst chaos, making me reflect on the nature of forgiveness and redemption.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on the Switch in both docked and undocked modes, contributing to an excellent gameplay experience.
“The gameplay itself is excellent; the game runs great on the Switch, whether docked or undocked.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
“The frame rate is consistent, and I appreciate how stable the game feels during intense action sequences.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find that while "Unicorn Overlord" is enjoyable and engaging, the limited healing items and low rewards from battles necessitate significant grinding, particularly for completionists aiming to max out character relationships. This aspect can be overwhelming due to the sheer number of characters, leading to a mix of experiences in relationship-building.
“The limited number of healing items and the small amount of funds that battles and activities provide forces completionists to do a lot of grinding.”
“Grinding in this game feels excessive and detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it a chore rather than a fun experience.”
“The need to grind for resources and character upgrades can become tedious, overshadowing the otherwise engaging gameplay.”