Unicorn Overlord looks to breathe new life into tactical RPGs

During a recent preview event, I got to play the opening hours of Unicorn Overlord, the next game from Vanillaware and ATLUS. It’s a fantasy RPG that puts a strong emphasis on tactical gameplay and strategy, and I walked away eager to dive further into its team-building systems and battle mechanics.

For Cornia

The kingdom of Cornia is home to Unicorn Overlord’s many playable characters and NPCs. During my time with the game, I had roughly a couple dozen characters at my disposal, which is less than half of the game’s full roster. Each character falls under one of five classes (Infantry, Cavalry, Flying, Armor, Scout). This determines their combat style, and more importantly, their stats.

Character stats and abilities are pertinent when assembling a party. While the characters automatically attack and use their abilities during combat, you have to put them in the best position to succeed by finding the right pairings and battlefield placement. Putting a character on the frontlines means they’ll be subject to more incoming attacks from enemies, but they’ll also take some heat off the units behind them. Because of this, the frontlines are best suited for classes that can tank damage, or are shifty enough to dodge incoming hits. Conversely, I found myself reserving the back row for healers and glass cannon attackers.

Furthermore, you can optimize your units by upgrading their abilities and setting specific conditions for them to trigger in battle. Not a fan of when the computer is deciding to drop a powerful attack or healing spell? You can set each individual ability to only be trigger once certain conditions are met on the battlefield, making combat even more of a chess game.

As the army grows

Outside of battle, Unicorn Overlord features plenty of NPCs that you’ll meet across its towns and villages. Some will be hostile to you and your cause, others friendly. One mission in particular illustrated the game’s branching pathways as I liberated a town from an oppressive ruler. Following their defeat, a townsperson pleaded for their life, and I was met with a choice: execute the tyrant or force them to join my ranks. I opted for the latter, and they joined my roster of playable characters.

This freedom of choice also exists as you explore the kingdom of Cornia. Different areas may have a single boss that you need to defeat in order to clear them, but there are multiple paths to get there, each featuring different enemy types. There were always multiple factors to consider when charting my path through a stage.

One Unicorn Overlord’s great quality-of-life features is the ability to see the likely outcome of a battle before initiating it, in which you can quick-swap to nearby ally units if you don’t think your current party is up for the task. When the scales are tipping heavily in your favor, you can also just quickly simulate the battle to keep things moving. It helps with pacing and prevents some of the lesser combat encounters from feeling like chores.

Lay down your sword

Coming off 2019’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Vanillaware seems primed to deliver another memorable experience with Unicorn Overlord. The studio clearly has a good hold on what makes for satisfying RPG gameplay and progression, so we look forward to playing the full game when it launches on March 8, 2024, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_