Narrative: 2.5
Gameplay: 3.5
Graphics: 4.5
X-Factor: 4.0
Overall: 3.62

I really loved the outset of Unicorn Overlord. The aesthetic is great, the promise of the combat system is enticing, and the story and setting (while generic) are passable for a great delivery vehicle to a complex strategy game. All the promise, however, needs to be held together so meticulously that a small fault will cause the whole experience to crumble.

That's how I feel about this game. The combat, while at first interesting to dig into the minutia of each character and items, easily is broken beyond recognition. Creating multiple death squads where you are unable to be defeated becomes laughably easy by the halfway point of the game. For the final 40% of the game, I never was in danger of losing a combat encounter.

Beyond the combat, the story and characters stay bland and uninteresting, which over the course of the 60 hour playthrough wears thing if the gameplay sours.

All in all, this was a great game for Vanillaware, and I hope they take this system and develop it further into a more nuanced system. It has HUGE potential, but really needs the space to grow and to tease out what is fun, what is balanced, and how to prevent impossible tasks without death squads.

This game feels like a blend of several other games I enjoy and it all comes together quite well~ The immediate comparison that can be made is to Fire Emblem with both the addictive battle system (though Unicorn Overlord is party-based) and the support/rapport system. Map movement and real time strategy is akin to The Diofield Chronicle. And the overworld exploration and setting remind me very much of old school Final Fantasy. Combined with Vanillaware's unique and appealing visual flair, this game has a lot good things going for it :3

I will say the story isn't the strongest aspect of this. It plays out almost exactly like you'd expect a medieval fantasy would. But I do think the writing is good at moving things along and I'd say that it was never boring regardless of it feeling a touch predictable at times .w. On a related note, I saw criticisms of the game's localization going around when it first released and I feel it was largely unfounded. Yes, the text is very "flowery", but it's appropriate for the setting and I think the vocal cast does a great job of voicing the lines in a way that feels natural and entertaining.

There's tons and tons of characters to recruit which is both a plus and a bit overwhelming at times. I do like the variety amongst the cast, but having so many of them kinda dilutes their individual impact on the storyline. The rapport conversations help flesh them out a bit more though and those were enjoyable to unlock even if it meant literally stuffing the characters' faces with meals repeatedly to build relationships, lol.

As far as the main cast goes... I think Alain was a touch boring as a MC. I mean, he's a good and likeable guy, but he feels like the generic "hero" of many similar stories. I wish his cousin, Virginia, had been an alternate MC because she had a similar background and motivations to Alain's (and could have taken his role in the story with modifications), but was sassier and generally a lot more fun. A missed opportunity for sure, I feel.

The gameplay is where this one shines. The tactics system takes some getting used to, but it's highly addictive once you get over the learning curve. I very much enjoyed playing around with the tactics and the makeup of my units' parties~ it encourages you to swap characters around frequently to see what works/what does not. The overworld gameplay was another strong suit - it was incredibly satisfying liberating and restoring towns and participating and the huge number of side quests the game had to offer.

I'd say this game hit a lot of sweet spots for me and I currently consider it one of the best games I've played in 2024 ^w^

My first Vanillaware game here, and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Honestly, the story was not particularly interesting for all the praises I've heard about "13 Sentinels" ; yet after finishing the game, I already miss watching my little characters doing their little battles.
Because it's the art that really got me hooked on. The game looks fantastic, I was baffled throughout the whole thing. Gorgeous landscapes, tons of great designs, and very VERY impressive spritework ; I'm a bit fascinated by 2D character sprites and how to make them compact yet readable, and the way the artists here played wih shapes and postures, and how detailed these sprites are YET they're fully animated, it's crazy to me.

Tactical-wise, as someone who's only ever played Fire Emblem, the non-turnbased battles and the 2-to-5 characters units felt fresh and new ; all the while still getting some good FE Awakening vibes from the visuals and musics (especially in Cornia/Drakenhold).
I somehow had fun completely reforming my units every ~20 hours, and kinda making my own stories out of these compositions.
Because yeah, most characters don't really have anything to say appart for little gimmicks presented as the uninteresting anecdotes that they are, in cutscenes with no voice and not even using the characters full sprites. Yet I somehow ended up getting attached to them, purely based on their design and because I like watching them move and fight. Their kinda like toys, or maybe insects or fishes in a tank ...

I do think the game was a bit too easy, and I got a better challenge once I passed to Expert difficulty (although even then I rarely struggled, despite not being a very good strategist).
Also I think the game would be perfect if it had just a bit more (and more specific) condition options for making tactics. Would make the game a bit easier but getting the satisfaction of seeing your plan get perfectly executed would be worth it imo.