Unicorn Overlord review: deep strategy RPG is a rousing victory

Korean developer Shift Up first made a name for itself with mobile games like 2016’s Destiny Child, a turn-based RPG, and 2022’s Goddess of Victory: Nikke, an on-rails third-person shooter. Now, Shift Up is throwing its hat into the ring of AAA game development with Stellar Blade, an action game starring a young woman named Eve who is trying to reclaim Earth from an invading alien species. The developer’s first attempt at crafting a premium console experience is already much stronger than I expected.

Leading the Liberation is no easy task in Unicorn Overlord. You are but a handful of upstart rebels facing off against an Empire that has conquered the continent. The war is going to be long, and you are going to need as many people fighting by your side if you wish to win when all is said and done.

Unicorn Overlord has a whopping 60 classes to play with. Not only that, but a whole bunch of them are unlocked during your initial liberation of Cornia. These range from powerful melee threats like Sellswords to immovable walls like Hoplites. Not to mention mighty magic-users like Shamans and Witches.

Unicorn Overlord can be overwhelming when you first start. Heck, it can be overwhelming throughout its runtime if you aren’t prepared to delve into its far-from-svelte bowels. But it’s not insurmountable and having a basic idea of what classes to bring in the early game can help smooth out our play experience.

With lovely strategy RPG Unicorn Overlord being a Vanillaware title, it obviously has a cute little minigame where you scarf down illegally delicious-looking food. It turns out the main artist behind these entreating entrees is also responsible for the way the game upholds another Vanillaware quirk: curiously jiggly women. 

Unicorn Overlord enjoyed an impressive debut in Japan last week with over 74,000 units sold, and as per the latest weekly charts for software and hardware sales in Japan released by Famitsu, the game has held on to that top spot. The fantasy tactics RPG’s Switch version still sits in first place, having sold an additional 16,000 units, though its PS5 and PS4 versions have dropped out of the top 10.

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Alain can wed a bride during the events of , but this will alter some portions of the game, including adjustments to the ending. It also has some gameplay benefits, as the chosen wife will perform even better in combat.

Divine Shards are a form of currency in . It can be used to purchase powerful late-game items, including some equipment. It also is a requirement to recruit a few people into your army.

Promptly after Unicorn Overlord’s launch, the game’s physical copies had sold out in Japan, prompting publisher Atlus to apologize for the supply shortages. Unsurprisingly, then, as per Famitsu’s latest weekly charts for hardware and physical software sales in Japan, Unicorn Overlord was the best-selling game in the region last week.

Of all the choices players must make in , one of them will be whether to free or execute Gammel. This particular choice does not really have a long-lasting effect on the rest of the campaign, but it does impact the rewards you receive and certainly affects Gammel’s fate. You can consider both outcomes before you pick, looking at the pros and cons to determine what might be the best choice.

The director of Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre has once again rejected revival demands, suggesting fans simply play Unicorn Overlord instead.