Unicorn Overlord (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.01 Update + 2 DLCs

Unicorn Overlord is an upcoming tactical role-playing game developed by Vanillaware and published by Atlus in Japan and Sega worldwide. It will be released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 8, 2024.

Set on the continent of Fevrith as it is consumed by war, the story follows exiled prince Alain as he gathers allies to take back his kingdom from the Zenoiran Empire led by the rogue General Valmore. The gameplay follows Alain and his army units fighting in large-scale battles, with field movement and battles taking place in real time.

The concept for Unicorn Overlord was created by Takafumi Noma in 2014. With company founder George Kamitani’s blessing, Noma took on the roles of director, programmer, and lead artist. The aim was to create a modern version of classic tactical games from the 1990s. Production took roughly ten years due to overlapping with other Vanillaware projects. The music was composed by a team from recurring collaborator Basiscape led by Mitsuhiro Kaneda.

GAMEPLAY

Unicorn Overlord is a tactical role-playing game in which players take on the role of exiled prince Alain as he leads the Liberation Army in a campaign across the fantasy realm of Fevrith. During exploration, the player guides Alain across an overworld to enter towns, use services such as blacksmiths and merchants to outfit his army and engage in a story or optional battles.

In areas not controlled by Alain or his allies, enemies represented by sprites also wander the overworld. All the characters, locations, and sprites are displayed using 2D art. The number of units that can be deployed during combat sections depends on a resource called Valor, which can be earned by completing battles. The overworld is freely explorable, allowing players to tackle some events in a different order. Towns also include side quests which require the player to gather materials, and events where Alain can improve his relationship with a character.

Combat is split between the movement of troops across large battlefields, and combat when two units meet. All combat takes place in real-time, but the player can pause to change strategy and check on units. Parties are made up of up to six characters with an assigned character class.

During the early game units are limited to two characters, but more character slots can be unlocked using a currently called Honour. Battlefield settings include open field areas and urban environments such as towns and cities which alter gameplay. The arrangement of character parties on a grid influences their abilities and combat efficiency.

Some character classes are designed for short or long-range exclusively, while others have a more varied attack range or a different set of skills. Battles play out automatically based on character attributes and player-set behaviors. Battles last until either one side is defeated, or they run out of action points used to perform actions which stuns the unit for a time. There are three difficulties that players can select, and after a certain point, an online multiplayer arena is unlocked separate from the main story.