Kotaku wrote:Unicorn Overlord’s Opening Hours Are Bursting With Style And Substance
Vanillaware’s new tactics RPG is shaping up to be an enthralling entry in the genre
Ahead of my hands-on preview with Unicorn Overlord, the new tactics RPG from developer Vanillaware and published by Atlus, I was told that nobody had beaten the demo yet. So I made it my mission to see if I could change that. Cut to two-and-a-half hours later, and I can see why people were having difficulty. I was in the midst of a massive battlefield, juggling multiple units of soldiers across a sprawling map and getting into fights with enemies twice my level. But after 45 minutes of strategizing (and the occasional save reload), I came out the victor.
Despite the game’s insistence that I was woefully underpowered for this conflict, all it took was some clever strategizing and careful combat to turn the tide in my favor. This was the moment Unicorn Overlord clicked. If anything is the mark of a great tactics game, it is the ability of the player to leverage strategy over raw power and win. My time with Unicorn Overlord’s opening hours left me eager to challenge even more powerful enemies when the game releases, just to see what I can get away with.
Source:
KotakuTheGamer wrote:Combat takes strong cues from Ogre Battle, blending real-time strategy with classic roleplaying mechanics. Your units are organised into formations, which you order around maps towards enemies, bases, or other points of interest. When two opposing formations clash, a fight begins. These engagements play out automatically, with each unit’s actions determined by their skillset and a priority system you can fiddle with on the fly. While you can use items to affect your chances, success is built around creating well-made formations and strategic thinking. You can’t rely on lucky hits or brute force; careful planning and mastery of the battlefield is tantamount. Easy mode is startlingly well-named, but I found Normal to provide a fairer challenge that kept me engaged...
...Something that will please a particular type of player is how crunchy the unit building is here. Each unit has its own class, three equipment slots, and a personal growth plan that affects what stats will increase upon leveling up (seemingly Fire Emblem-style, with each stat having a percentage chance to increase). With a massive roster of unique characters and the ability to recruit a ton of generic units alongside them, customisation is excellent.
Source:
TheGamerIt seems to be getting some good feedback during previews.