Unicorn Overlord Reviews

Unicorn Overlord is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.4 / 10.0
Mar 7, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is incredible, a deep and affordable strategy game that resurrects and updates the formula of a divisive classic like Ogre Battle, dormant since the days of Person of Lordly Caliber. Beautiful to look at and listen to, magnetic and impossible to leave behind: it's all right, apart from a few minor flaws listed in the body of the review. They really don't make games like this any more, so don't miss it.

Review in Italian | Read full review

80 / 100
Mar 7, 2024

This is very much my kind of RPG. One where I can tend to a massive roster of fighters, a sort of garden of fantasy violence. The combat is simple to execute yet endlessly deep, with new layers constantly revealing themselves. The art direction is fantastic and the gameplay loop is terribly addictive. I found the story perfectly okay. It’s an effective vehicle for bringing me more battles in an organic fashion. I like the writing, though I recognize it’s more style than substance. Truly, Unicorn Overlord plays to its strengths. If you also long for a battle system so compelling it obliterates the rest of the game, then you can’t miss this one.

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9 / 10
Mar 7, 2024

It's hard to say whether Unicorn Overlord is objectively Vanillaware's best game, but for us, it's right up there, competing for the crown - and that's incredibly high praise. This is an immaculate and deeply engaging strategy RPG; the best example of the genre that we've played in years. For those who are looking to get lost in tactical thought, it's essential - and for everyone else, it still stands as an engrossing fantasy adventure. Vanillaware's done it again.

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97 / 100
Mar 24, 2024

Honestly, it's hard for me to find a fault with this game and there's no reason not to recommend it to everyone, even those not versed in the genre, because thanks to having a Story mode, even those with less experience in this type of game will be able to enjoy the great experience that Unicorn Overlord offers us.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Mar 22, 2024

The story might initially come off as a letdown too, with its pedestrian fantasy setting and mostly ordinary character arcs. But sometimes stories in games simply serve to set the mood, as a kind of backdrop against which you experience the main event—the play itself. Few complain, for instance, that Mario games aren’t surprising enough in their narratives. In much the same way, Unicorn Overlord’s predictable plot beats hang out in the background, unoppressive, so that you’re free to let the rush of its expertly crafted systems wash over you unimpeded.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 14, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is a peculiar product, almost indecipherable. Vanillaware's new SRPG has adopted a refined and articulated combat system that, although satisfying and engaging, may not suit all palates, due to too many automatisms and excessive micromanagement required.

Review in Italian | Read full review

PCMag
Top Critic
Mar 7, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is a rewarding, highly strategic RPG that highlights developer Vanillaware's gorgeous graphics style.

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95 / 100
Mar 7, 2024

Once again, Vanillaware shows its mastery for making games. Unicorn Overlord is, quite simply, one of the best games of the year.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

10 / 10.0
Apr 19, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is a masterpiece of a strategy role playing game. Its presentation in giving players freedom to play as they like, go as strategically deep as they like, and the masterful onboarding of often-overly-complicated SRPG elements make it a compelling and beautiful experience. If you’re unfamiliar with SRPGs or are a longtime fan, look no further than Unicorn Overlord.

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7 / 10
Apr 9, 2024

Unicorn Overlord seems allergic to risk-taking, and it makes for a safe and enjoyable product that fails to introduce anything new. So when I was given just a passable game, I couldn't help but be let down.

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9.5 / 10.0
Apr 5, 2024

Unicorn Overlord isn't just another slam dunk for Vanillaware, it's perhaps their greatest title yet. A comprehensive understanding of what makes tactical RPGs click at a fundamental level in combination with meaningful improvements to the formula makes for one of the best tactical RPGs of all time. 2024 is already off to a great start for RPGs, but don't let this sleeper hit slip under your radar.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 7, 2024

When a game’s story and gameplay aren’t on the same level, there’s a tendency to frame it as an unbalanced tradeoff: style with no substance, or lore with no impact. Unicorn Overlord proves the unsettling—to me, anyway—truth that sometimes story doesn’t really matter, even in a political epic. Sometimes you don’t need much of an excuse to send your army to fight another battalion of red-clad soldiers with a complicated name. Other times, the absence of a really good story makes the rest of the game feel hollow. But equally it proves that little touches in style, organization, and even background writing can go a long way to make up for what it lacks.

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92%
Mar 8, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is the most unique strategy game you will play this year, and fans of "easy to learn, hard to master" systems may be replaying it every year from now on.

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4 / 5.0
Mar 29, 2024

Overall, though not without its flaws, Unicorn Overlord is a fantastic tactical RPG that has a highly rewarding and satisfying gameplay loop.

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9.5 / 10.0
Mar 31, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is one of the best tactical strategy RPGs to have been released for the Nintendo Switch. Maybe one of the best games, period. No matter which series first made you a fan of the genre, Unicorn Overlord will help you discover that thrill all over again.

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8.7 / 10.0
Mar 11, 2024

We cannot avoid praising the courage of a small team such as Vanillaware in creating a niche and bold title like this. We loved every minute of the 60 plus hours spent with Unicorn Overlord and we're already looking forward to Vanillaware next title.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Gamersky
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Mar 7, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is probably one of the best SRPGs of recent times. It blends real-time strategy with tactical RPG gameplay, adding many unique features from other SRPGs to make for very engaging combat. Even if its open world can be a little repetitive, it's still a great innovation.

Review in Chinese | Read full review

CGMagazine
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Mar 7, 2024

Unicorn Overlord combines the stellar Vanillaware aesthetic in a tactical RPG experience that feels like a modern classic in the making.

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10 / 10.0
Apr 12, 2024

Unicorn Overlord is a true gem, a genre-defining strategy RPG that should be lined up with the other greats released through time. I truly love Unicorn Overlord and now consider it one of my all-time favorite games, I only wish Vanillaware didn’t run out of money again because I’m dying to return to Fevrith.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 2, 2024

Vanillaware's epic fantasy Unicorn Overlord is a successful game with its characters, side stories and tactical gameplay, despite a somewhat clichéd story.

Review in Turkish | Read full review