Summary
Unicorn Overlordhas been receiving quite a bit of praise since its release, not least of which being for its gorgeous art direction. Vanillaware’s attention to detail in its character design is exemplified in the number of recruitable allies on display, makingUnicorn Overlord’s Liberation Army both robust and diverse. Beyond theseventy unique characters that can assist Alain’s cause, the act of hiring additional mercenaries to fill out the ranks is available, allowing players to enlist specific classes for their unit formation. This is especially helpful when considering which classes will prove most beneficial in battles that use a predominant enemy type, though the customization doesn’t stop there.
Unicorn Overlord’s creative touches allow for a good deal of input to help personalize its experience. The Coat of Arms that serves as the banner for the Liberation Army, for example, can be fitted with different presets that allow players to tailor its imagery, with this feature extending towards its unit members as well. The act of choosing growth rates and color palettes for a character’s attire is available, making it so the accents of a cape or even hair color can be adjusted. This is also included through hiring ancillary characters, makingUnicorn Overlord’s mercenaries feel like more than just fodder for the army’s cause.
How Unicorn Overlord’s Creative Details Extend to its Mercenary Hires
Hiring Mercenaries in Unicorn Overlord
AsUnicorn Overlord’s opening hours see theLiberation Army gain its footing and building renown, the availability of mercenary hires is established. The feature is introduced as a way for players to consider which classes will be most advantageous on a certain map; battles inUnicorn Overlordcan skew towards certain enemy types that make having the right classes available all the more important. This ties well into how players approach unit formation, as the chess-like boards that each group of characters is situated on makes a great deal of difference in battle. Whether characters are placed in the front or back row, along with which classes are grouped together, is something that should be considered as units are deployed.
Despite the abundance of unique characters inUnicorn Overlord, there’s a level of detail granted to its ancillary hires that sets a good precedent forfuture tactical RPGs. From a list of presets, players can select not only the class that they would like to hire, but also the character’s name, base color, hair color, accent colors, and voice. Voice types can range from more upbeat selections to apathetic tones, with no shortage of talent on the part of its voice direction. Many talented voice actors contribute toUnicorn Overlord’s English localization that extends to its mercenary hires, including Casey Mongillo, a voice actor heard in other performances likeShin Megami Tensei 5’s Nahobino.
Working in Tandem with Unicorn Overlord’s Art Direction and Combat
Small changes to attire, like the opportunity to alter the accent colors of a hire to make them stand out more visually, work well to the benefit of Vanillaware’s art direction without having an effect on stats. The chance to adjust the growth patterns of hires, however, can havegreat consideration inUnicorn Overlord’s combat, which makes ancillary characters more useful in battle. Players can select two growth types for a mercenary hire, which are characterized by different focuses. The “Lucky” growth type, for example, helps to increase evasion, working well for characters that might be situated in the front row of a unit formation. Others, like the “Keen” growth type, help to increase Critical Rate to defeat characters quickly, which may work well for a Knight class with high mobility.
There are other growth types that take into consideration defense, initiative, HP, accuracy, and more, allowing players to hone in on stat growth customization. The ability to experiment with the different growth types of characters means that players can see what works best for them; growth types can be used to further buff the strong suits of a class, or to pick up the slack in areas where improvement is needed. Because of this,Unicorn Overlord’s mercenaries can be more useful allies than one might anticipate, working in tandem with the rest of the Liberation Army underAlain’s leadership to pursue justice across Fevrith.
