Unicorn Overlord is my GOTY, so I had to talk to its director about how the devs ran out of money, what makes strategy RPGs fun, and hopes for DLC or a PC port
Unicorn Overlord is my GOTY, so I had to talk to its director about how the devs ran out of money, what makes strategy RPGs fun, and hopes for DLC or a PC port
by Capital_Gate6718
15 Comments
aichiwawa
Nice article, thanks (although the ads/autoplay video are annoying, sadly a scourge of most modern websites).
I’d like to see them port their games to Steam, but I understand if it’s not in their interest to do so. There’s nothing I can do about it. I hope they have much success in the future because I love their games and artwork.
I’d really like them to rerelease Odin Sphere and Muramasa on Switch someday, I hope they decide to do that.
No_Jury_9793
I don’t understand the love of this game people have. Couldn’t get more than 20 min in for me.
HisaAnt
>I asked if there are plans for a PC port, not just because Unicorn Overlord is perfect for PC in the same way that Tactics Ogre and Triangle Strategy were perfect for PC
I know the author of this article is a huge PC fan, but these two examples he cited are just out of touch. PC wasn’t even the biggest platform for those games – especially Triangle Strategy where 90% of sales were on Switch.
It’s so weird how PC Master Races always talks as if all games sell the best on PC when that’s not the case. It’s even more ironic because they hate the Switch for its underpowered hardware, asking for games to SKIP the Switch even if it sells well and chastise Switch owners for portbegging, then turn around and use the same rhetoric – “it’s perfect for PC! It sells the best on PC!”
GrimmTrixX
They said no DLC long ago as they almost didn’t even have the money to release it. Thankfully it did and it had amazing sales greater than their predictions. Now a PC port was never initially out of the question. But they said there would be no DLC before the game released. And most companies don’t make DLC later one if the game does well. They usually have DLC planned even before a game releases.
The game is amazing, but it’s on Switch, PS5, and XBSX. That’s more than enough. I am sorry those of you who only play PC can’t play the game without emulation. But that’s the benefit between PC or console is that one has stuff the other does not. The best way to do Imit is have a PC but get at least 1 of the main 3 consoles for this very reason.
mpc92
If you have PC, it’s free on Epic Games right now
AcolyteOfFresh
Vanillaware appears to be a week from bankruptcy basically every game release they have. Really impressive how they min-max their budgets.
RecoilS14
This is also my GOTY. Great read!
NoteBlock08
A shame to hear that there likely won’t be any DLC, but this isn’t the first time they said as much. Would have loved for there to have been more of a post-game.
Btw for those of y’all who haven’t played it yet, this game is *fantastic*, by far my favorite in the Strategy RPG genre. It’s like Fire Emblem meets Auto-Chess. If you like those JRPGs with basic AI systems that let you program your party members, this game is that but cranked up to eleven.
zetcetera
I got Unicorn Overlord on Switch and I still gotta play it. Maybe after Dragon Quest 3 HD…
Nachooolo
Isn’t the refusal of releasing the game on PC a bit baffling when they are always near bankruptcy with every game?
Mind you. I bought the game on Switch and I would have still bought the game on Switch even if the game was on PC (don’t know, but Unicorn Overlord feels like a Switch game to me). But it is still a revenue stream that they are missing out on.
It feels like a very Old School Japanese thing to do when the other Japanese companies have finally realized that releasing their games on PC is a good idea.
Eggyhead
After having 3 friends recommending this game to me personally, I reluctantly picked it up. It’s brilliant. Tactics and XII are my two favorite Final Fantasies, and there’s a bit of Fire Emblem in there as well.
mucinexmonster
Unicorn Overlord badly needs a graphics hack. I get it if they have no money to make the game look like a Newgrounds game from 2004, but damn. When you’re going to copy one of the most artistically interesting games in the genre, you can’t show up to the table with paper doll visuals and animations.
ioev
Odin Sphere, Muramasa and Dragon’s Crown on Switch when? Would buy all 3 day one no question.
SolidVegetable
With all my respect to Vanillaware, there is either some really weird thing going on behind the scenes or they have ridiculously bad business development people.
There are two relatively easy ways for them to get money:
1. Port old games to Switch
2. Port all games to PC
And guess what? They don’t do either.
Devitt6
So I have been on an Ogre Battle 64 kick lately, and by happenstance I discovered Unicorn Overlord while looking up modern games like Ogre Battle.
Is it true it’s sort of a spiritual successor/love letter to the old Ogre Battle games?
I definitely want to support it, and everything I’ve seen from it looks great.
15 Comments
Nice article, thanks (although the ads/autoplay video are annoying, sadly a scourge of most modern websites).
I’d like to see them port their games to Steam, but I understand if it’s not in their interest to do so. There’s nothing I can do about it. I hope they have much success in the future because I love their games and artwork.
I’d really like them to rerelease Odin Sphere and Muramasa on Switch someday, I hope they decide to do that.
I don’t understand the love of this game people have. Couldn’t get more than 20 min in for me.
>I asked if there are plans for a PC port, not just because Unicorn Overlord is perfect for PC in the same way that Tactics Ogre and Triangle Strategy were perfect for PC
I know the author of this article is a huge PC fan, but these two examples he cited are just out of touch. PC wasn’t even the biggest platform for those games – especially Triangle Strategy where 90% of sales were on Switch.
It’s so weird how PC Master Races always talks as if all games sell the best on PC when that’s not the case. It’s even more ironic because they hate the Switch for its underpowered hardware, asking for games to SKIP the Switch even if it sells well and chastise Switch owners for portbegging, then turn around and use the same rhetoric – “it’s perfect for PC! It sells the best on PC!”
They said no DLC long ago as they almost didn’t even have the money to release it. Thankfully it did and it had amazing sales greater than their predictions. Now a PC port was never initially out of the question. But they said there would be no DLC before the game released. And most companies don’t make DLC later one if the game does well. They usually have DLC planned even before a game releases.
The game is amazing, but it’s on Switch, PS5, and XBSX. That’s more than enough. I am sorry those of you who only play PC can’t play the game without emulation. But that’s the benefit between PC or console is that one has stuff the other does not. The best way to do Imit is have a PC but get at least 1 of the main 3 consoles for this very reason.
If you have PC, it’s free on Epic Games right now
Vanillaware appears to be a week from bankruptcy basically every game release they have. Really impressive how they min-max their budgets.
This is also my GOTY. Great read!
A shame to hear that there likely won’t be any DLC, but this isn’t the first time they said as much. Would have loved for there to have been more of a post-game.
Btw for those of y’all who haven’t played it yet, this game is *fantastic*, by far my favorite in the Strategy RPG genre. It’s like Fire Emblem meets Auto-Chess. If you like those JRPGs with basic AI systems that let you program your party members, this game is that but cranked up to eleven.
I got Unicorn Overlord on Switch and I still gotta play it. Maybe after Dragon Quest 3 HD…
Isn’t the refusal of releasing the game on PC a bit baffling when they are always near bankruptcy with every game?
Mind you. I bought the game on Switch and I would have still bought the game on Switch even if the game was on PC (don’t know, but Unicorn Overlord feels like a Switch game to me). But it is still a revenue stream that they are missing out on.
It feels like a very Old School Japanese thing to do when the other Japanese companies have finally realized that releasing their games on PC is a good idea.
After having 3 friends recommending this game to me personally, I reluctantly picked it up. It’s brilliant. Tactics and XII are my two favorite Final Fantasies, and there’s a bit of Fire Emblem in there as well.
Unicorn Overlord badly needs a graphics hack. I get it if they have no money to make the game look like a Newgrounds game from 2004, but damn. When you’re going to copy one of the most artistically interesting games in the genre, you can’t show up to the table with paper doll visuals and animations.
Odin Sphere, Muramasa and Dragon’s Crown on Switch when? Would buy all 3 day one no question.
With all my respect to Vanillaware, there is either some really weird thing going on behind the scenes or they have ridiculously bad business development people.
There are two relatively easy ways for them to get money:
1. Port old games to Switch
2. Port all games to PC
And guess what? They don’t do either.
So I have been on an Ogre Battle 64 kick lately, and by happenstance I discovered Unicorn Overlord while looking up modern games like Ogre Battle.
Is it true it’s sort of a spiritual successor/love letter to the old Ogre Battle games?
I definitely want to support it, and everything I’ve seen from it looks great.