Open-ended squad-based survival RPG released in 2018 is still going strong with year-on-year sales growth and 95% overwhelmingly positive player reviews
London, UK – 9 April 2024 – Lo-Fi Games is pleased to announce that Kenshi, an open-ended squad-based RPG, today launches on the Epic Games Store for US$29.99 / €26.99 / £22.99. Officially released in December 2018 after 12 years of development, Kenshi continues to record over 39,000 average daily active users and an average daily peak concurrent player of over 8,200 with an overwhelmingly positive review of 95% on Steam.
Kenshi has proven its high replayability value, with the top 10% of players clocking up over 500 hours of gameplay time each, and now has over 14,600 mods in the Steam Workshop. The popularity of Kenshi has grown over the years, with a record number of sales in 2023 and worldwide shipment of 2.3 million units to date. Chris Hunt, Game Director at Lo-Fi Games, commented: “It’s great to see the Kenshi community continue to grow. We warmly welcome new players from the Epic Game Store community and look forward to sharing news about the prequel to Kenshi, currently in active development”.
Kenshi is a free-roaming squad based RPG focusing on open-ended sandbox gameplay features rather than a linear story. Be a trader, a thief, a rebel, a warlord, an adventurer, a farmer, a slave, or just food for the cannibals.
Research new equipment and craft new gear. Purchase and upgrade your buildings to use as safe fortified havens when things go bad, or use them to start a business. Aid or oppose the various factions in the world while striving for the strength and wealth necessary to simply survive in the harsh desert. Train your men up from puny victims to master warriors. Carry your wounded squad mates to safety and get them all home alive.
About Lo-Fi Games
Lo-Fi Games is an independent games studio based in the UK, and the developer of Kenshi. Founded by Chris Hunt in 2006, Kenshi was among the first games selected for Steam’s Greenlight’s Early Access in 2013. After its official release in December 2018, Kenshi became one of the top 100 most-played games on Steam in 2019 and hit the milestone of 2.3 million global sales in 2024. Kenshi 2, a highly anticipated prequel of Kenshi, is currently in development.
20+ new items: Selling points, production equipment, storage sheds & more
Distribution center & markets add new layers of gameplay around supply & demand
Daily demands reward fast delivery and smart logistical management
Farmers may wash their crops – and increase the yield!
Virtual farmers can soon ramp up their production in Farming Simulator 22 – and while at it, make their operation more sustainable. Publisher GIANTS Software announces the Farm Production Pack coming to PC and consoles on April 30th.
Enhanced Economics & Daily Demands
Dynamic prices and daily demands reward fast deliveries, when farmers take on contracts from several new points of sale: A farm store requests agricultural resources, a supermarket requires processed foods, and vending machines along with market stalls demand fresh produce. Meanwhile, a new kind of wind turbine and solar panels (including a remote-controlled cleaning robot) generate passive income.
Washing Crops, Increasing Yield
New farm equipment further increases the yield of harvests and resources: The Lely Sphere, a circular manure-handling system, creates liquid fertilizer from ammonia emissions when placed next to animal sheds and combined with sulfuric acid. VDW’s Cleaner Tiger scrubs and cuts sugar beets after separating them from stones, and a washing drum produces washed crops that can be sold at higher prices.
Managing a Distribution Center
Agricultural entrepreneurs, who don’t stop at selling their harvest and have their eyes on a late-game empire, can own a 4,000-square-meter distribution center equipped with heavy-loading shelves. Safely operating a forklift, they manage the distribution of pallets arriving at unloading bays, and need to apply clever logistics to satisfy dynamic market demands. In addition, several customizable sheds and silos for storing bulk materials, vehicles, and tools, as well as a vehicle repair shop with garage, are available for ownership.
The Farm Production Pack is developed by Design, Modeling & Innovation (DMI) and published by GIANTS Software, scheduled for release on April 30th. Farming Simulator 22 is available for PC, Mac, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
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About GIANTS Software GIANTS Software is an international video game developer and publisher from Switzerland established in 2004 and known worldwide for creating the popular Farming Simulator series. The team with offices in Switzerland (Zurich), Germany (Erlangen), USA (Chicago) and Czech Republic (Brno) is very committed to maintain close contact to the agricultural industry and to engage with the community. For more information, please visit giants-software.com
About Farming Simulator Since 2008, over 30 million units of Farming Simulator have been sold worldwide. The game series has been released on all popular platforms including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs since then. From the start, the team enabled users to create mods with the company’s own GIANTS Engine. With the Farming Simulator League (FSL), the series introduced a competitive esports mode in 2019 – with teams competing in professional tournaments and many acclaimed brands and sponsors on board. More information available at farming-simulator.com
Free playtest launches today for coherence-backed online mode to top-down shooter with RTS twist
Gothenburg, Sweden – April 9th, 2024 – SkyGoblin are pleased to announce that a free playtest, dubbed ONLINEAGEDDON, for HELLFRONT: HONEYMOON’s new online mode is launching today at 12pm PT/ 3pm ET / 8pm BST / 9pm CEST. The free ONLINEAGEDDON playtest will run until April 18th, when the online mode will be released on Steam in the full game. Online multiplayer has been added using coherence’s revolutionary multiplayer development tech, bringing a new lease of life to the game with minimal development time thanks to the powerful and frictionless tools offered by coherence.
HELLFRONT: HONEYMOON is an intense top-down shooter with a RTS twist. You must conquer ground, build a base, produce fighters and then issue orders as you fight for victory. With the addition of the new online mode, you can play the game’s campaign in online co-op, as well as being able to play solo, or in local multiplayer. You can also compete against up to three other players in tight-as-hell PvPvPvP combat, offering rapidly-moving, thrilling battles.
“We’re really excited for people to jump into ONLINEAGEDDON today and try out HELLFRONT: HONEYMOON’s new online functionality ahead of its full launch on April 18th,” said SkyGoblin CTO Mathias Johansson. “With Steam’s evergrowing library and older games making up the majority of the platform’s playtime, we think developers being able to tap-into and reinvigorate their back catalogue is more important than ever before. coherence is a great way to do that thanks to how effortlessly it allows you to add multiplayer functionality to your game and I’m sure that’s a trend we are going to see going forward”.
About SkyGoblin
SkyGoblin is an indie game studio based in Gothenburg, Sweden. It has released games in various genres and on various platforms for almost two decades.
Ambertail Games’ debut title welcomes players to set up shop in Amber Isle, a friendly village packed with residents to befriend, items to craft and sell, and adventures to be had on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Tuesday, 9th April 2024 – Team17 Digital and Northern Irish game developer Ambertail Games, supported by Northern Ireland Screen, have today announced a partnership to publish upcoming dino-centric shop management sim, Amber Isle. Coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch™, Amber Isle welcomes players to the eponymous Amber Isle, a friendly village fit to bursting with an eclectic mix of prehistoric animals (Paleofolk). As the new (and only) shopkeep on Amber Isle, it falls to players to stock their store with everything their Paleo-pals might need. Does the microraptor need a micro-chair? The plesiosaur some water-proof paper? Each customer has their own unique needs and behaviours, so players will need to haggle, pawn, and counter-offer to get the best price possible, making their shop a resounding success and saving Amber Isle from the brink of fossilisation.
Welcome… to Amber Isle!
Whittled down to its last remaining residents, Amber Isle has well and truly seen better days, and a last-ditch effort to save it sees the grumpy iguanodon Mayor Clawsworth cast a keen yet cynical eye over the new venture, hopeful that Amber Isle can return to its glory days. After designing their own Paleo-character, players will adventure out into the world of Amber Isle, spending their days maintaining their shop, befriending the locals, and improving the village enough to convince other Paleofolk to return and take up residence permanently.
Did you know:Tyrannosaurus rex is closer in time to us humans today than it was to Stegosaurus? T.rex lived 66 million years ago, but Stegosaurus lived 80mil+ years before T.rex existed!
Luckily for us, this isn’t how things work on Amber Isle- Our Paleofolk consist of prehistoric animals from a range of different geological eras, all waiting to live happily side by side on your island!
Amber Isle Key Features:
Open Shop: Customise, name, and run your shop your way – use the profits to unlock new shop décor, walls, floors, and more, making the space uniquely yours.
Rebuild the Island: Rebuild, decorate, and unlock new areas to explore on Amber Isle, and with enough improvement, Paleofolk will start to take up residence on the island permanently.
Meet the Neighbours: Ambler Isle is home to48 differentPaleofolk to befriend, including Ice Age mammals, Permian amphibians, marine life, invertebrates, and more.
Paleo-you: Express your penchant for the prehistoric and design your very own Paleofolk – change your clothes, crests, and colours, to create your perfect paleo-persona.
About Ambertail Games
Founded In 2020, Ambertail Games is an independent games studio based in the heart of Belfast, Northern Ireland. They’re rooted in cute, slice-of-life games that reimagine your favourite captivating creatures in kind, compassionate worlds. Ambertail’s debut title, Amber Isle, is currently in development for Steam and Nintendo Switch™.
About Northern Ireland Screen
Northern Ireland Screen is the national screen agency for Northern Ireland. It is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in all its activities and projects. The organization supports the development of a dynamic and sustainable screen industry and provides opportunities for all communities to engage with and benefit from screen culture.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Winner of the ‘Publishing Star’ award at the 2023 Develop: Star Awards, Team17 Digital has assembled a portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, DREDGE, and the Overcooked! franchise.
The Splintered Sea takes Besiege from land to sea, introducing new mechanics and maps to the timeless favorite.
London, United Kingdom, April 9, 2024 | Spiderling Studios, the studio behind the acclaimed title Besiege, is thrilled to announce a new expansion to their physics-based builder. Venture into uncharted waters, face new challenges, and unleash aquatic mayhem in The Splintered Sea, a Besiege expansion available on Steam on May 24th.
Head to the High Seas
Enriching the original game’s experience, Besiege: The Splintered Sea offers a new expansion to the popular physics-based builder. In The Splintered Sea, players battle through a 10-level oceanic campaign, introducing new block types to bring more chaos to the high seas. Using elements of hydrodynamics, this expansion challenges players to explore new builds capable of above-water combat and undersea exploration. Test your creations in the expansion’s new sandbox, which sees players sailing through a vast archipelago, exploring ancient ruins, and putting their engineering to the test on water courses. Using The Splintered Sea’s eight new aquatic blocks, you can spread your destruction across land and sea!
A Fan Favorite
Launched in Ver. 1.0 in 2020, Besiege continues to reign in the builder genre. Using an intuitive building system, players can construct war machines to destroy villages, annihilate armies, and obliterate castles. With over 70 building blocks available, players can achieve success or epic failure through the limitless creativity of their machine designs. Conquer Besiege’s 55 single-player campaign levels, spanning four island nations ripe for conquest. Players can test their builds in an expansive sandbox environment; once you’re ready, enter the Besiege Multiverse, a multiplayer experience that supports head-to-head combat, intricate puzzle solving, and cooperative conquering.
Gameplay Features:
Oceanic Campaign Challenges: Dive into ten new water-themed campaign levels, pitting your creations against your enemy’s formidable fleet and treacherous sea creatures.
Building Aquatic Machines: Harness the power of 8 new blocks specially designed for maritime madness, including floats for buoyancy, a rudder for improved steering, a harpoon launcher for engaging enemies, and more.
Immersive Water Simulation: Play with hydrodynamics, including shape-dependent drag, density-based buoyancy, and higher-speed impacts, offering a realistic and engaging aquatic building experience.
Brand New Sandbox: Explore a rugged archipelago, challenge mighty galleons, terrorize local fishermen, and navigate treacherous waters in a sandbox built specifically for The Splintered Sea.
Multiplayer Madness: Engage in multiplayer combat with friends, create custom levels with the in-game editor, and unleash chaos in Besiege‘s water-filled arenas.
Besiege: The Splintered Sea launches May 24th on Steam. An expansion bundle will be available for new players to purchase, and players who own Besiege can purchase the expansion separately. For more information, visit the Besiege: The Splintered Sea Steam page.
About Spiderling Studios
Spiderling is an independent game developer from the UK. We specialize in physics-based sandbox games and are best known for the castle-smashing, machine-building game, Besiege.
Knights of Salvation facing unfathomable evil that knows no bounds
Amsterdam, The Netherlands — April 9, 2024 | Kakao Games and PixelTribe are proud to reveal a new preview video for their upcoming action-packed 2D side-scrolling RPG Goddess Order, which is currently preparing for global services on mobile in the second half of 2024.
Arriving on mobile, Goddess Order puts players in a beautiful, pixelated, fairytale-esque world. Brimming with the fantastical, this title provides mobile players with console levels of immersion as alongside an engrossing regional main story, they will also uncover the hidden origins of a knight they cross paths with on their quest.
Whether wielding a sword, rifle or channelling their inner magic, Goddess Order features a strategic combat style that allows players to use each of three knights. They will learn how to take advantage of their unique skills to devastating effect as they tackle terrifying tormentors and sneak through enemy defences.
But who are these knights? The first is Lisbeth, the Princess with the heart of a lion, who uses her radiant light to spark hope in the hearts of her allies, and players will recruit many more in their epic crusade.
The new trailer showcases Goddess Order’s breathtaking fantasy world in all its glory, depicting the journey of the knights as they fight to save the future of the world in the wake of destruction. It also offers a sneak peek of the game’s scenario mode, in which players can manipulate their story for maximum immersion. Check out what’s in store below:
From the minds behind Crusaders Quest, a gripping title with more than 25 million downloads, Goddess Order is shaping up to be a truly beautiful game for fans of the RPG genre to dive into.
Information on Goddess Order is being released sequentially on official SNS channels, including the Official Website. Be sure to follow the game in order to keep up to date with the latest unveilings, including the recently shared trailer for Princess of the Prophecy, Lisbeth.
About Goddess Order
Goddess Order is a mobile side-scrolling action RPG built upon 2D-pixel art, offering the tangible sensation of console gaming and heart-pounding action. The story unfolds as the protagonist Lisbeth and her friends strive to save a world on the brink of extinction. Boasting endearing yet stylish pixel characters that bring a JRPG-inspired narrative to life, the game offers depth of strategy through the strategic combination of diverse characters, complemented by simple, straightforward manual control action that heightens expectations not just domestically but also on the global stage.
About Kakao Games
Founded in 2016, Kakao Games is a leading publisher of online and mobile games, responsible for releasing titles including Pearl Abyss’s Black Desert Online (serviced in North America and Europe until early 2021), KRAFTON’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (serviced in Korea), XLGAMES’s ArcheAge (serviced in North America, Europe and Oceania), Nimble Neuron’s Survival MOBA Eternal Return (serviced in North America, Europe and Oceania), Kong Studios’ Guardian Tales (serviced in North America, Europe, Latin America and Oceania), and Nineark’s Eversoul (serviced in North America and Europe).
About PixelTribe
PixelTribe is a new company that has branched off from Loadcomplete, which has achieved significant global success over the past decade by developing more than 15 mobile game titles, including Crusaders Quest and Legend of Slime. PixelTribe is focused on the development of authentic mobile RPG games using pixel art, and the company is currently fully dedicated to its newest title, “Goddess Order.”
Tuesday 9th April: Xbox ANZ and Cure Cancer, partnering with Dr. Arutha Kulasinghe of The University of Queensland, have unveiled three custom Xbox Series X consoles inspired by Dr. Kulasinghe’s award-winning cancer research. The exclusive consoles will be auctioned off, with all proceeds supporting Cure Cancer to continue their remarkable work.
The distinctive design on the consoles draws inspiration from Dr. Kulasinghe’s spatial tumour mapping approach developed in collaboration with Akoya Biosciences and Nanostring Technologies, a process that allows medical experts and specialists to identify cellular architecture and areas of that are resistant to treatment for the first time. The tumour mapping can be life-changing for those who are undergoing cancer treatment.
Dr. Arutha Kulasinghe commented: “These groundbreaking realisations of how cells organise and communicate have been captured by these images that are now featured on the Xbox Series X consoles. With Xbox and Cure Cancer, we’ve been able to further highlight the transformative leaps we’ve achieved in cancer research.”
From today until 30th April, the custom-designed consoles will be on display at the Microsoft Experience Centre at Westfield Sydney, while the auction is running.
Nikki Kinloch, Cure Cancer CEO said: “It is truly incredible how this rare moment of scientific breakthrough is beautifully represented through this collaboration with Xbox. It brings much-needed awareness for supporting groundbreaking cancer research to the wider community, which has always been our mission at Cure Cancer.
We are extremely proud of Dr Arutha. Being able to see resistance and sensitivity to current generations of cancer therapies at the time of diagnosis is groundbreaking, and it can be life-changing for those who are going through cancer treatment.“
The auction is live now. For more information, see here. For those looking to support Cure Cancer elsewhere, you can donate with your Microsoft Rewards points and help to bring about real positive change. Head to the Rewards Hub for more details.
About Dr. Arutha Kulasinghe:
Dr Arutha Kulasinghe is a Group Leader at the University of Queensland and the Scientific Director of the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre at the Wesley Research Institute. Dr Kulasinghe has pioneered spatial transcriptomics and proteomics in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to world-first studies for lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and skin cancer. His research aims to understand the underlying pathobiology by using an integrative multi-omics approach.
About Cure Cancer:
Cure Cancer is dedicated to backing brave thinking and kick-starting new ideas in cancer research. By funding the top 1% of bright new projects led by the most brilliant minds in science, they contribute to saving millions of lives. Their community of fundraisers, partners, researchers, and institutions work tirelessly to take on every cancer and find the most impactful solutions, working together to bring them to life in record time.
LOS ANGELES – 8 April 2024 –Cowboy 3030, the roguelite third-person shooter from husband-and-wife developer Soy Boy Games, rides into its Early Access debut on PC via Steam 28 May 2024! After multiple demo updates adding weapons, features, characters, and more, Hololasso County calls upon all bounty hunters to hunt down alien outlaws.
Ever since the dreaded Nebularos gang rode up, they’ve enacted a reign of terror across the futuristic Wild West. Step into the boots of the electro-lasso-slinging Calix, or snipe down threats from afar with Keri and her Precision Rifle. Loot new rewards and weapons from fallen outlaws and upgrade arsenals and abilities alike for a showdown against the Nebularos ringleaders!
Early Access builds upon the ever-growing demo. Lay down the law as Teri with his ol’ reliable shotgun. Line up shots with his Spread Projector, yank distant targets into range with the Magnetic Grappler, and stun them with the Electric Shock. New Forest and Snow biomes boast fresh bosses like the Menacing Monk and Maniacal Mobster. Swap out upgrades at shops on any given run’s progression grid, and upgrade Boosters to craft the perfect cowboy (or cowgirl!).
Bounty hunters don’t need to run this operation solo: grab some loyal pardners and show Hololasso County that this town is big enough for all of ya’s in online multiplayer co-op with up to four players. Rescue surviving townsfolk for extra health and discounts from the local merchants. Not everyone has to walk the path of righteousness; prove mettle by inspiring more dread than awe to find interesting deals for the discerning gunslinger… at a price.
Even if defeat comes all too quickly, dust off those leathers and get back in the saddle. After each run, unlock even deadlier weapon options. Experiment with a randomly generated progression grid tailored with distinct perks and abilities for each playable character to master new ways to play. Adapt to the challenges ahead and carve out a legend they’ll tell tall tales about for centuries to come.
“With Cowboy 3030 now officially quick-drawn into Early Access, we look forward to bringing a fresh experience to roguelite shooter fans,” said Soy Boy Games founder George Chiu. “We’re excited for everyone to saddle up and star in their own spaghetti western shootouts.”
Cowboy 3030 hits Early Access on PC via Steam on May 28, 2024. For more information, visit Soy Boy Games’ official website and follow the studio on Twitter and YouTube. Download Cowboy 3030 now on Steam.
About Soy Boy Games
Soy Boy Games was founded by the husband-and-wife team of George Chiu and Vivian Minh to find a fresher way to game. With the market saturated by titles that largely iterate off each other, Soy Boy Games aims to take a quirkier path out to the players.
Good Vibes, Chill Beats, and Cute Critters Await in this Soothing Approach to Productivity Management – Spirit City Has Opened its Gates to All!
Montreal, Canada (April 8, 2024) — Load up that lofi playlist and get ready to tackle that to-do list! Today, feel-good indie game studio Mooncube Games is thrilled to announce the launch of their highly anticipated gamified focus tool Spirit City: Lofi Sessions. Inspired by the popular trend of lofi streams, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions invites players to sit back, relax, and begin their productivity journey.
Whether utilizing the to-do list for organization, a Pomodoro timer for focused work sessions, or the habit tracker and journal to foster healthy routines, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions offers a myriad of ways to aid players in unwinding, de-stressing, and getting that once-overwhelming to-do list finally tackled. With over 75K+ wishlists, Spirit City is poised to shine brightly among indie gaming titles, offering players a distinctive and immersive productivity experience.
About Spirit City: Lofi Sessions:Spirit City: Lofi Sessions guides players through curating their perfect cozy virtual space, customizing a stylish in-game avatar, and choosing a chill lofi playlist provided in partnership with Homework Radio. With the goal of facilitating real-life tasks with a collection of handy features designed to improve concentration and ease stress, players can stay productive with the in-game tools, or simply relax, while passively discovering cute critters!
Key Features of Spirit City: Lofi Sessions:
Calming Lofi Beats: Sit back and relax as you listen to a carefully curated catalog of lofi tracks and themed playlists for every mood and occasion.
Avatar and Spirit Companion Customization: Players can choose from a variety of hairstyles, outfits, custom colors, and more to bring to life their own unique Spirit City persona.
Personalize your Space: Customize your room with a large variety of lighting, floor, wall, and furniture options! Make your space reflect your mood, creating your perfect cozy chill-out spot.
Adorable Hidden Spirits: Decipher in-game hints to find the right combination of soundscapes and activities to lure cute spirits out into the open, unlocking them as your companions.
Productivity Tools: Use the built-in to-do list and Pomodoro timer functions to keep yourself on schedule and to remind yourself to take regular breaks while providing positive energy for your work sessions.
Earn Rewards: Earn XP while spending time in-game, increasing your Spiritographer level. With each level comes exciting unlocks in the form of customization options and bits of lore about Spirit City.
Distraction-Free Focus:Spirit City: Lofi Sessions was designed to let you focus for as long as you want, and will never throw in distracting bits or notifications. Time to settle in for some productive work sessions without any distractions and get work done!
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is available now on PC via Steam.
About Mooncube Games
Mooncube Games is an indie development studio and publisher whose goal is to create games that promote positive and uplifting experiences that align with its core values of kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. The team strives to do this by creating rich, unique worlds, with a diverse cast of memorable characters. The team wholeheartedly believes that games have the power to evoke emotions, inspire change, and be a safe space for players. These values fuel every decision they make as a company.
About Homework Radio
A music label specializing in lofi / chill / relaxing music. Bringing together and promoting audio/visual artists to produce original content for YouTube, and storytelling through the medium of music.
When it comes to Vanillaware it is hard to go wrong. The developer has built up quite a reputation throughout the years of creating amazing looking games with their unique art style and generally accompanying it with either an amazing storyline or gameplay, but rarely both in one package. Now, with it being five years since their last fully original game and a couple years since their last remaster, Vanillaware has returned with Atlus at the helm once again to bring us back to the medieval fantasy realm with Unicorn Overlord. The last time Vanillaware tapped into this style was with Dragon’s Crown and but with Unicorn Overlord taking a far different approach to gameplay, is this once again a success for the storied developer?
Story
The Kingdom of Cornia is a prosperous one with a beloved Queen and loyal subjects, which makes the sudden betrayal of lead General Valmore all the more shocking, let alone the fact that nearly the entire Cornian army has joined his side. The Queen, in a last ditch effort to save her bloodline and rescue her son, sends him away under the guard of her most trusted knight while also giving the young prince Alain the Ring of the Unicorn, the kingdom’s treasure and symbol of Cornian royalty. As her son escapes, the Queen makes a valiant last stand to buy time. Nearly a decade passes as Alain trains in an isolated island with a few close allies all while Valmore, who now calls himself Galerius, has formed the Zenoirian Empire and has swept through the land, crushing any that stand against him and bringing the entire continent of Fervith under his control.
Suddenly, despite the isolation that comes from living on a far off island, a ship containing Zenoiran forces appears and forces Alain and his allies into action but this battle reveals not just one but two surprising elements. Not only are Alain and his fellow rebels capable of standing up to the soldiers that have swept through the land, but some strange magic is afoot. When facing down against the enemy leader that invaded the island, Alain realizes that he used to be a loyal ally and hesitates to execute the foe, triggering magic within the Ring of the Unicorn and lifting the spell placed on the man. Upon realizing that this magic can seemingly control the minds of those it is used on, Alain sets out the leader of the Liberation Army to take back his land, free the five kingdoms that have fallen under Galerius’ rule, and defeat the man himself at whatever cost.
Unicorn Overlord may have plenty of style and nearly every new character you meet just oozes with it, the story itself is unfortunately on the blander side. While it does indeed tell a tale about a prince seeking revenge against his mother’s killer, all while saving the rest of the continent in the process, there are very few twists and turns along the way and what little there is isn’t unique in any manner. There are a few surprises here and there, though most of these become a little predictable but that doesn’t mean that the game’s writing can’t pull at the player’s heart strings from time to time, especially within the Elfheim and Bastorias nations, and deliver a few surprises here and there. These just come far too infrequently along the game’s nearly sixty hour runtime.
Where Unicorn Overlord’s story does shine a bit is with its characters. In a similar fashion to a certain franchise with a flaming symbol, the more units fight together the closer they will become with one another. Alain can also give gifts to units stationed at towns and have gorgeously drawn meals with their team at taverns/inns to grow closer to their party. Not every character will have a “bond’ story with another but a shockingly high number of them do and being able to see these characters talk with one another is a nice little bonus, especially since some of the interactions are quite wonderful. It is also worth noting that there is a bit of a romance element in the game, though this only comes into play in the late game. Along these same lines, Alain also has the most bond opportunities with every character and players will often be given various choices throughout the story, usually during side-quests, where they will be prompted to make either spare or execute an enemy.
As a general rule of thumb, we tried both routes with a prior save and execution is never worth it, as players will only obtain some extra items that can generally be obtained later while sparing an enemy will almost always lead to them helping down the line. That being said, since a lot of the characters that can join Alain’s team are optional, these characters don’t get much of a chance, if any, to actually shine or even appear in the main storyline as a result of them possibly being dead or skipped over entirely should players be mainlining the story rather than fully exploring everything Unicorn Overlord has to offer.
Gameplay
Unicorn Overlord is a unique take on a strategy RPG as far as gameplay goes thanks to the fact that rather than fights breaking out against individual characters, they instead involve entire units. A lot of battles involve players needing to take to the field and defeat their targeted enemy, usually garrisoned inside of a town or fort that they need to be ousted from though the game does do a solid job varying things up from time to time, keeping things fresh. In fact there are even some “in combat” conversations that can be made between certain units and these are highlighted in the menu. Every stage has a time limit and a loss condition as well, but unless players are on the hardest difficulty this will likely not be an issue as the game will automatically pause anytime a unit is about to enter battle or players select a unit. Players will start with a certain amount of “Valor Points” that can be used to deploy units or trigger a character’s special abilities and these VP can be earned back by defeating enemy units in combat, claiming locations on the map such as watchtowers and bridges, and even using items.
As players send out their units to fight in the field they can choose to select a single unit or even multiple units at once, sending them on the same pathway or even at “waypoints” that can help dictate their pathing a bit better. When the player’s unit comes into contact with an enemy unit they will be prompted with a pre-battle screen that already shows how the fight will go, indicating how much damage each side will take, including if one side might end up actually healing as a result of the conflict or be straight up slain in a single bout. If a few units are close together, players can swap which unit can enter the fray, helping pick and choose what unit might be better against the encountered enemy.
Once battle begins, players actually have no control over the way a fight will play out. Instead the characters in both units will automatically attack using their Active Points and Passive Points (AP) and (PP) to dish out damage, heal or buff their allies, and debuff the enemy. Players can choose to fast-forward this action if they want to speed things along and, especially in later missions that have massive amounts of enemy units and long encounters, players can choose to skip viewing a fight entirely and instead simply have the fight automatically complete with a press of the button. This can be a bit bewildering during some fights however, as players will often want to see how their units act during an encounter, especially difficult ones, and adjust their tactics if necessary.
You see, as well as party composition and choosing which classes to stick in each unit, players can choose to micromanage their characters even further by modifying the types of tactics they will use in a fight. This can adjust how a character may take an action, such as having archer’s targeting the nimble dodging thieves or the weak to arrows flying units, or focusing on having clerics only heal allies that are below 50% health. Players may not need to focus too heavily on this level of micromanagement on normal but the fact that the option is there is nice, especially since it offers a massive amount of ways to build a unit. Players can craft a unit capable of dealing damage to nearly any type of foe, focus on having a leader that can fly over obstacles in the terrain and maneuver quickly, or even one that is specially designed to take out specific threats. This level of tactical depth and preparation is astounding and the fact that Unicorn Overlord offers that is truly special.
This doesn’t even touch upon the various pieces of equipment that players can purchase or obtain out in the world. Many pieces of equipment do more than simply add extra damage or defense, some provide the wearer with extra skills, giving players even more options to work with tactically should they choose. In fact, Unicorn Overlord specializes in a steady rollout of new content to constantly keep players enticed to keep going. This can be as simple as finding catapults and ballistas on a battlefield to aid allies to using skills at the cost of Valor Points to boost a team’s abilities or deal direct damage to enemies. New classes can unlock over forty hours into the game and give players new ways to fiddle with their units. It is also worth noting that since every class has their own strengths and weaknesses, building units to take advantage of these and positioning them on the battlefield properly can play a major role, especially in later fights that eventually see full five unit teams battling it out against other five unit teams. These are also generally the types of fights players will want to skip for the sake of time as well since they can often really drag on thanks to how many skills and actions each unit may have available to them at this point in the game.
When not in combat players will travel through the overworld as a mini Alain that can visit towns, accept delivery missions to help restore towns to their former glory, often unlocking extra rewards in the process, find gathering points for items that can eventually be delivered, and even uncover various summoning signs, historical ruins, temples, and mines. Players can interact with their allies stationed at towns to give them gifts for increased bond points, take part in bond conversations that, when unlocked, are scattered around the map, and much more. It is worth noting that the game is not open world by any means as players are still set on a proper path and can often find ways blocked to them if they try to go anywhere they shouldn’t yet. Of course, exploring every nook and cranny is always rewarding, especially since some unique items are far off the beaten path and tucked away, making it feel like Unicorn Overlord always has something new to offer even at the endgame.
Audio & Visuals
Vanillaware has continued to use their excellent art style for Unicorn Overlord to make nearly everything in the game’s world look amazing. Every NPC, be it an enemy soldier or one of the over sixty different characters that players can have in their army (nevermind the customizable mercenaries) is incredibly detailed and many of them have some fantastic looking designs. The company isn’t afraid to let their fantasy designs run a bit wild either as many of the character designs include a variety of fantasy races as well as standard humans. The world design is varied between continents and there is some rather amazing looking food, also featuring the company’s signature art style, that players can obtain as well. Heck, even the menus have plenty of stylization to them, something that often goes untouched in most games.
The voice work throughout Unicorn Overlord is handled quite well with players being able to choose freely from the English and Japanese English dub. The English cast is handled well, especially in regards to other races that players will encounter in other continents. The soundtrack features some outstanding sounding fantasy style music as well as a solid variety of combat music that works well during the lengthy combat sequences, which is something of a blessing considering how long later fights can become.
Overall
There’s something to be said about taking a rather mundane story about revenge with only a few twists and still managing to create an absolutely stellar game around it. Vanillaware has managed to do just that here with Unicorn Overlord as the game’s fairly simple story does little to drag down the fact that it’s massive collection of wonderful characters, even ones that don’t get much chance to shine, and its stellar combat system with endless customization options, make this strategy RPG unlike any other. Vanillaware’s signature style blends together perfectly with the medieval aesthetic and, combined with its truly outstanding gameplay, makes for an unforgettable game that anyone who even is tempted to try out a strategy game should give a chance.
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