Unicorn Overlord

Developer Vanillaware’s take on the strategy RPG is nothing short of mechanical perfection. That’s the selling point of Unicorn Overlord: deep systems and challenging large-scale battles. What’s surprising is just how many systems there are and how well they all work together to create a complex web for you to unravel and master.

Unicorn Overlord combines the best parts of turn-based and real-time strategy games to create a unique blend of its own that keeps you engaged. Organizing characters into units and setting their Final Fantasy XII gambit-style tactics is all about planning and understanding the rock-paper-scissors relationship between classes. But once battles start, it’s a frantic rush to direct units and outmaneuver your opponent. Every battle is bigger and better than the last, adding new twists and variations on what you think you know about how the game works. It’s like extra-complicated chess. The only downside is that this all takes place in a pretty basic medieval fantasy world, and features a story that,while not outright bad, is terribly forgettable. But the excellent combat more than makes up for that. — Willa Rowe