Unicorn Overlord vs. Fire Emblem Engage: Which Is The Better TRPG?

Atlus and Vanillaware are journeying into the world of tactical RPGs with the recent release of Unicorn Overlord. The strategic fantasy game has naturally been pulling some comparisons to the most popular fantasy TRPG series of all time, Fire Emblem, but does Unicorn Overlord realistically hold a candle to the franchise that has been at the forefront of this genre for decades now?

The best way to compare the two would be to pit Unicorn Overlord against the most recent entry in the Intelligent Systems series, Fire Emblem Engage. The game has a lot of the most classic characters from throughout the series’ history interacting in a brand new story with some interesting new gameplay elements, but it’s got some weaknesses too that might result in Unicorn Overlord having an upper hand.

Gameplay

The combat of Unicorn Overlord feels almost like Vanillaware saw the pairing mechanic from Fire Emblem Awakening and said “Let’s make a game out of this.” That mechanic was a bit controversial among FE fans for how easily it could break certain characters, but it’s clearly far more thought out and fleshed out in Unicorn Overlord since it’s the cornerstone of all tactics. Building out each unit with the perfect combination of support and offense becomes an intricate art as things progress, and players who’re really into this team-building aspect of RPGs will likely fall head-over-heels for this.

Fire Emblem Engage hits an interesting middle ground in terms of its combat in comparison to Unicorn Overlord and its predecessors in the series. On the one hand, the Emblem Rings that are at the center of this game’s marketing are incredibly fun. Not only do they add that special nostalgia value by being paired with various iconic characters from throughout the years like Marth and Sigurd, but the process of experimenting with giving different units a variety of Emblem Rings to find the perfect combination is a treat, and can add a lot of replay value.

Where Unicorn Overlord really takes the edge is with classes. Fire Emblem Engage‘s class system is unfortunately a major downgrade from Fire Emblem Three Houses. Three Houses allowed for virtually any unit to become any class, giving a world of customization options to the player, while Engage regresses back to each unit having a select path and a limited number of classes they can promote into. Unicorn Overlord is also similarly limited in some ways, but with 19 base classes, it creates a massive number of different combinations for the 4-person units that can drastically affect combat.

Winner: Unicorn Overlord

Story

Story is a core pillar of both Unicorn Overlord and the Fire Emblem series that could be a lot more competitive in a comparison like this if it wasn’t for the fact that the game competing with Unicorn Overlord is Fire Emblem Engage. Fire Emblem Engage may have the single weakest story of any other title in the series, and that includes the limited stories of the earlier games. It’s just too clean, too friendly, and too top-heavy with melodrama layered over a narrative that is fundamentally not that engaging.

The story of Unicorn Overlord isn’t so terribly competitive either. The premise of leading a rebel group led by the true nobility that was overthrown by an evil force that now terrorizes the land is not particularly fresh. It’s actually kind of exactly the same setup as the second half of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War.

Unicorn Overlord does edge out the victory over Fire Emblem Engage, but it’s worth noting that if this was another title like Fire Emblem Three Houses being compared here, the latter would certainly be the winner.

Winner: Unicorn Overlord

Presentation

This may be the most mixed area in competition between these two games. Unicorn Overlord‘s visual style is pleasant. It has that stylized pixel art in its overworld that’s very reminiscent of Octopath Traveler. That’s a pro for anyone who can’t get enough of that style and a con for those who believe it’s been driven into the ground in recent years. The art style of its battles is also quaint and colorful, but tends to lack the weight necessary to make hits satisfying.

That final point is certainly an area where Fire Emblem has been excelling for some time now, and Fire Emblem Engage is no different. The battle scenes in Fire Emblem Engage are detailed and powerful. It feels incredibly satisfying to destroy an enemy with well-timed crits, ring abilities, and various other attacks. Character design is the main con working against FE in this area. There’s really no need to continue the dogpile on how the main character looks like a sentient toothpaste tube. The jokes have all been said before.

Fire Emblem Engage does manage to take the win in this department due to the impactful battle animations ultimately canceling out any ill feelings toward some of the more ill-conceived character design decisions.

Winner: Fire Emblem Engage

The Winner is…

Unicorn Overlord and Fire Emblem Engage are both incredibly fun games that are must-recommends for tactical RPG fans with a Nintendo Switch. Unicorn Overlord may have to ultimately take the win on this matchup, though, if for no other reason than just that Fire Emblem fans have seen what Intelligent Systems is capable of in the past, and Fire Emblem Engage is certainly not its best outing.

Unicorn Overlord is just the beginning of what is hopefully a vibrant new series from Vanillaware and Atlus that continues to expand and innovate the TRPG genre in the future. It would be great to look back at this game in the future and realize it as strong, but humble beginnings.