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Unicorn Overlord, the latest tactical RPG by developer Vanillaware launched last month with tremendous success, and we got an opportunity to interview Akiyasu Yamamoto, producer of the game.
Selling over 500,000 copies worldwide in just a month, Unicorn Overlord received critical acclaim and is heavily praised for its innovative gameplay.
Producer Akiyasu Yamamoto is an industry veteran in Atlus, contributing to many highly acclaimed JRPGs in leadership roles such as many titles in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise and Persona series, as well as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Etrian Odyssey series, Catherine, and many more.
Thinking Outside the Box
Tactical RPG, sometimes known as strategy RPG or simulation RPG in Japan is an age-long genre that combines turn-based gameplay with heavy emphasis on battle strategy. The genre generally has a well-defined and staple gameplay that fans would already expect, such as isometric grid movement, large-scale battle, and so on.
However, those who played Unicorn Overlord would agree that the game is something very unique for tactical RPGs, moving away from the genre staple and instead providing new experiences with an auto-battle system and a large emphasis on explorations and preparations.
We asked producer Yamamoto about the design process of Unicorn Overlord and how the team at Atlus and Vanillaware think outside the box and crafted a game that played so differently from others in the genre.
To that, Yamamoto replied, “A short while after Odin Sphere Leifthrasir was released, Vanillaware gave us a pitch for Unicorn Overlord. The game was developed in parallel with 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.”
“One of the things that won us over was its online elements. In a way, it’s a spiritual successor to Dragon’s Crown in that regard while also breaking new ground as a tactical RPG. We saw the massive potential in Unicorn Overlord as it sought to chart new frontiers and steer away from an ocean already rife with common tactical RPG tropes.”
“When Takafumi Noma (director of Unicorn Overlord) and Wataru Nakanishi (designer of Unicorn Overlord) pitched the game to us, it reminded us of our fond memories of playing tactical RPGs during the 16-bit era of the 1990s, and we decided to greenlight it.”
Success in Japan
As mentioned, Unicorn Overlord launched with amazing success worldwide, and its sales should be underestimated as physical copies of the game were sold out in Japan in its first week of release.
We congratulated Atlus and Vanillaware for their recent sales success in Japan and Yamamoto expressed his gratitude, saying “Thank you! Given that we were taking a different approach from the conventional tactical RPG, we feared that the game would be received poorly upon launch.”
“We had faith that players would come to love it once they moved past their initial pleasant skepticism, but we were surprised by the warm reception from the get-go! We’re extremely glad that our fans in Southeast Asia find Unicorn Overlord just as fun as we do.”
Plans for DLC and PC Port
With the game’s roaring success, we wondered if Atlus and Vanillaware have any plans for additional DLC content in Unicorn Overlord which producer Yamamoto quickly noted that there are no plans at the moment.
On the other hand, the PC has been a rapidly growing platform for Japanese publishers in terms of sales and many fans would be delighted to see a release of Unicorn Overlord on PC. However, Yamamoto mentioned that the team currently has no plans to port the game to PC.
“When Atlus and Vanillaware began work on Unicorn Overlord in 2016, the game was only intended for the PS4 and PS Vita. However, the gaming industry has gone through some radical changes over the past 8 years, and as a result, Vanillaware was asked to give Unicorn Overlord a simultaneous worldwide release and expand its development to the PS5, Switch, and Xbox X/S.”
“Ultimately, as the publisher, it was Atlus that decided which platforms Unicorn Overlord would release on, and we are deeply thankful for Vanillaware’s willingness to cooperate. Unfortunately, we currently have no plans to port Unicorn Overlord to PC.”
The Playable Demo and Its Success
Before the official launch, Unicorn Overlord released a playable demo a few weeks prior and it was met with praise by players for its generous playtime. When it comes to the decision behind the demo’s length, Yamamoto said, “The 3-hour demo we’d set for our previous title, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, which had roughly around 30 hours of gameplay, gave us a pretty good idea of the ideal length for a demo.”
“We playtested the demo to ensure that players weren’t missing out on anything. It was important to us that players could get a feel of the game and find it enjoyable, and that felt the right amount of time.”
New Player Concern
Considering the amount of mechanics in Unicorn Overlord and how complex it can get. We asked Yamamoto if there were any concerns that the game might scare off potential new players due to its complexity.
To that, Yamamoto said, “One of the challenges we recognized as a publisher was how we were going to effectively convey the appeal of Unicorn Overlord’s gameplay to fans of the tactical RPG genre. The members of the publishing team and I had the chance to test out early versions of the game, and while we found the game fun, we noticed it would take past the 10-hour mark to really get into it.”
“We knew the game couldn’t be released in that state, so we turned to the playtesting company, Sarugakucho, for assistance. Our main focus centered around finding a way to introduce the game’s mechanics without having an overly steep learning curve, which we had numerous discussions about.”
“Until development came to a close, we committed ourselves to addressing the issue as much as possible before launch and even released a set of online tutorials that could be accessed outside of the game.”
Message for Southeast Asian Fans
As we were concluding our interview, producer Akiyasu Yamamoto had a message to share with Southeast Asian fans of Unicorn Overlord.
“The overwhelmingly positive reception from Southeast Asia has exceeded our wildest expectations. We’re extremely happy and deeply honored by the response to the game. Unicorn Overlord is a gem that was molded by our passion for retro tactical RPGs and shaped by our desire to create a title for fans who have been yearning for that classic experience. The director, Takafumi Noma, and the lead game designer, Wataru Nakanishi, poured their heart and soul into making the ideal tactical RPG, so if you’re interested in checking out Unicorn Overlord after reading this article, please give the demo a try!”
We would like to thank Akiyasu Yamamoto for taking the time to answer all of our questions regarding Unicorn Overlord.
As mentioned, a demo for Unicorn Overlord is available for download, and the game is also now available on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
