These 16-bit Unicorn Overlord arrangements stir up some tactical nostalgia

It’s the new year, and there’s a bevy of new games on the way. One of them, Unicorn Overlord, sees Vanillaware tackling fantasy tactics. And the little slice of music that’s been shared, in 16-bit form, certainly sets the tone.

Atlus has shared a roughly four-minute preview of selections from the 16-bit arranged music album for the upcoming Unicorn Overlord. Per the description, this album takes the music of Unicorn Overlord and rearranges it into 16-bit form for the game’s Monarch Edition (a.k.a. collector’s edition).

Who better, then, to remix some tactics nostalgia than Basiscape? The studio worked with Vanillaware on 2020’s excellent 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and it’s founded by Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen composer Hitoshi Sakimoto. A very fitting collaboration, I’d say.

You can get a brief clip of several tracks in the preview above, though the album itself will be part of the Monarch Edition of Unicorn Overlord. A few other goodies are also getting packed into the CE, including an artbook and full-on card game of Unicorn Overlord.

A brand-new Overlord Part of me wanted to write this up because of the interesting legacy ties here, between prior hits and Vanillaware’s approach to the fantasy tactics genre. But, honestly, another part of me just wanted to write about Unicorn Overlord.

If it weren’t for the likes of Metaphor, UO would probably be my most anticipated game of this year. But it’s definitely one that I think will surprise people. After all, that’s what happened with 13 Sentinels, and Vanillaware has been steadily ramping up with each new game.

We’ve seen combat, overworld strategy, and even romance all within the world that Vanillaware’s been crafting. Tactics Ogre: Reborn whet my appetite for some classic, grim tactics, and Frieren has me eager for a mature fantasy story. Could Unicorn Overlord be that? We’ll find out on March 8, 2024 when it arrives for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.

Eric Van Allen

Senior Editor – While Eric’s been writing about games since 2014, he’s been playing them for a lot longer. Usually found grinding RPG battles, digging into an indie gem, or hanging out around the Limsa Aethryte.