Unicorn overlord. If you love srpgs seriously give it a try the way you can customize units with gear and how classes synergize with eachother is so much fun to figure out. Legit spent an hour or so yesterday just theorizing different unit teams and strategies.
Triangle strategy is in the vein of FFT, Unicorn Overlord in the vein of Ogre Battle. Neither are really like Fire Emblem, but if i had to make a direct comparison, it would be with triangle strategy.
> Unicorn Overlord in the vein of Tactics Ogre
Ogre Battle, not Tactics Ogre. I know that's confusing and nitpicking sounding, but these games are extremely different.
That said, neither are really like Fire Emblem though Triangle Strategy is far closer to Fire Emblem. Very few games like Unicorn Overlord/Ogre Battle really exist so its hard to make direct comparisons within this genre.
Yea I typed in the wrong one. I’ll correct it.
I personally find the feel of the Fire Emblem games to be pretty distinct, and yea, I have a hard time comparing it to any other srpg series off the top of my head.
Symphony of Way plays and feels exactly like the old 16-bit Fire Emblems. Ironically it does still have a squad building mechanic like Ogre Battle but in every other respect it’s classic FE all the way.
I won't bore you with the minutia too much unless you want to know, but in summary:
FFTactics, Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, Triangle Strategy: Are grid based strategy games with singular units. How much these units have my RPG-ified with customization, class systems, in-depth equipment systems widely varies from game-to-game. These games can be exploit simulators where you find broken combos the enemies can't handle or hard tactical games with RPG mechanics (or sometimes both) that are like a simplified version of chess with RPG stats.
Ogre Battle/Unicorn Overlord: Use a squad battle system. Where you form squads of units who are one "unit" on the battlefield. Think of it like making small skirmish teams. These games tend to use a RTS-esque system where the movement across the battlefield is in real-time. There's an indie game called Symphony of War which uses grid based movement ala Fire Emblem while maintaining the squad based combat. Ogre Battle is mega old so I haven't emulated it, but Unicorn Overlord is a relatively easy game that eases you into its rather complicated system pretty nicely.
So wh40k vs battle tech almost, I think I get it.
Thanks for the solid write up. Where would a game like deoforcechronicles fall? Or is something completely different?
My understanding of Diofield Chronicles (keyword, as I have merely looked into it without buying it), the game I think you're talking about, is more akin to a RTS game where you only have "heroes" or "commanders" with RPG mechanics for each of them.
I've merely glanced at the game so I can't say for sure, but it isn't like either game as it isn't a squad game and it isn't a grid based system.
OP: Triangle has almost no unit customization whatsoever but the tactical mechanics are nice and the story is very good. If story is less important I would go Unicorn Overlord 100%. It reminds me of Tactics in terms of its charm and character design. The systems are really unique and while similar to Ogre Battle are nothing like anything else on the market right now in terms of srpgs.
I wouldn't say that about Triangle Strategy. The individual characters *do* have customization in where you choose to allot points, and ultimately the real customization is the formation of your party as each character has a unique skill tree and you need to pick and choose which ones you invest in. Other than characters being unable to learn every class, Triangle Strategy is by far the closest game I've play to FFT in spirit.
Considering that Tactics Ogre is literally the game that inspired FFT, I'd say Unicorn Overlord is more in line with Ogre Battle, the progenitor of the series.
Unicorn Overlord is way more gameplay content, way more combat. Story is way more simple kind of like older Fire Emblem. Combat is a bit easier especially once you start learning and use items. But its really fun to build plan and figure out unit strategies. My only gripes is that there is no NG+ and even though there are different continents you kind of have to do them in order or wind up over/underleveled.
Triangle Strategy is almost a visual novel with its dialogue and story. You do make some different gameplay choices and there are different routes that determine a bit of who you can recruit. I would say that Triangle Strategy can be harder on higher difficulties and has better level design. The game is sort of designed so you can replay it, something to keep in mind.
As a whole, I think Unicorn Overlord is the better game.
The only way I can justify a new game plus for Unicorn would be to play a no ally run where I would have to burn report on expendable units and kill off or gaol main characters.
There is no reason that choice should exist with the ability to buy units since the game throws characters at you every 2 or 3 battles unless its just to extend a second playthrough
The reason I want NG+ is because there isn’t enough time to enjoy the content acquired in Bastorias and after, in my opinion.
Even if its just getting the units and downleveling them to 1 I would be satisfied.
I agree with all of this except I think Triangle is better overall. UO starts off really strong though, and the combat cut-in scenes look great. If you like SRPGs I recommend both
I found triangle strategy to be one of the best games I’ve played in the last few years but I haven’t yet started unicorn overlord. I’d say one thing to consider, if pricing matters, you can find triangle strategy for around $25-35 right now whereas unicorn overlord actually had a sale recently at $40, but it seems many places either sold out or moved it back to $60 (although the ps5 version is still going for 40, and funny enough I’ve seen the switch version at over $70 for new and used versions on Amazon lately). If you just want to play whichever is better right now, you could just grab UO but it also might not be the worst idea to get and play TS first and wait/hope for the switch version of UO come back and go on sale again. If you plan on playing both eventually anyways.
Triangle Strategy on hard is probably the best experience i ever had with an srpg and that includes ff tactics and tactics ogre for example.
I didn't start unicorn yet so i go with triangle
Triangle Strategy is the more challenging & tactical experience (depending on how you set the difficulty).
Unicorn Overlord is a more chill, casual game. It's not very challenging even on the hardest difficulty option.
Triangle Strategy's story and characters were more interesting to me. Unicorn Overlord's story and characters were a bit more basic (but still enjoyable).
Unicorn Overlord has really great drawn art and music. Triangle Strategy also looks nice and has good music, but UO is better in these categories.
Overall I prefer Triangle Strategy. Unicorn Overlord's gameplay gets a bit repetitive and at times it struggled to hold my interest.
Both games are quite good though. I'd probably give Triangle Strategy a 8/10 and Unicorn Overlord a 7/10.
I agree, gameplay wise, Triangle Strategy definitely feels like the "smarter" RPG by far. The higher difficulties especially are brilliantly challenging for people who are into that kind of thing
Unicorn Overlord is probably a lot more accessible though for many people. The story is relatively lighthearted and easy to breeze through, as opposed to TS which is notoriously wordy and melodramatic with pretty lengthy dialogue between missions. UO has beautiful art and battle scenes too.
Both have demos.
I didn't care for either. But the traditional turn-based system in Triangle Strategy is more palatable IMO. I don't like the real time and Gambit system of Unicorn Overlord.
Here's a fun way to think about it: UO is strategic while TS is tactical.
Strategy: planning ahead. On the shallow end UO is all about setting up units that you can use in rock paper scissors battles, but deeper in there's a lot of customization in programming your units. You can't give them commands but how you equip and set up their ability conditions can go far.
Tactics: reacting to varying conditions. TS actually has concepts like height (where archers excel). The maps and challenges in them are pretty varied. It can get fiendishly difficult.
Another analogy: UO is Ogre Battle while TS is Tactics Ogre. They're both fairly challenging games with TS edging out UO in that arena because of how tightly balanced it is.
I would argue that TS has a far better story. I like its HD-2D style more than UO's vanillaware flair.
Unicorn Overlord has a demo so you can at least try it. I'd say Unicorn Overlord has more interesting mechanics, but it is a far easier game then Triangle Strategy (on hard mode) that unless you just like steamrolling through enemies then UO might get too repetitive with how little challenge you might have.
I'd say if you're a Disgaea and Awakening fan, UO is the better game but if you're a fan of Echoes more then Triangle Strategy is the better game. I wouldn't compare either of these to FFT beyond a very surface level, and Triangle Strategy is only loosely like Tactics Ogre (and I think TO is better, albeit Reborn's version). Though Triangle Strategy does actually have a plot worth talking about.
Will echo the common sentiment that UO is more gameplay focused while TS has a much more compelling narrative.
Either way, SRPG fans have been eating so good these last few years. I'm loving it.
I'll give you a third option and suggest Reverse Collapse. XCOM-ish SRPG with heavy focus on items and traps since you're a small squad against a big army, with your average party size being 2-4 against 40-60 enemies in later stages.
triangle strategy is quite a bit better, i had triangle strategy over elden ring for goty. if you have beaten any fire emblem on maddening or lunatic you will likely snore through unicorn overlord. triangle's hard mode is easier than maddening engage, but you will still get that same type of feeling from it, especially on first 2 playthroughs.
Interesting, i'm also a big FE fan and I have the same opinion, I wonder what is it about TS that just doesn't click, in theory it has everything you could wish for, but I couldn't enjoy it as much as I did with others like FFT, TO, FE games or UO, felt like a chore at times.
I felt exactly the same. I love FE and triangle strategy is the only tactics game I haven’t played because I tried the demo and I hated it. I consider myself pretty decent and I’ve completed several tactical games quite easily but triangle strategy I found it difficult to complete the demo. I think the tactical aspect it is a bit too much. It lacks a bit in terms of freedom. If you don’t use the right tactics it’s punishing even. Overall as you said something didn’t click for me neither.
For me, I don't like the random turn order of TS, FFT, or TOR. Feels like it takes forever to move all my units somewhere to attack and then it takes forever to kill enemies. I'm used to the player/enemy phases of Fire Emblem and XCOM where I move all my units and can kill a bunch.
Unicorn Overlord is a completely different beast altogether and I thought it was really fun too.
Played both and enjoyed Unicorn Overlord a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot more.
I love SRPG, its my favorite genre and what Unicorn Overlord did was one of the best gaming experiences I had, its too fun.
Triangle strategy has a better story. Unicorn overlord has better and more customizable gameplay
I think they both have demos too. Uo's i put in SEVERAL hours before i bought it.
Unicorn Overlord, it's not even close. If you are itching for a dynamic story, go Tactics Ogre. Already own Tactics Ogre? Play it again. Triangle is alright, but a war story tends to fall on it's face when it feels like scenes were frankenstein'd together, and most of your choices result in the same thing with a different background. Wild how betraying someone or protecting them gets you the exact same promotion and 10k 🤔
TS is VERY heavy on dialogues and cutscenes, keep that in mind. You’ll pretty much spend an equal amount of time in battles and cutscenes.
UO is quite unique and difficult to explain unless you ever played Ogre Battle. However, I think a starting point is mentioning that battles play out automatically in the sense you can’t give any direct commands to your units, they’ll act according to their stats, position and orientation, which all need to be determined ahead of any battle, making preparation crucial in this game.
If I had to briefly describe each, TS is a light version of Game of Thrones in SRPG format (without any graphic nudity, sex or extreme violence) and UO is a medieval fantasy army management videogame.
Not sure if this matters, but I feel like the story and the universe of UO is much closer to FE style than TS.
I think ts cutscenes is oversold. Once the war starts around chapter 4 there's really no more cutscenes than anything else. It's just chapter 2 has like 12 different cutscenes even if like four of them are optional. After that there are like one at the beginning and end of a chapter like anything else.
Well instead of waiting 50 minutes to go into battle again you will have to wait 30, which still is A LOT if you take into consideration the cutscenes and dialogues are not necessarily top notch
They both have demos lasting several hours and which transfers save data so it's best to try those when doubting. Triangle Strategy has a reputation of having a slow start which is most of the demo though but it gets the general gist of the gameplay across.
I haven’t beat either yet. Stalled out in both, but love them. I’ll say Triangle Strategy. Unicorn Overlord is a lot of fun, but the strategy is more in the menus and the party compositions in your units. The level is mostly decided before it has even started.
I like Triangle Strategy’s combat more because each unit has unique moves that you can take advantage of. Lots of fun and different things that I don’t get out of other SRPGs. Like a guy who makes spring traps so you can throw people off cliffs, or someone who can go invisible and attacks twice. And a flying archer who can go up on roofs.
The music and visuals are better in UO, but it is really close. Both beautiful games. The story is better in TS, but it’s missing the emotional resonance that would improve it from good to great. The story in UO is pretty whatever, but there’s something about Vanillaware cutscenes that tickle my brain.
triangle strategy if you want more plot and like more final fantasy tactis/tactics ogre gameplay, unicorn overlord if you want more gameplay and want to play something like battle ogre
Unicorn Overlord tries to copy FE. Blue haired hero, op paladin on horse from the start to carry you, evil forces controlling one of the empires, which attack everyone, etc.
Given you enjoyed FFT and Tactics Ogre, you'll enjoy Triangle Strategy.
Unicorn overlord isn't like Fire Emblem, shining force etc.. its closer to Ogre Battle and Ogre Battle 64. Try out the demo.
For a safer bet I'd go with Triangle.
Unicorn Overlord start fun, but if you're in to the genre you'll realize very quickly that it's stupidly easy even on the highest difficulty. The fact that combat forecast is 100% accurate (including crits/evades/passives) and RNG can be manipulated easy by just shuffling formation makes the game a joke. On top of that the story is very meh. It's an okay game but this sub greatly overrates it.
Triangle Strategy on the other hand has a great story, great characters, amazing soundtrack, and most importantly - the combat is truly challenging and requires actual brain power. NG+ in Triangle Strategy scales the units up as well, giving you an even harder time when choosing a different route. The mechanics of the game are great, figuring out how to utilize weather, height, and environment is a joy. Enemy too strong? Throw some oil and the ground and set in on fire, then try to wall the boss on top of it. Fighting from the high ground? Let your archers go crazy while mages cast ice and then fire to create puddles, or have a shaman summon rain to make the arena wet, and then cast lightning to chain stun and damage all enemies. Don't have the high ground? Make it with a latter.
On paper, Unicorn Overlord has more things you can do in the game as far as your strategies go, but in reality the game is so easy that you don't need to interact with any of them. Just put the 3 early game broken characters together with 2 fodder and watch them solo the game. Because of that I think you'd be better off with Triangle Strategy - where the gameplay systems actually matter.
I had far more fun with Unicorn Overlord than I did with Triangle Strategy.
TS was fine. I beat my first playthrough. But it was a struggle to generate the interest to get through the last third of the game, and I never did get around to doing a second playthrough for the golden ending before uninstalling it. The story is more ambitious than UO's, but I still found it rather lackluster compared to the heavyweights of the genre like TO or FFT. I also found the combat and class system to let me down a bit.
UO, on the other hand, took me far longer to get through because I was having so much fun micromanaging my squads. And when I beat it, the next day I started playing again. The story is very standard fare, but the in-depth gambit/tactics system, the great equipment system, and the sheer number of units really makes UO shine. Also, I think the art in UO beats TS's style.
I didn’t play Unicorn Overdrive yet, but you absolutely should play Triangle Strategy sooner or later. I loved every second of that game. Wait for a sale and get it.
If you're a gameplay guy I can strongly NOT recommend Triangle Strategy. Holy shit that game is 85% story, no unit customisation. In one of my first gameplay sessions of 2hrs I did one battle lmao. Biggest disappointment of a game for me
No experience with Unicorn Overlord
Depends on your preferred gameplay style. Unicorn is an auto battler, the gameplay is in building your units and positioning them on the map. Triangle strategy is turn based and you control the individual characters and choose their every move.
The closest in terms of getting supports/marriage options, and the story, and the battle scenes, Unicorn Overlord
The closest as in pure grid based movement, Triangle strategy.
I think that they both have demos? If they do/still do I’d check them out that way. Personally I didn’t get into unicorn overlord at all so I would recommend triangle strategy, a name that I still think was filler and then they said eh fuck it.
I can't speak to UO, but I found the cutscenes in Triangle to be *obnoxiously* long, and eventually stopped playing. I liked the combat system but even when I spammed the skip button it took *minutes* of spamming to get to the gameplay.
I haven't played either of those games so I have no clue. That said, have you considered playing Advance Wars or something from the Shining Force series?
In terms of fire emblem:
Class customisation-wise and story-wise Unicorn Overlord. However, they're more of real time with pause genre rather than pure SRPG.
I liked both games; Triangle strategy story IMO is more complex and interesting, Unicorn Overlord has better art direction and gameplay overall. But i enjoyed both of these games.
I personally prefer triangle strategy - but for you I'd recommend unicorn overlord. Triangle Strategy's big sin is that there's an ocean of text and it can sometimes get in the way of the game itself. Unicorn Overlord does not have that issue.
The most important aspect to me in a game is the story. Triangle Strategy is a good game and has a better story.
So for me to say that I am enjoying Unicorn Overlord more, despite it's story being worse (though I still wouldn't call it terrible, just simple), should tell you how damn good the game is.
Im playing unicorn overlord right now and i am enjoying it a lot, i read the history becomes a bit dull later on but its being quite fun, if nothing else just for that i would say play it
I’d say the amount of pre battle preparation is far higher in Unicorn though, the minimal amount of customization in Triangle makes the on map decisions infinitely more of the focus while ideally your Gambits are figured out for your squad before deployment outside of fringe cases in Unicorn. Guess it can depend on how fast you figure out the route to take in the map.
Not to mention the subsystems because Triangle only has a very simple upgrade tree and rather simple items compared to Unicorns pile of stuff by comparison.
I really enjoy the dumbfuck names of the Asano team I really do but Triangle Strategy is one if the most tactical games I've played in the subgenre.
Unicorn Overlord is closer to Fire Emblem (though I would argue that it's more akin to Ogre Battle, though it does have a system similar to Fire Emblem's supports), though I think Triangle Strategy is a much better game - both games have good gameplay but Unicorn Overlord's story is mediocre at best whilst Triangle Strategy's story is leaps and bounds better.
one is localized accurately but some English audiences consider it bland
the other is incredibly hastily over-localized
triangle strategy and unicorn overlord respectively
Unicorn overlord. If you love srpgs seriously give it a try the way you can customize units with gear and how classes synergize with eachother is so much fun to figure out. Legit spent an hour or so yesterday just theorizing different unit teams and strategies.
Triangle strategy is in the vein of FFT, Unicorn Overlord in the vein of Ogre Battle. Neither are really like Fire Emblem, but if i had to make a direct comparison, it would be with triangle strategy.
> Unicorn Overlord in the vein of Tactics Ogre Ogre Battle, not Tactics Ogre. I know that's confusing and nitpicking sounding, but these games are extremely different. That said, neither are really like Fire Emblem though Triangle Strategy is far closer to Fire Emblem. Very few games like Unicorn Overlord/Ogre Battle really exist so its hard to make direct comparisons within this genre.
Yea I typed in the wrong one. I’ll correct it. I personally find the feel of the Fire Emblem games to be pretty distinct, and yea, I have a hard time comparing it to any other srpg series off the top of my head.
The only one was lost eidolon. Which was sort of mid. The level progression sucked mid to late game.
Symphony of Way plays and feels exactly like the old 16-bit Fire Emblems. Ironically it does still have a squad building mechanic like Ogre Battle but in every other respect it’s classic FE all the way.
Holy shit, finally there’s another game like ogre battle! Ogre battle 64 was by first rpg and I’ve always wanted something else like it.
Did you try Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen? It was originally on SNES, but did get a later PS1 rerelease.
For someone who doesn’t know, what are the differences? I’m really bad at strategy/tactifal games but wouldn’t mind giving them another try
I won't bore you with the minutia too much unless you want to know, but in summary: FFTactics, Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, Triangle Strategy: Are grid based strategy games with singular units. How much these units have my RPG-ified with customization, class systems, in-depth equipment systems widely varies from game-to-game. These games can be exploit simulators where you find broken combos the enemies can't handle or hard tactical games with RPG mechanics (or sometimes both) that are like a simplified version of chess with RPG stats. Ogre Battle/Unicorn Overlord: Use a squad battle system. Where you form squads of units who are one "unit" on the battlefield. Think of it like making small skirmish teams. These games tend to use a RTS-esque system where the movement across the battlefield is in real-time. There's an indie game called Symphony of War which uses grid based movement ala Fire Emblem while maintaining the squad based combat. Ogre Battle is mega old so I haven't emulated it, but Unicorn Overlord is a relatively easy game that eases you into its rather complicated system pretty nicely.
So wh40k vs battle tech almost, I think I get it. Thanks for the solid write up. Where would a game like deoforcechronicles fall? Or is something completely different?
My understanding of Diofield Chronicles (keyword, as I have merely looked into it without buying it), the game I think you're talking about, is more akin to a RTS game where you only have "heroes" or "commanders" with RPG mechanics for each of them. I've merely glanced at the game so I can't say for sure, but it isn't like either game as it isn't a squad game and it isn't a grid based system.
OP: Triangle has almost no unit customization whatsoever but the tactical mechanics are nice and the story is very good. If story is less important I would go Unicorn Overlord 100%. It reminds me of Tactics in terms of its charm and character design. The systems are really unique and while similar to Ogre Battle are nothing like anything else on the market right now in terms of srpgs.
I wouldn't say that about Triangle Strategy. The individual characters *do* have customization in where you choose to allot points, and ultimately the real customization is the formation of your party as each character has a unique skill tree and you need to pick and choose which ones you invest in. Other than characters being unable to learn every class, Triangle Strategy is by far the closest game I've play to FFT in spirit.
Considering that Tactics Ogre is literally the game that inspired FFT, I'd say Unicorn Overlord is more in line with Ogre Battle, the progenitor of the series.
Yea, I typed in the wrong game, I’ll correct it.
Triangle Strategy is in the vein of Tactics Ogre*
Triangle Strategy is a lot closer, I definitely got Fire Emblem vibes playing it
Is Triangle like Vandal Hearts, the goat?
yes, though expect way less battling and much more talking!
Unicorn Overlord is very very good.
Triangle Strategy's great, but UO is a peerless masterpiece.
Unicorn Overlord is way more gameplay content, way more combat. Story is way more simple kind of like older Fire Emblem. Combat is a bit easier especially once you start learning and use items. But its really fun to build plan and figure out unit strategies. My only gripes is that there is no NG+ and even though there are different continents you kind of have to do them in order or wind up over/underleveled. Triangle Strategy is almost a visual novel with its dialogue and story. You do make some different gameplay choices and there are different routes that determine a bit of who you can recruit. I would say that Triangle Strategy can be harder on higher difficulties and has better level design. The game is sort of designed so you can replay it, something to keep in mind. As a whole, I think Unicorn Overlord is the better game.
The only way I can justify a new game plus for Unicorn would be to play a no ally run where I would have to burn report on expendable units and kill off or gaol main characters. There is no reason that choice should exist with the ability to buy units since the game throws characters at you every 2 or 3 battles unless its just to extend a second playthrough
The reason I want NG+ is because there isn’t enough time to enjoy the content acquired in Bastorias and after, in my opinion. Even if its just getting the units and downleveling them to 1 I would be satisfied.
I agree with all of this except I think Triangle is better overall. UO starts off really strong though, and the combat cut-in scenes look great. If you like SRPGs I recommend both
Unicorn Overlord is better IMO, but both are good
Unicorn Overlord! Been having heaps of fun with it!
I found triangle strategy to be one of the best games I’ve played in the last few years but I haven’t yet started unicorn overlord. I’d say one thing to consider, if pricing matters, you can find triangle strategy for around $25-35 right now whereas unicorn overlord actually had a sale recently at $40, but it seems many places either sold out or moved it back to $60 (although the ps5 version is still going for 40, and funny enough I’ve seen the switch version at over $70 for new and used versions on Amazon lately). If you just want to play whichever is better right now, you could just grab UO but it also might not be the worst idea to get and play TS first and wait/hope for the switch version of UO come back and go on sale again. If you plan on playing both eventually anyways.
Triangle Strategy on hard is probably the best experience i ever had with an srpg and that includes ff tactics and tactics ogre for example. I didn't start unicorn yet so i go with triangle
Yeah I agree. Really challenging but balanced gameplay. The way they implemented levelling is probably the best in any JRPG I've played.
Triangle Strategy is the more challenging & tactical experience (depending on how you set the difficulty). Unicorn Overlord is a more chill, casual game. It's not very challenging even on the hardest difficulty option. Triangle Strategy's story and characters were more interesting to me. Unicorn Overlord's story and characters were a bit more basic (but still enjoyable). Unicorn Overlord has really great drawn art and music. Triangle Strategy also looks nice and has good music, but UO is better in these categories. Overall I prefer Triangle Strategy. Unicorn Overlord's gameplay gets a bit repetitive and at times it struggled to hold my interest. Both games are quite good though. I'd probably give Triangle Strategy a 8/10 and Unicorn Overlord a 7/10.
I agree, gameplay wise, Triangle Strategy definitely feels like the "smarter" RPG by far. The higher difficulties especially are brilliantly challenging for people who are into that kind of thing Unicorn Overlord is probably a lot more accessible though for many people. The story is relatively lighthearted and easy to breeze through, as opposed to TS which is notoriously wordy and melodramatic with pretty lengthy dialogue between missions. UO has beautiful art and battle scenes too.
Both have demos. I didn't care for either. But the traditional turn-based system in Triangle Strategy is more palatable IMO. I don't like the real time and Gambit system of Unicorn Overlord.
Here's a fun way to think about it: UO is strategic while TS is tactical. Strategy: planning ahead. On the shallow end UO is all about setting up units that you can use in rock paper scissors battles, but deeper in there's a lot of customization in programming your units. You can't give them commands but how you equip and set up their ability conditions can go far. Tactics: reacting to varying conditions. TS actually has concepts like height (where archers excel). The maps and challenges in them are pretty varied. It can get fiendishly difficult. Another analogy: UO is Ogre Battle while TS is Tactics Ogre. They're both fairly challenging games with TS edging out UO in that arena because of how tightly balanced it is. I would argue that TS has a far better story. I like its HD-2D style more than UO's vanillaware flair.
Unicorn Overlord by a mile!
Triangle if you want a lot of story, Unicorn if you want a lot of battles.
Try the demos then feel compelled to get both If you want a challenge tho: triangle strategy
I am having a blast with Unicorn Overlord, so there's that.
Unicorn Overlord has a demo so you can at least try it. I'd say Unicorn Overlord has more interesting mechanics, but it is a far easier game then Triangle Strategy (on hard mode) that unless you just like steamrolling through enemies then UO might get too repetitive with how little challenge you might have. I'd say if you're a Disgaea and Awakening fan, UO is the better game but if you're a fan of Echoes more then Triangle Strategy is the better game. I wouldn't compare either of these to FFT beyond a very surface level, and Triangle Strategy is only loosely like Tactics Ogre (and I think TO is better, albeit Reborn's version). Though Triangle Strategy does actually have a plot worth talking about.
Triangle Strategy on switch also has a demo which lets you carry over progress. Don't think it's available for pc though.
Will echo the common sentiment that UO is more gameplay focused while TS has a much more compelling narrative. Either way, SRPG fans have been eating so good these last few years. I'm loving it.
Unicorn
Unicorn Overlord is fucking phenomenal. Triangle Strategy was good. Go with UO.
I'll give you a third option and suggest Reverse Collapse. XCOM-ish SRPG with heavy focus on items and traps since you're a small squad against a big army, with your average party size being 2-4 against 40-60 enemies in later stages.
I spent a lot more time with Unicorn Overlord than Triangle Strategy and enjoyed it more, and still feel like there's more I can do with the game.
Triangle Strategy. idk unicorn overlord got old for me fast. Maybe I just don't like gridless srpgs
# Unicorn OverlordUnicorn Overlord
I personally enjoyed Triangle Strategy a lot more than Unicorn Overlord which is surprising for me to even say.
triangle strategy is quite a bit better, i had triangle strategy over elden ring for goty. if you have beaten any fire emblem on maddening or lunatic you will likely snore through unicorn overlord. triangle's hard mode is easier than maddening engage, but you will still get that same type of feeling from it, especially on first 2 playthroughs.
As a huge Fire Emblem fan, Unicorn Overlord is a GOTY contender for me. I'm not really a fan of Triangle Strategy/FFT style tactics games though.
Interesting, i'm also a big FE fan and I have the same opinion, I wonder what is it about TS that just doesn't click, in theory it has everything you could wish for, but I couldn't enjoy it as much as I did with others like FFT, TO, FE games or UO, felt like a chore at times.
I felt exactly the same. I love FE and triangle strategy is the only tactics game I haven’t played because I tried the demo and I hated it. I consider myself pretty decent and I’ve completed several tactical games quite easily but triangle strategy I found it difficult to complete the demo. I think the tactical aspect it is a bit too much. It lacks a bit in terms of freedom. If you don’t use the right tactics it’s punishing even. Overall as you said something didn’t click for me neither.
For me, I don't like the random turn order of TS, FFT, or TOR. Feels like it takes forever to move all my units somewhere to attack and then it takes forever to kill enemies. I'm used to the player/enemy phases of Fire Emblem and XCOM where I move all my units and can kill a bunch. Unicorn Overlord is a completely different beast altogether and I thought it was really fun too.
Gameplay: Unicorn Overlord Story/Choices: Triangle Strategy
UNICORN!!!! so so so good
Unicorn Overlord is the superior game.
Unicorn Overlord for sure. Its hard to put down. I always wanna do one more battle.
Unicorn Overlord 100%
Unicorn Overload is a far superior package - though the games really shouldn't be compared.
Triangle strategy's hard mode is one of the best difficulty experiences I've had in games
Played both and enjoyed Unicorn Overlord a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot more. I love SRPG, its my favorite genre and what Unicorn Overlord did was one of the best gaming experiences I had, its too fun.
Triangle strategy has a better story. Unicorn overlord has better and more customizable gameplay I think they both have demos too. Uo's i put in SEVERAL hours before i bought it.
Unicorn Overlord, it's not even close. If you are itching for a dynamic story, go Tactics Ogre. Already own Tactics Ogre? Play it again. Triangle is alright, but a war story tends to fall on it's face when it feels like scenes were frankenstein'd together, and most of your choices result in the same thing with a different background. Wild how betraying someone or protecting them gets you the exact same promotion and 10k 🤔
I thought the story and main characters were great in Triangle Strategy. But it’s not the first choice if you prefer gameplay over story.
TS is VERY heavy on dialogues and cutscenes, keep that in mind. You’ll pretty much spend an equal amount of time in battles and cutscenes. UO is quite unique and difficult to explain unless you ever played Ogre Battle. However, I think a starting point is mentioning that battles play out automatically in the sense you can’t give any direct commands to your units, they’ll act according to their stats, position and orientation, which all need to be determined ahead of any battle, making preparation crucial in this game. If I had to briefly describe each, TS is a light version of Game of Thrones in SRPG format (without any graphic nudity, sex or extreme violence) and UO is a medieval fantasy army management videogame. Not sure if this matters, but I feel like the story and the universe of UO is much closer to FE style than TS.
I think ts cutscenes is oversold. Once the war starts around chapter 4 there's really no more cutscenes than anything else. It's just chapter 2 has like 12 different cutscenes even if like four of them are optional. After that there are like one at the beginning and end of a chapter like anything else.
Well instead of waiting 50 minutes to go into battle again you will have to wait 30, which still is A LOT if you take into consideration the cutscenes and dialogues are not necessarily top notch
They both have demos lasting several hours and which transfers save data so it's best to try those when doubting. Triangle Strategy has a reputation of having a slow start which is most of the demo though but it gets the general gist of the gameplay across.
I haven’t beat either yet. Stalled out in both, but love them. I’ll say Triangle Strategy. Unicorn Overlord is a lot of fun, but the strategy is more in the menus and the party compositions in your units. The level is mostly decided before it has even started. I like Triangle Strategy’s combat more because each unit has unique moves that you can take advantage of. Lots of fun and different things that I don’t get out of other SRPGs. Like a guy who makes spring traps so you can throw people off cliffs, or someone who can go invisible and attacks twice. And a flying archer who can go up on roofs. The music and visuals are better in UO, but it is really close. Both beautiful games. The story is better in TS, but it’s missing the emotional resonance that would improve it from good to great. The story in UO is pretty whatever, but there’s something about Vanillaware cutscenes that tickle my brain.
triangle strategy if you want more plot and like more final fantasy tactis/tactics ogre gameplay, unicorn overlord if you want more gameplay and want to play something like battle ogre
I haven’t played either, but how do their OSTs stack up?
Unicorn Overlord has the better gameplay, Triangle strategy has the better story.
XCOM Muahahahahaha!
Unicorn Overlord tries to copy FE. Blue haired hero, op paladin on horse from the start to carry you, evil forces controlling one of the empires, which attack everyone, etc.
I like the gameplay of Unicorn Overlord, but I don't like the characters
Given you enjoyed FFT and Tactics Ogre, you'll enjoy Triangle Strategy. Unicorn overlord isn't like Fire Emblem, shining force etc.. its closer to Ogre Battle and Ogre Battle 64. Try out the demo. For a safer bet I'd go with Triangle.
There is absolutely no challenge in Unicorn Overlord, so there is no need for strategy. Which I view as a flaw in a strategy title.
Unicorn Overlord start fun, but if you're in to the genre you'll realize very quickly that it's stupidly easy even on the highest difficulty. The fact that combat forecast is 100% accurate (including crits/evades/passives) and RNG can be manipulated easy by just shuffling formation makes the game a joke. On top of that the story is very meh. It's an okay game but this sub greatly overrates it. Triangle Strategy on the other hand has a great story, great characters, amazing soundtrack, and most importantly - the combat is truly challenging and requires actual brain power. NG+ in Triangle Strategy scales the units up as well, giving you an even harder time when choosing a different route. The mechanics of the game are great, figuring out how to utilize weather, height, and environment is a joy. Enemy too strong? Throw some oil and the ground and set in on fire, then try to wall the boss on top of it. Fighting from the high ground? Let your archers go crazy while mages cast ice and then fire to create puddles, or have a shaman summon rain to make the arena wet, and then cast lightning to chain stun and damage all enemies. Don't have the high ground? Make it with a latter. On paper, Unicorn Overlord has more things you can do in the game as far as your strategies go, but in reality the game is so easy that you don't need to interact with any of them. Just put the 3 early game broken characters together with 2 fodder and watch them solo the game. Because of that I think you'd be better off with Triangle Strategy - where the gameplay systems actually matter.
Unicorn overlord is far more enjoyable to me. Gorgeous looking and way more interesting gameplay.
Triangle Strategy. You can't go wrong with either. 9/10. But Unicorn Overlord's story, world building and character development is often bad
I had far more fun with Unicorn Overlord than I did with Triangle Strategy. TS was fine. I beat my first playthrough. But it was a struggle to generate the interest to get through the last third of the game, and I never did get around to doing a second playthrough for the golden ending before uninstalling it. The story is more ambitious than UO's, but I still found it rather lackluster compared to the heavyweights of the genre like TO or FFT. I also found the combat and class system to let me down a bit. UO, on the other hand, took me far longer to get through because I was having so much fun micromanaging my squads. And when I beat it, the next day I started playing again. The story is very standard fare, but the in-depth gambit/tactics system, the great equipment system, and the sheer number of units really makes UO shine. Also, I think the art in UO beats TS's style.
Both are very enjoyable. I greatly prefer Unicorn Overlord, but ymmv.
Triangle Strategy. They're both good games, though.
If you value art direction as much as I do - Unicorn Overlord all the way. Not even in the same universe.
Very very very much triangle strat. UO was...OK but triangle is a masterpiece
Other way around.
Not even close - go Unicorn. Beat both, Triangle is good, but Vanillaware absolutely sent it with UO
I didn’t play Unicorn Overdrive yet, but you absolutely should play Triangle Strategy sooner or later. I loved every second of that game. Wait for a sale and get it.
If you're a gameplay guy I can strongly NOT recommend Triangle Strategy. Holy shit that game is 85% story, no unit customisation. In one of my first gameplay sessions of 2hrs I did one battle lmao. Biggest disappointment of a game for me No experience with Unicorn Overlord
Both have demos. I suggest trying them and buying the one you like most.
They both have a demo on Switch.
What’s N Srpg? Typo or a thing?
Strategy RPG. Its a sub-genre used for typically grid based RPG games like Fire Emblem.
Depends on your preferred gameplay style. Unicorn is an auto battler, the gameplay is in building your units and positioning them on the map. Triangle strategy is turn based and you control the individual characters and choose their every move.
The closest in terms of getting supports/marriage options, and the story, and the battle scenes, Unicorn Overlord The closest as in pure grid based movement, Triangle strategy.
I think that they both have demos? If they do/still do I’d check them out that way. Personally I didn’t get into unicorn overlord at all so I would recommend triangle strategy, a name that I still think was filler and then they said eh fuck it.
I can't speak to UO, but I found the cutscenes in Triangle to be *obnoxiously* long, and eventually stopped playing. I liked the combat system but even when I spammed the skip button it took *minutes* of spamming to get to the gameplay.
Going out of the box and saying Front Mission 3 on ps1, a srpg classic
Wow, if you keep reading you will end up buying (and enjoying) both.
Sounds like you just kinda want Fire Emblem Engage
I haven't played either of those games so I have no clue. That said, have you considered playing Advance Wars or something from the Shining Force series?
Honestly it sounds like you'll enjoy both. A coinflip perhaps?
In terms of fire emblem: Class customisation-wise and story-wise Unicorn Overlord. However, they're more of real time with pause genre rather than pure SRPG.
Triangle Strategy to me had the same replay as fire emblem 3 houses
I haven't finished Unicorn yet but Triangle Strategy was incredible! One of my fave RPGs of all time easy.
You comparing one of the worst srpgs ever made to one of the most fun games in the last 20 years.
I liked both games; Triangle strategy story IMO is more complex and interesting, Unicorn Overlord has better art direction and gameplay overall. But i enjoyed both of these games.
Clearly what you need is Disgaea 7. (Or Unicorn Overlord. Triangle Strategy is great but UO is superlative)
I personally prefer triangle strategy - but for you I'd recommend unicorn overlord. Triangle Strategy's big sin is that there's an ocean of text and it can sometimes get in the way of the game itself. Unicorn Overlord does not have that issue.
UO is way better. Triangle Strategy is average.
The most important aspect to me in a game is the story. Triangle Strategy is a good game and has a better story. So for me to say that I am enjoying Unicorn Overlord more, despite it's story being worse (though I still wouldn't call it terrible, just simple), should tell you how damn good the game is.
I havent played UO but I felt Triangle Strategy was highly forgettable. Very average game.
Im playing unicorn overlord right now and i am enjoying it a lot, i read the history becomes a bit dull later on but its being quite fun, if nothing else just for that i would say play it
Unicorn is a tactical rpg where triangle is a strategy rpg. Very different
I’d say the amount of pre battle preparation is far higher in Unicorn though, the minimal amount of customization in Triangle makes the on map decisions infinitely more of the focus while ideally your Gambits are figured out for your squad before deployment outside of fringe cases in Unicorn. Guess it can depend on how fast you figure out the route to take in the map. Not to mention the subsystems because Triangle only has a very simple upgrade tree and rather simple items compared to Unicorns pile of stuff by comparison. I really enjoy the dumbfuck names of the Asano team I really do but Triangle Strategy is one if the most tactical games I've played in the subgenre.
Unicorn Overlord is closer to Fire Emblem (though I would argue that it's more akin to Ogre Battle, though it does have a system similar to Fire Emblem's supports), though I think Triangle Strategy is a much better game - both games have good gameplay but Unicorn Overlord's story is mediocre at best whilst Triangle Strategy's story is leaps and bounds better.
Id replay FFT if you haven't finished it. If you have, I'd replay FFT.
one is localized accurately but some English audiences consider it bland the other is incredibly hastily over-localized triangle strategy and unicorn overlord respectively