Vanillaware strikes again with another beautiful game topped with innovative, gripping gameplay. Unicorn Overlord is a tactical RPG that combines elements of Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy XII, and adds it’s own twist.
Instead of sending individual characters into the field like most tactical RPGs, you send units that can contain up to 5 different characters and have them do battle. Each unit’s moves are automatically done in battle, but you decide the priority and conditions of each move using a gambit system (similar to FFXII). Each gambit allows you to choose a skill, and then add up to 2 conditions to it (like only activating if the enemy has <50% HP). You can then rearrange the order of the gambits to optimize battles.
Because there’s so many classes and skills to choose from, there’s endless combinations to try out in terms of unit composition, gambits, and equipment (which sometimes even gives unique skills)! I spent so much time just playing around with different combinations.
The key to winning often relies not on overpowering the other team, but in finding the right balance and synergy within your team. Some battles you can win just by dealing more damage than the other team, even if that means you dealt 1 damage and dodged all of the enemy’s attacks. A team of my strongest characters could easily lose to a team that I built with perfect synergy. That just shows how much more important compatibility is than individual strengths at times.
The mechanics of the gameplay definitely shine the most in Unicorn Overlord, but the iconic Vanillaware art style definitely amplify the game (think Odin Sphere or 13 Sentinels). I was hooked to everything the very first 20 min into the demo. And if you need more proof, LOOK AT THIS FOOD PIC. Vanillaware is the true #1 food influencer.
The Life Lesson
It’s not about who is the strongest or most talented or smartest. It’s about leveraging individual strengths to create something even better.
Compatibility isn’t about being the same or about being perfect. It’s about accepting each other’s flaws, leveraging each other’s strengths, and working harmoniously towards a common goal. In the end, it’s not the individual achievements that count, but the collective success achieved through teamwork and compatibility.
Let’s take basketball for example. If you have two talented superstars who both love to hold the ball and be the star of the show, there might be a lot of tension. Scoring a ton of points but still losing the game… probably wouldn’t feel that great. But if these two superstars could utilize each other’s strengths, then BOOM. Championship over championship. Imagine if prime Kobe & Shaq could have continued for a few more years on the Lakers. Plus, if there’s anything we learned from Haikyuu, sometimes it’s about the basics, not just the flashy parts.
HOWEVER…
Some. People. You. Are. Just. Not. Compatible. With. And. It’s. Okay.
Let that statement settle in.
This is everywhere. Between you and a coworker. You and a significant other. You and a family member. You and a stranger on the street. You and a teammate on a sports team. You and the couch that you hit your toe on the corner of.
Everyone’s heard of COMPROMISE. Ugh the professional corporate world version of “I guess I’ll settle because your high-maintenance ass is”. Of course the mature thing to try when dealing with issues of incompatibility would be to compromise, but who wants to do that?!? (I kid. In all seriousness, the ability and maturity to compromise is such a valuable skill in life that I’ll probably have a whole life lesson on compromise.)
Sometimes it’s deeper than that though. Sometimes it truly is just that two people are incompatible and it won’t be easy unless one person changes part of their mindset or ways of working. It’s less about leveraging strengths, and more about the core principles that make that person who they are. It may be worth it to you to change who you are. It may not be worth it. There are times where you may just have to accept that it just won’t work out, and that’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s not their fault. It’s not giving up. If it were that easy, marriage therapists wouldn’t have a job.
There’s 7 billion people in this world and everyone is a bit different. Yes, there are for sure other fish in the sea. Some of those are sharks, and would you put a shark and a mackerel in the same fish tank? Unless you’re into the praying mantis culture and like to eat your partner (literally)… most people wouldn’t expect the mackerel and the shark to get along. So why force yourself to get along with someone you’re just incompatible with? Obviously there are times where you can’t easily escape doing this. This is when you should be the shark.
