Check out our unboxing of Unicorn Overlord: Monarch Edition – also known as the “Vanillaware has yet to fail box-of-goodness!”*
Before I start showcasing the components – for both the newcomers and to those eagerly anticipating a brand-new tactical RPG that is worth your time – you can read UnGeek’s review first and get hyped!
Now, on with the unboxing!
Removing the outer sleeve reveals this gorgeous magnetic box featuring some cool key art from the game. This box will come in handy later for a specific component of the Monarch Edition which I will explain later.
Upon opening the magnetic box will reveal the game and its case. Though the Nintendo Switch itself feels like its on its last legs, its good that its still available for that little console that could. Down the line I hope they release this as well for the PC, so I can play it on the Steam Deck but for now – portable Unicorn Overlord here we go!
Removing the first layer reveals the 16-bit arranged music album. More pics below!
The soundtrack is beautifully packaged in 2 CD’s each with 10 tracks.
Next we have a very meaty art book that also functions as a great companion book as it also describes some of the lore connected to the game.
The book is definitely one of my favorite inclusions in this package. I like the fact that I can peruse and dive a bit deeper with the game’s art.
Amazing as it looks, the art book just comes a close second to what I consider to be the main attraction of this CE… You see, the primary reason that I got the Monarch Edition is that they actually included a fully-playable tabletop card game that can be played with 4 people!
Yes! There’s an actual, tangible card game packaged in a video game title! Which seems to be a consistent trend nowadays. Here’s a shot of the rule book and game box.
Before showing the board game components, I just want to share this neat little comic strip describing the fundamentals of the game. Even without reading the rule book, Atlus did a nice “How-To-Play” video that you can learn in 5 minutes!
Check it out below:
Going back to the unboxing, here’s what it looks like when you open the board game box. I was relieved upon seeing that the cards are in English, as I heard that some English editions that people got had Japanese text. Of course, being the nerdy boardgamer that I am – I plan to box control this to preserve the cards as I am intending to getting this on the table with friends. And judging with the quality of the box, I think it won’t sustain repeated plays in the long run.
Even if you don’t plan on playing the card game, just like the artbook you can at least appreciate the gorgeous art, particularly the Unit cards!
The small draw bag with the little meeple and score markers is also a nice addition.
Back to box-controlling, it is really convenient that the card size is almost similar to Magic: The Gathering! I can use my spare sleeves to protect the cards from repeated sessions. The only downside of this is that after sleeving every card, it is impossible to put everything back in the original box insert… That is where the bigger, sturdier magnetic box comes into play! I’m not sure if this was the original intention of the publisher but repurposing the CE box looks to be the way to go!
And there you have it! Unicorn Overlord is available right now for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. For those still on the fence on getting this title, here’s a little snippet from our review:
“Unicorn Overlord is a highly enjoyable title that made me a fan of the genre I never thought I would click with. There are dozens of characters, storylines, and hours to lose yourself into. An easy contender for one of the best games of the year.”
Additionally, The game currently has a free demo that lets you play for about 7 hours of the full game. There’s literally no reason why you shouldn’t try this one out.
*Seriously, Vanillaware has yet to fail with their titles, its just one critical hit after another!
Related:
Unicorn Overlord Review | Guaranteed critical hit
A full English translation of Live A Live’s board game is now available!