Summary
Though there’s an argument to be made that the genre is stronger today than it ever has been, it’s hard to deny that the 1990s and the coinciding fourth and fifth console generations represent a heyday for JRPGs. The noteworthy output of developers and publishers like Square, Enix, Atlus, and many others still rank high on fans' “best of all-time” lists, and for good reason. Last year’sSea of Starstapped into the nostalgia fans have for this era while simultaneously combining its various inspirations to bring something worthwhile to the genre, and nowUnicorn Overlordlooks to do the same in its homage to the strategy and tactics RPG greats of the 1990s.
Key members of theUnicorn Overlordteam at Vanillaware have gone on record stating that the game’s genesis dates back to a desire to reinvent the modern tactical RPG by pulling various inspirations not just from one game, but from the entire genre. Similarly, Sabotage’s work onSea of Starshas its love for the legendaryChrono Triggerfront and center, but it also happens to pull from several other excellent SNES andPlayStation-era JRPGsto bring fans a new experience that hearkens back to the past. In doing so, both titles are providing the kind of genre “comfort food” that many players are in search of.
How Unicorn Overlord and Sea of Stars Pay Respect to Their Genres' History
BothSea of StarsandUnicorn Overlordare RPGs that strictly adhere to the foundations laid by the all-time greats that came before them. More than just imitating the past to cash-in on fans' nostalgia, though, both titles combine a variety of influences from across several noteworthy titles along with the benefit of advanced technology and modern quality of life features to create something new. While the most obviousinspirations forSea of StarsandUnicorn OverlordareChrono TriggerandOgre Battle, respectively, the truth is that each title benefits from an entire genre’s worth of inspiration.
Sea of Stars' JRPG inspirations are many and reach much further than justChrono Trigger, despite that game being the most obvious catalyst for the game’s design. In terms ofclassic JRPG titlesthatSea of Starsborrows from, each of the following games contributes something to Sabotage’s award-winning indie:
While not an exhaustive list, each of these titles has an element thatSea of Starsclearly takes inspiration from while simultaneously modernizing and putting the developer’s own spin on it.
Similarly,Unicorn Overlordbegan its life as a project intended to specifically pull the best elements of the all-time great strategy and tactics RPGs to create something new. After Vanillaware’s work on the action-RPGDungeon’s Crown,which sought to reinvent the classic beat ‘em ups of yore, the key members of theUnicorn Overlordteam would set their sights on envisioning their next project as a similar approach toTRPGs, or simulation-RPGs (SRPGs) as they’re known in Japan.
And, just likeSea of Stars,Unicorn Overlordhas one obvious primary inspiration that stands taller above other games that it pulls from. The SNES classicOgre Battleis the closest title that fans could draw a comparison to, but Vanillaware’s upcoming game also features a variety of influences coming fromNintendo’sFire Emblemseries, Square Enix’sTactics OgreandFinal Fantasy Tactics, and even the Sega Saturn hidden-gemsDragon ForceandDragon Force 2. Given the pedigree of the developer and the quality of its inspirations, it’s entirely possible thatUnicorn Overlordwill mimicSea of Stars’ success and become yet another great RPG that pays homage to the genre’s past.
Sea of Stars
WHERE TO PLAY
Set in the same world as 2018’s The Messenger, Sabotage Studio’s Sea of Stars is an RPG that takes inspiration from Japanese classics like Chrono Trigger. Featuring a dynamic turn-based combat system and platforming-based exploration, Sea of Stars is an ambitious and gorgeous addition to the role-playing genre.
