Librarianon

it's time. MASSIVE IN STARS AND TIME SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT. IT'S GONNA BE SO LONG. LET'S GO

So instead of adding to the discourse pile (which feels like has grown its own legs and is moving in multiple directions at once) and giving the game more free press, I want to highlight some cool indie creature-collecting games you can support and play instead:

(Huge caveat that a lot of these games I haven't played, but they look like they're doing something cool or interesting!)

Moonstone Island

Mixes creature collecting with Stardew-Valley like life sim stuff (farming, dating, decorating, etc). Combat's done via card-based battles!

Anode Heart

Came out this past November. Looks like a really rich world to explore. The combat and visual direction has me really curious, and reviews so far seem positive!

i can't really bring myself to believe START AGAIN: a prologue is three whole years old already. if you've been following Siffrin's adventures for this long, thank you for your support. ✨
have a loop to celebrate, who famously only showed up in In Stars and Time

also START AGAIN: a prologue is 50% off this week

still thinking about how one of my favorite works of art is just a screenshot from this game

aaaa can't get over how cute this is @insertdisc5 tysm for making this

i have decided after 8 minutes that this is a game best played while cozy in bed :3

I actually didn't want to write about Unicorn Overlord again right away. Is that a funny thing to lead with? I have this thing about how blogs look and I like when topics alternate and shift. I thought I'd write about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's ending or perhaps finally write about the beauty I see in Heavenly Delusion. But Unicorn Overlord is on the mind.

(heads up that we're discussing spoilers.)

When I first wrote about the game, I said that the story was the biggest stumble. For a tale ostensibly chasing after inspirations that were quite political and grounded in material concerns, Unicorn Overlord slides into higher fantasy. There's some political frictions to it but those complications come hand in hand with higher level magicks that often boil down motivations to something simpler than many might prefer. In the game's defense, SRPG pioneer Yasumi Matsuno's been clear about how audiences should approach things: leave old expectations at the door. Enjoy the thing as it is. Which is good advice though sometimes hard since Unicorn Overlord invites comparison. Still! When you let go and allow yourself to enjoy the moment to moment writing, it's quite good.

yet it's hard to ignore the way in which certain magical elements intrude on the story. And while the genre often has stories whose final acts give way to gods and demons, Unicorn Overlord tips the hand early. But as I play more of the game and become aware of potential endings, this bothers me less and less. Particularly in the paths that take darker turns.

I am going to write about endings after all. I'm also going to be writing about player behaviors, open world structures, the rush to reach endgame, and the ways in which Unicorn Overlord plays with current structural trends. I think there's something interesting happening here. Something beyond a twist for the sake of replay-ability. In turning certain habits against the player and enticing them with the option to march on the evil overlord's capital from essentially any point in the game, Unicorn Overlord takes clear joy in turning maximalist impulses against hardcore players. The results are dire but exciting.

So let's break it down...