Is Unicorn Overlord Collectors Edition worth it?

Fans of Vanillaware and/or tactical RPGs will already be all over Unicorn Overlord. But if it’s only caught your eye recently, you may wonder if it’s worth investing in its Collector’s Edition.

Unicorn Overlord caught peoples’ attention thanks to being the latest project from Dragon’s Crown and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim developer Vanillaware and for its similarities to Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series. If you haven’t yet, it’s worth checking out Unicorn Overlord’s surprisingly meaty free demo to get a taste of its gameplay, especially since your progress will carry over into the full game.

If you intend on purchasing Unicorn Overlord, you’ll want to know about its Collector’s Edition, also known as the Monarch Edition, and whether or not its extra additions justify the asking price.

Unicorn Overlord Collector’s Edition explained

The Unicorn Overlord Collector’s Edition is a physical exclusive; you can’t get its extra goodies with digital copies. As for pricing, it costs $129.99 at retailers like GameStop and Best Buy, and this applies across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

While that’s still quite expensive, it’s notably cheaper than other Collector’s Editions to have come out this year. Tekken 8’s was a whopping $300, while Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s was even pricier at $350. Those high prices can be attributed to the fancy statues they came with; something Unicorn Overlord lacks.

Despite the lower price, Unicorn Overlord’s Collector’s Edition still comes with plenty of additions. Aside from the base game, you get a 132-page artbook, a 16-bit arranged music album split across two discs, and an entirely separate physical Unicorn Overlord card game to play with friends.

Unicorn Overlord Collector’s Edition: is it worth buying?

If we’re looking purely at content, I’d say Unicorn Overlord‘s Collector’s Edition is worth the price. $129.99 isn’t bad for what is essentially two games in one, plus a sizable art book and soundtrack.

However, interest in art and music is purely subjective. Unlike established franchises that already have a reputation and longtime die-hard fans, Unicorn Overlord is a new IP, so unless the demo left you completely enamored with its visuals and soundtrack, an art book and music CDs may not be enough of an incentive. Plus, it appears the soundtrack only contains 16-bit arrangements rather than the original music and only 20 tracks at that, which is a shame.

There’s also the matter of the Unicorn Overlord card game. It’s designed for two to four players, so you will need friends to play it with. While the main game has a demo, there’s no way to test the card game to see if you’d even enjoy it. There is a tutorial video on YouTube, so you’ll want to watch it. It seems overly complex, but some people love those kinds of games, so it might be up your alley.

Ultimately, if you love Unicorn Overlord‘s art/music or like the sound of the card game, the Collector’s Edition is worth snapping up. If neither sounds appealing, skip the Collector’s Edition and buy a normal copy of Unicorn Overlord.