Etrange Overlord review

An execution seems like a grim place to begin a video game. But Gemdrops, SuperNiche, and writer-producer Sohei Niikawa, the mind behind the Disgaea franchise, utilize Étrange von Rosenburg’s march to the guillotine to explore something rather unexpected: the virtues of thinking for yourself.

Falsely accused of assassinating the king, the aristocratic Étrange is condemned and put to death in the first few minutes of the game. After, she wakes up in hell. And rather than repent, reform, or even sob, she begins looking for a place to sit down to have some sweets and a cup of tea. Lady von Rosenburg undoubtedly has per priorities in order. She’s also exceedingly influential, convincing a succession of hell’s harassers to become her vassals.

Lady von Rosenburg Follows Her Own Beat

While Niikawa’s involvement might make you think that Étrange might just be another gender-swapped Laharl, von Rosenburg lacks the arrogance and maniacal laugh of King Krichevskoy’s son. Instead, the overarching theme of Overlord is living life the way you want and not letting others define who you are, rather than trying to reclaim any royal title. Many of the game’s early chapters gradually reveal von Rosenburg’s complexities. Although she’s undeniably aristocratic, she treats her attendants with respect instead of using her powerful dark magic to keep them in line.

Best of all, the game shirks being too preachy with its messaging. Sure, there are occasional flirtations with the philosophical, but the writers are just as interested in making jokes about demonic bureaucracy. Yes, the underworld’s organizations are as bad as our own institutions. They’re self-serving at best and completely corrupt at worst. As such, Étrange’s journey comes close to advocating for skepticism, the notion that no church or crown should receive unthinking deference, and that a person’s best guide is their own conscience. Watching this kind of free-think steamroll through hell is consistently entertaining.

Petty Vengeance Is Out, Pastries Are In

But even if you’re absorbed by the brainy premise, Lady von Rosenburg isn’t interested in philosophy. She’s not waging any kind of ideological crusade. Instead, she just wants to make the best of her time in hell, sweets included. And given the sheer number of times we witness the typical quest for blood-stained vengeance, a game that suggests that living well might be the best kind of revenge is an appreciated alternative.

Overlord understands that playfulness isn’t just rooted in witty dialog but also demands a noteworthy cast. As such, expect an ensemble of wonderful weirdos that range from an upbeat demon-child and maniac energy, a slap-happy maid, and a whip-toting, Marilyn Manson-looking count who enjoys dishing out punishment. What’s especially clever is the notion of a demon hierarchy that functions like just like an incompetent middle management team. And while Etrange Overlord can’t top Disgaea’s troupe of bickering netherworldians, it’s definitely more spirited that say, the last few Neptunia titles.

If Poy Poy was an Action RPG

But the clever writing isn’t harmonized with Overlord’s theatrical ambitions. Yes, the game is being marketed as a musical adventure, and there’s some genuine joy in a few of the songs. But several of the numbers feel abbreviated, and function mainly to transition from one scene from another. They are also a bit scattered across the game’s running time, instead of being equally distributed. So, if you’re hoping for a full Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (which Niikawa worked on) successor, keep those expectations in check. At best, the songs are charming diversions that bookend an act.

Mechanically, Etrange Overlord’s action-driven combat attempts to earn distinction with its lane system. This is a mechanic where items, buffs, and abilities like lightning bolts move around the map, like a revolving sushi belt. t’s layered on top of a combat system that lets you swap characters, each armed with their own combo attack, sidestep, and special attack.

A Hellishly Punitive Timer

While the system is an interesting idea and injects some strategy into some of the boss fights, it’s not all that remarkable. Sure, lobbing bombs around like a Power Stone match is fun, but gathering swords to increase attack power didn’t produce a tangible difference in strength. For better or worse, Overlord does strive to vary the objective and provide secondary objectives. But everything from character defense mission, boss battles, and capturing control points is timed. I faced more game overs to the clock that I did to any adversary.

Between rounds, you can improve your forces aboard the Macaron, Étrange’s reappropriated ship. Here, you can upgrade your weapons, boost lane power-ups, and cook dishes that provide single-battle buffs. A dispatch system lets you send allies into regions to gather items or repress rebellions. None of it is especially grindy or excessively taxing, and there’s a ‘sweets’ difficulty if you’re just here for the storytelling.

Sweet, Subversive, and Only Slightly Off-Key

Etrange Overlord is a noteworthy change for the Disgaea creator. Shifting from the strategy role-playing with plenty of grinding and massive damage numbers, it’s a game that strives to balance real-time action with dialog that’s smart enough to make you eager for the next exchange. Sure, its musical ambitions might not be fully realized, and combat is a bit simple. But the game’s celebration of free thought elevates Overlord over its one-dimensional peers. Like a procession of hell’s supervisors, you’ll probably fall for Lady von Rosenburg’s charms, too.

Etrange Overlord was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.