I have kept myself mostly in the dark with this game. Etrange Overlord, which had a really strange name to begin with, felt like it had something interesting to offer, and I didn’t want to spoil myself in any way, shape, or form. Lo and behold, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t the most grandeur of welcomes, but it was one that had character and familiarity.
From the makers of the Disgaea series, Etrange Overlord boasts the same tone of storytelling while making itself fresh with new gameplay mechanics that I didn’t expect to fall in love with. But more importantly, playing an overpowered villainess that got thrown into hell after being wrongly accused of assassinating the royal family is something that anime has at least prepared me for all these years. So first, we need a stable source of sweets and tea. Huh… what? Who wrote this script?
Story & Musical Madness
It’s a Musical Adventure…
Anyway, I’ll spare you the details, but basically, you got thrown into hell after meeting Mr. Guillotine, which led to an adventure where Etrange von Rosenburg, the raven-haired protagonist, is now stuck in hell and is very much in need of some tasty delights. Something that doesn’t seem likely to be available in the hell’s kitchen menu.
This is also not a story of revenge, nor does it need to be. She simply wants to live a “happy life”, but sadly, she always finds herself in a chain of trouble one way or another, which eventually leads to a musical number out of nowhere. It’s a nice surprise that I wouldn’t have experienced if I had known prior. Although, given the nature of Disgaea’s creator, I guess anything goes.
However, its comedic twists and turns are ones that I have to really give it praise for. It doesn’t just give you absurdity; it’s basically absurdity personified. Going from stopping a barrage of bullets mid-air and moulding it into a golden statue of herself to transforming into a dragon to fight off a huge robot, all while tail-whipping your entire party in the process. It’s a game that just doesn’t know when to stop and I simply love every moment of it!
And much like Disgaea, it wouldn’t really be complete without its merry band of misfits and weirdos. Etrange is already an overpowered demon lord disguised in a human’s skin, but there’s also the quirky bunch you’ll meet along the way. I love how Etrange gets reunited with her ever-loyal maid that is casually speared to the ground face-first while getting an arse-whooping from behind as a form of “welcome punishment” when you enter hell.
Meanwhile, old enemies become tomorrow’s friends as you try to subjugate every living denizen that tries to get in your way because what better way to make friends than with a stick that’s coiled with a barb wire. It gets the point across in more ways than one.
Gameplay & Combat
A Simple Yet Chaotic Gameplay Loop
In terms of gameplay, it’s vastly different from the usual Disgaea but with the same familiarity and quirkiness. So instead of a tactical RPG, you have a sort of party game vibes going on where you freely control or switch between one of four characters inside an arena-like map while also having both local and online multiplayer.
Characters have their specific attack combos or projectiles, the ability to throw objects or interact with all sorts devices such as turrets and traps. Its simple yet fun for a while. Going from the usual protect or capture missions to boss fights with unique mechanics that offers challenging objectives and a ton of chaotic moments.
One unique aspect of battles are these musical conveyor belts that offer all sorts of buffs, items, devices or healing treats. Missions are easy enough that you can simply ignore them as you pummel hordes of enemies with melee combos and projectiles while some require a bit more thinking.
One instance is when I was fighting a huge boss not knowing what to do and just casually mashing the A button until after a few failed attempts, I realized I needed to topple it down with a carefully thrown bomb at its foot before I can actually deal some real damage. And there are quite a few of these which kind of makes Etrange Overlord a bit more fun before going stale and losing its appeal.
Progression & Systems
And as you play along, you will also unlock all sorts of facilities inside your home base that’ll help throughout your journey. Character weapon upgrades, an item shop, a kitchen or even a dispatch center just to name a few. Sadly, though, it doesn’t have the kind of complexity I was expecting.
For context, characters have their own specific weapons and playstyles so you can’t have Cat-smith, Etrange’s pet cat, throw fireballs or even arrows just like how you can’t make a range character swing an axe. It was a bit disappointing knowing that I wouldn’t be grinding for actual weapons but instead, just farming for materials to upgrade what they already have.
There’s also no actual leveling system in Etrange Overlord as well, so don’t expect to reach level 9999 with billions of stat points and health. Instead, it’s a bit more streamlined where characters grow as you complete missions and earn points that increases your happy life level which also unlocks higher tiers of weapon upgrades among other things.
Visuals & Audio
Chibi, Chibi, Chapa, Chapa
Despite the “chibi-style” approach, characters are distinct, varied and well-detailed. Maybe following the usual tropes a bit but nonetheless, there are small little touches that I do appreciate every once in a while. Sweetia’s strawberry-themed headband for example was nice considering she probably also holds the record for the fastest to materialize a strawberry shortcake out of thin air. Schwartz, a mercenary who probably sold a few firearms to little boys and girls… and Ignacio, the little boy who probably bought them.
Sadly though, for a game that is being introduced as a “musical odyssey”, its musical moments are often short and farther spaced. There’s not much to go around and even when it does, you’d be reading the subtitles anyway unless you know a bit of Japanese since it doesn’t even have an English dub.
Final Verdict
Conclusion
Etrange Overlord, the action RPG or rather the visual novel in game form with a bit of RPG mechanics is a nice game that provides a somewhat fun gameplay loop with humorous banter and a lighthearted story all neatly packed within a 20-hour long experience. It’s a game that you’d either have to like for the story or the story has to like you back. Because sadly, if you’re just here for the gameplay, its lack of post-game loop means that there’s less reasons for you to spend more time with the game after the end credits start rolling.
Etrange Overlord Video Review
- Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch
- Platform: PS4, PS5, PC & Nintendo Switch
- Release Date: March 26, 2026
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
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