When you hear “Villainess,” many people likely imagine someone noble and cold. However, Etrange Overlord splendidly shatters that preconception. The protagonist, Etrange, is a Duke's daughter wrongly cast down to Hell. Despite this, with a strength and charisma that overwhelms even demons, she begins to walk Hell as if she owns the place. Her personality, in a word, is “unwavering.” Unflustered by any situation, her ability to command those around her with her own conviction and magic makes her less of a villainess and more of a dark heroine. The premise alone is captivating, but the discovery that the “ruling Hell” development is so full of exhilaration is a surprise only realized upon playing.

The combat system of this game has an intense quirkiness that cannot be explained in a single word. During battle, a mysterious gimmick called the “SUSHI Lane” crosses the stage, with everything from bombs and helper items to outrageous devices flowing through one after another. It's truly fun to “master the mechanism” by skillfully utilizing this lane to overwhelm your enemies. It's not just a button-mashing fight; action elements requiring strategy and judgment are exquisitely intertwined, making the excitement of wondering “What mechanism is next?” irresistible. Far from getting bored with the battle, it has an addictiveness that can make you lose hours playing it.

The true pleasure of the game is its customization element. In Etrange Overlord, the key point is that you can freely enhance over 10 playable characters and adjust the battlefield itself according to your strategy. The feeling of dominating Hell with your own tactics offers a unique exhilaration not found in other action games. Whether you attack flashily or apply subtle pressure, this high degree of flexibility, where Hell changes its appearance based on the player's style, is stunning.

An element that must not be forgotten when discussing this game is the “musical” aspect. You might be surprised, but they really do sing. The event scenes unfolding in full voice, the theme song sung by Tsunomaki Watame, and the comical yet moving musical parts inserted throughout add color to the entire game. It's cleverly done that it's not just funny, but sometimes has tear-jerking direction. It is truly pioneering a new genre: a game where you “laugh, cry, and sing.”

Etrange's story doesn't conclude only within the game. It is also developed in separate media like web novels and comics, delving into the characters' pasts and backstories. It's a great pleasure for fans that, once interested by the game, means are provided to explore this world even deeper. The more you engage with the narrative, the more you notice the profoundness of Etrange's character and become drawn into her “comeback story from Hell.”