\n

There came a point during my time with Triangle Strategy when I wondered if it was Square Enix\u2019s apology for Octopath Traveler. Not that they need to apologize, mind you; I quite liked that game. However, I know from numerous conversations with JRPG fans that many were put off by its lack of a driving narrative and cohesive story arc.<\/p>\n

Triangle Strategy, you see, is all about that story arc. It presents us with a wonderful tale of political intrigue punctuated by numerous characters who either push it along or are pushed by it.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the narrative is a precarious truce between the Norzelian nations of Aesfrost, Glenbrook, and Hyzante. Part of this truce is a joint mining expedition meant to ease the nations\u2019 demand for salt. Before the project can be completed, however, Aesfrost invades Glenbrook and kills their king. Their nefarious motivations are clear (to the player, anyway), but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve got a clear path forward. The central character, Serenoa (Lord of House Wolfort, which is part of Glenbrook) must decide how to progress based on what\u2019s best for your House, and that\u2019s not always easy to discern.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also not entirely about Serenoa. Seven of the numerous other characters remain central to the story, and they serve as your strategists. Triangle Strategy pushes you down a definite path, but there are many times when that path splits into multiple options. Sometimes, the decision will be easy for you to make. Other times, the right choice is not nearly as clear\u2026especially when a favorite character feels differently from you.<\/p>\n

Your party approaches each vote at the Scales of Conviction with their decisions made, but that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t be swayed. If there\u2019s a specific route you want to take, it\u2019s up to you to uncover details that can be used to sway those who aren\u2019t leaning your way. This information is obtained by scouting locations for documents and speaking with your army and the local citizens. You often can only tip the scales your way if you\u2019ve found the right info, so you\u2019re rewarded for full exploration.

Kind of. Because if you don\u2019t find the information you need, the game still goes on. No matter which route you take, the paths always convene, so it\u2019s just another way to get from point A to point B. This is both good and bad. It\u2019s good in that it takes some of the weight off your shoulders, so Triangle Strategy never really becomes a stressful affair. It\u2019s bad in that you\u2019ll spend a lot of time reading and exploring when you really don\u2019t have to. The game could just push you down the default paths and you\u2019d be just fine.<\/p>\n

For some, that may be the way to go. There is a lot of exposition in this game. There\u2019s even more if you want to explore the lore delivered through various documents you can require. Pacing can and will become an issue by that alone, but the narrative is also slowed down by what are essentially practice missions.<\/p>\n

Should I cover this before I get to combat? I guess I will, if only to make a point about how combat really doesn\u2019t take center stage in Triangle Strategy. Between the main chapter levels, you\u2019re given the option to hone your skills in numerous and diverse practice sessions. Characters gain experience via direct use, so this is a great way to level them up. You\u2019ll also get various materials for upgrading specific skills, so these missions are quite important. In fact, they\u2019re often too important, requiring you to play them more than once. This brings the story to a crawl, killing your incentive to push forward. Staring at the screen before each mission, wondering if I\u2019ve leveled up enough to take it on, isn\u2019t fun.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Square Enix does something really cool here by allowing you to keep the experience you\u2019ve acquired in a level even if you have to retreat. You\u2019ll lose any items you pick up, but that experience gain may be all you need to advance when you start over.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re still reading this review and wondering about combat, then maybe you\u2019re patient enough to wait for it in the game, too. Fights are handled on an isometric grid with the usual bonuses. Height is important. So is attacking your enemy from behind. Because each character has his\/her own strengths and weaknesses, going in with the right team is important. Have one character cast an ice spell to damage one or more enemies, then another can follow it up with a fire spell to melt the ice into water. Now, cast a thunder spell for extra damage to everyone standing in a puddle of water. Enemies and allies alike will act in turn, so you\u2019ll need to pay attention to make sure you can time this accordingly.<\/p>\n

Character abilities go well beyond your standard spells, too. Sure, you\u2019ve got one who excels at buffs, one at healing, and so on, but you\u2019ve also got one who can build ladders for quicker access to hard-to-reach areas. One can cast a decoy of herself to draw enemy fire. One is able to toss healing items to people out of reach. These special abilities have cool down times so you can\u2019t use them on every turn, so utilization and positioning are very important. Everyone is useful in a way, and deciding who to take into a fight is often a very difficult decision. You\u2019ll surely have your favorites, but they\u2019re not always the best to take along. Also, materials for leveling up their abilities are simultaneously rare and expensive, so you can\u2019t keep everyone at the top of their game. You can either spread the resources out for everyone, or focus on a few to have tanks on the battlefield.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty more to consider as you play, and turn-based strategy fans will love to master the intricacies of combat. To move things along, however, I want to the game\u2019s visuals. I\u2019m not as attached to the 2D-HD look as are some. The whole thing looks clunky to me, just with nicer lighting. Also, the characters never really feel like they\u2019re a part of the environment; it\u2019s more like they\u2019re just bouncing on top of it. I\u2019m not necessarily opposed to the whole retro visual approach (it\u2019s not likely to go away any time soon), it\u2019s just that I\u2019ve seen it look better\u2026or at least more cohesive. Others will disagree, and I\u2019ll let them have that.<\/p>\n

Besides, it doesn\u2019t take away from what is a very enjoyable game, provided you\u2019re not just in it for the combat. There\u2019s a lot to take in, and the developers didn\u2019t rush any of it. To their credit, they even made plenty of it optional. On the overhead map, selecting red exclamation marks advances the story. Green ones are there only if you want to take the time to see what\u2019s going on behind the scenes. I can\u2019t imagine there\u2019s anyone out there who\u2019d skip them, but you\u2019re free to do so.<\/p>\n

And honestly, I\u2019d rather have too much narrative tying things together than to be adventuring for no real reason. The story is complex, the characters are likable, and there\u2019s plenty of variety in the combat missions and in the soldiers you\u2019ll use to complete them. Triangle Strategy will keep you occupied for a long time if you let it. Just be prepared to walk away to prevent repeated training missions from getting on your nerves.<\/p>\n

Maybe you can walk right back to Octopath Traveler.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There came a point during my time with Triangle Strategy when I wondered if it was Square Enix\u2019s apology for Octopath Traveler. Not that they need to apologize, mind you; I quite liked that game. However, I know from numerous conversations with JRPG fans that many were put off by its lack of a driving […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/purenintendo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trianglestrategy-splash.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[576],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nintendo"],"yoast_head":"\n