Gaming has changed a lot in the past 30 years. The story is far more important, graphics are hitting insane levels, with accessibility and other concepts at an all-time high. As nice as this is, it has created some voids. This is part of what makes games like Elden Ring successful and was something players were hopeful about with Octopath Traveler. It proved successful, eventually leading to Triangle Strategy. With years of improvements, a new set of characters, and more, is it still worth your time, or does it fall short of expectations?
Triangle Strategy starts with a rather basic explanation of the ongoing events. Essentially, there are three kingdoms in Norzelia, each with its own value to balance the others out. Over time there is a conflict leading to a massive war, which players need to deal with and come out ahead.
Simple premise aside, Triangle Strategy is more of a character-driven narrative, one that fans of slower and more cordial dialogue will likely enjoy. Over time the experience will branch off and offers a little something for everyone. Those who want to get to know every townsperson, get all the information from a party, and so forth can do it or you can head to the marked characters to give a dialogue choice that dictates how things will play out.
Long term it gets fairly interesting, though it’s an experience that rewards attention to detail. To really appreciate Triangle Strategy you need to get invested, along with having a deeper understanding of relationships, desires, and so forth. All of these things happen over a fairly large scale, one that furthers depending on how good your tactics are.
Following recent trends, there are various difficulties in Triangle Strategy, including one that is meant for those who just want to enjoy the story. It’s a good mixture of needing to make good calls, though not so overwhelming a single mistake or not planning five or six moves ahead will result in failure. That said, if you want the harsh style of play, there is a hard mode.
An Example of Voting
Most gameplay is broken up into three distinct sections. There is something of an intermission, this is where you explore towns, buy supplies/accessories, make dialogue choices, and/or watch cutscenes. After enjoying as much or little as you want, it’s time to battle.
There are also somewhat dynamic events like voting. These sections will appeal to players who enjoy the narrative since they involve talking to characters and selecting the right option for what they want. For example, the first option is where to go, with votes split down the middle and a single undecided. Every character can be spoken to and persuaded, so turning that specific character is not required, though it can go south if you’re not careful. These are engaging because they hinge on having a basic understanding of what is needed and how the actions correspond to the outcome. And if you don’t really care, they can largely be ignored as well.
Every fight starts with an explanation of the upcoming battle, with the ability to prepare for it. Initially, this isn’t too important, with some later stages requiring a lot more thought to come out alive. The important thing isn’t to plan for every possible outcome, as much as smart placement or strategy.
With this being a strategy RPG, Triangle Strategy rewards smart plays. Placing units on both sides can cause follow-up attacks, certain characters have different play styles like ranged or magic, with even horses to cover more distance. The variety makes it more interesting, like Hughette rides a bird, with proper utilization requiring a fair bit of thought and planning. Even simple things like placing an ally by an enemy and using her bow to trigger they are follow-up attack can turn the tide of battle.
Triangle Strategy Review Verdict
Triangle Strategy: Triangle Strategy does what it sets out to do quite well. It’s engaging, the story is interesting if you’re invested in it and there is the ability to explore or ignore it if you want to. Unfortunately, the slower aspects won’t appeal to everyone, some might even be overwhelmed by the options, though it’s a solid strategy RPG that will give you plenty to do at home or on the go. – Mark
[Editor’s Note: Triangle Strategy was reviewed on Nintendo Switch and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]
