The Diary Game 01/04/2022 - Triangle Strategy: When tactical RPGs talk too much.

Thus, after having fun for hours in Octopath Traveler, I said to try Triangle Strategy, the turn and based strategy type not being foreign to me, since the time of the Dacians and the Romans or Don't be upset, brother. That's where our generation, 35-40 years old, developed their ability for this kind of game, combining RPG, strategy and some open world elements.


But how long do we have to play the beginning?


Triangle Strategy starts super hard, and the dialogues seem endless, and if you're not a fan of XCOM, Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, then you've got the game wrong. There is a possibility to skip until you fall asleep and still nothing happens.

And as I was reading the story, I thought I was in a book like "A Song of Ice and Fire" combined with some British history, with some pixelated little men, in Japanese style. Nintendo Switch has become a paradise for such strategy games. From the busy Fire Emblem: Three Houses, to Into The Breach and Octopath Traveler, to Triangle Strategy, the market has become quite crowded. So, there is a salable element.

And yet, Triangle Strategy manages to stand out with great graphics, an irresistible soundtrack and tough but rewarding fighting strategies. While the cast is definitely fun, and the story of the game becomes exponentially more dramatic after a supeeeeeeeeeeer leeeeeeeeent start, Triangle Strategy moves from good to very good. Yes, I think that after two hours of introduction, you start to feel the game, fixed like a physical training. And it is clear that it is not for the uninitiated, although the game has a very easy way.


Kind of like the War of the Two Roses


The action in the game takes place on the continent of Norzelia, an area divided between three neighboring states: Aesfrost, Glenbrook and Hyzante. It has been 30 years since these camps fought the "Saltiron War" for natural resources, and at that time there was relative peace. The leader of your group is Serenoa Wolffort, a noble lord who is to marry Princess Frederica Aesfrost to strengthen diplomatic relations.

But in order to take action, a coup d'état turns the story upside down, and the heroes are put to flight, and out of exile and battle, you have the task of reuniting Norzelia. Here are the historical themes, but quite stereotypical, that is, reasons such as the sin of the king's father, families broken by war or political machinations that you saw in Westeros.

Fortunately, this artistic style "HD-2D" from Triangle Strategy pampers you. If you played Octopath Traveler, then you know what to expect - the game uses sprites for character models, with detailed but pixelated backgrounds. As we saw in Octopath Traveler, this kind of approach can look great on PC, but on Switch, these dioramas really stand out, have some great details and make you fall in love with landscapes.


When are we going to fight in this game?


The three heroes (Serenoa, Frederica and Prince Roland) are joined by all sorts of characters along the way and, in order not to skip like the ignorant, the producers have prepared conversations for you that influence your abilities. Depending on the answers, you increase your freedom, morality and usefulness.

Each of these hidden values will have a say in how conversations go, and they feed into broader, story-changing decisions that may need to convince other members of the community party to join you.

The characters can't be changed, they stay with the same classes from the beginning, and the fights are very tactical, like a chess in which you have to attack from behind. Unfortunately, Triangle Strategy is starting to slow down. I complained at first and in the title and everywhere. Although it is appreciated that there is an important background story for the three regions, it is a bit exaggerated and affects the action.

Unlike its spiritual predecessor, Triangle Strategy takes the form of a tactical RPG. The moves are individual, so you need to keep an eye on each character's abilities and moves, like chess. Here the interface helps a lot, very friendly, it shows you who is in danger, which opponent deserves to be hit or what is his weakness, as you had in XCOM.

Positioning is key in combat, with additional damage caused by attacking an enemy from behind or from above. Wizards can cause damage in larger areas, injuring or killing multiple opponents, while some characters, including Serenoa, can affect the order of the moves. Altitude also matters: if you move to a higher place, like Posada, the fight becomes super easy.

In conclusion, Triangle Strategy is a nice tactical RPG with a lot of depth and a long and thick story. Even if it bores you in the first two hours, it slowly becomes a complete game, in which you feel stronger and stronger and it is a suitable choice for fans of the genre. As a contemporary would say, far above average.