Review: Triangle Strategy for Nintendo Switch

With many iconic franchises under its belt such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Bravely Default, as well as the more recently released Octopath Traveler, Square Enix is ​​arguably known as the crown jewel of JRPG development. Triangle Strategy further proves the innovativeness of the beloved Japanese studio, as this new IP has a lot to love for fans of the turn-based tactics genre and newcomers interested in getting their feet wet. Excellent, well-written characters, stunning 2D-HD graphics, and a fleshed-out combat system make this Nintendo Switch an exclusive JRPG fans won’t want to miss.

Pleasure to Triangle Strategy Mainly depends on how interested you are in the plot, as the storytelling takes center stage, often making the game feel like a visual novel with RPG elements rather than the other way around. However, after the first three chapters, tactical battles and exploration play a bigger role in the experience. This means that the latest demo released on the Nintendo Online Store, which includes only the first three chapters, should not be decisive for your decision to purchase the full version of the game, but it is the best way to gauge whether you are interested in the in-depth story of the war and politics. In order to maximize your enjoyment, this review will be entirely spoiler-free, but you can check out a vague plot summary and additional details in our previously published triangular strategy. Overview.

A story isn’t really a story without characters, and characters aren’t really characters without being interesting. Triangle Strategy provides an engaging, high-quality narrative, primarily told through dialogue, accompanied by talented and believable voice actors throughout the game. In addition to the main story objectives, there are optional side stories that offer additional context and world-building that pulls you right into its expansive universe. It doesn’t need realistic cinematic adventures with its intentionally stiff but charming art style, and one of the best parts is that you’re in partial control of the direction of the plot.

Multiple paths mean multiple endings in this choose-your-own adventure that relies on the player making tough decisions, which is done through two different game mechanics. The first comes in the form of reinforcing your beliefs by choosing dialogue responses that secretly correspond to Utility, Morality, or Freedom, thus later affecting which characters will want to join your party. The second causes a more direct change in the story, in parts of the game where you have to choose between two big courses of action. Your party members, also known as units, also have a say in these decisions, and each of their own beliefs comes into play. This is where the Belief Scale comes in. Voting segments where you have to convince your units to choose the path you want to take. In order to persuade them, you must have the appropriate knowledge obtained by talking to different NPCs during the exploration phases.

The exploration phases are the only element of Triangle Strategy that leaves a lot to be desired. They appear approximately once per chapter, usually shortly before a battle begins, and involve exploring a relatively small area to gather information, find items, and make purchases at special shops. There’s not a whole lot of ‘exploring’ going on, as completing everything there is unfortunately only takes a few minutes. It’s the only time in the game, other than at camp, where you take full control of the main character, but alas, it’s short and sweet.

You will use the camp between missions to prepare for battle. Here you can;
1. Talk to the Provisioner to purchase items and materials with coins earned from exploration segments and battle victories.
2. Access the miscellaneous store to:
– use the trading post to buy valuable items using the kudos obtained by performing certain maneuvers in battle.
– promote the class of each unit by fulfilling the requirements, which will result in the increase of their HP (hit points), statistics (strength, physical defense, magic attack, magic defense, luck, accuracy, speed, evasion , jump, and move), and learning new abilities (attacks, defense moves, health actions, etc.).
3. Visit the Smithy to upgrade each unit’s weapon tier and abilities by using the correct materials and spending the correct amount of coins.
4. Take part in “mental mock fights” at the tavern, with a new one unlocked after completing each story chapter, to earn more experience points and level up your units.

Once you’ve upgraded and bought all you can from the camp and you think it’s time for the final chapter battle you’ve reached, it’s time to deploy the desired units and place them on the battlefield. You will be informed about win conditions, lose conditions, weather and wind, and once you get started, the real fun of Triangle Strategy will begin.

The battlefield is a grid-based movement that displays squares of different colors for basic instructions. Blue colored panels are where you can safely move to without fear of being attacked, purple means you can move there, but the enemy can strike, red is within your own attack range and yellow is the area you selected. Your own opposing units and enemies will take turns moving around the playing field and issuing commands for attacks and item usage. When your turn is over, you choose a direction your unit should face. Each unit is assigned a different class which gives them each unique abilities. The main character, Serenoa, is a typical swordsman who specializes in close combat, but there are also units that specialize in defense, healing, stealth, magic, and more. When it comes to magic, elements like fire and ice can affect terrain. on the squares you are attacking. However, particle effects, notably fire, can sometimes cause a noticeable drop in frame rate, slightly hampering an otherwise smooth, engaging, and intense experience.

Of course, enemies, as well as your own units, are susceptible to certain types of attacks, and it’s important to use these weaknesses to crown yourself victorious in battle. There are also maneuvers that can make themselves effective regardless of said weaknesses. Taking advantage of high ground on tiered terrain causes increased damage, as does hitting an enemy from behind or launching a “follow up attack” by placing units on opposite sides of your target. There’s a huge amount of strategy involved as you progress through the game, and you need to carefully consider every move you make. Playing around with the settings lets you select the difficulty level, with Very Easy, Easy, Normal, and Hard options available. I opted for Normal as I’m fairly new to RPGs, and the later chapters proved to be a real challenge. It can be quite frustrating to enter an hour-long battle only to lose and have to start over, but the good news is that the XP you earn won’t be lost and you’ll get progressively stronger each time you you’ll try again, so it doesn’t feel like it was all for naught.

2018 Octopath Traveler introduced the world to the jaw-dropping “2D-HD” art style, incorporating nostalgic SNES-era graphics with 3D environments in a modern renderer. Triangle Strategy uses this 2D-HD style as well as its spiritual predecessor, delivering gorgeous visuals that feel like a passionate love letter to gamers growing up in the early 90s. If you don’t like turn-based tactical RPGs per turn, Triangle Strategy isn’t for you, but if you are, you’re almost guaranteed to get what you pay for and more. Square Enix has created an amazing other world that practically begs for sequels, prequels, or spinoffs. Action-packed strategic battles, a gripping well-orchestrated narrative with replayability thanks to its multiple paths and endings (plus the convenient inclusion of NEW GAME+ mode after completing your first playthrough), and complex yet easy-to-learn mechanics and understanding make this latest 2D-HD entry from producer Tomoya Asano an easy recommendation for Nintendo Switch.

9/10

A copy of Triangle Strategy was provided to My Nintendo News by Nintendo UK as part of this review.