TRIANGLE STRATEGY Review

This is a review of Square Enix’s tactics RPG “Triangle Strategy“, which is a system that inherits classic works of yesteryear such as “Tactics Ouga” and “Final Fantasy Tactics”.

Worldview & Story

It is a work that depicts the clash between countries that originated from resources and the people involved in it, and although there is an element of magic, basically its existence is not such an important element, and in that sense the fantasy element is not so dense because it is a world view that is not so dense, so it is a story that has a royal feeling but lacks flashiness.

The game features multiple endings, and the story branches off at multiple points.
This branching is a feature of this work, in which the characters with the right to vote are asked to vote for the storyline they wish to advance by persuading them through conversation of their different opinions, but in essence it is simply a matter of choosing the correct one among the options presented during the conversation.

As for the choice of conversation, there is also the fact that the choice is released by talking with the NPC in the part called “RPG part” where you can move freely in the map before voting, so it is not such a complicated mechanism and it is not a new system at all, but I think that it is a fairly balanced implementation including the point that it does not go as you want.

Also, all cutscenes, such as conversation scenes, take place on the same field as the battle scene, and although detailed actions are included in the HD-2D expression, I have the impression that they are not very sophisticated. Fortunately, there are voices in most scenes, including event scenes, so I can still watch the game, but for some reason, there are no voices at all only in the RPG part, which makes the game very uncomfortable.

There are also scenes where you feel UI problems such as bad tempo

you are required to select an event from the world map again for each cutscene in the form of selecting an event from the world map and proceeding, so you feel that the tempo is bad.

Each cut scene is also taken longer, which is partly inevitable in terms of storytelling, but I feel that some improvement could have been made through the UI. There is also the impression that the soberness of the HD-2D production makes it feel extra boring.

High level of perfection as a tactics [simulation] RPG

In terms of combat, it seems to be very well balanced.
Since it is also an RPG, there is a relatively simple character growth system, and even if you fail in battle, the exp you gain will remain, and there is no character loss, so I would say that the game is well done in the sense that it is a beginner’s remedy.

However, even in battle, it is difficult to understand the direction of the character, so I feel that there is room for improvement in the UI.

Limitations of “HD-2D” expression?

Basically, I don’t want to play too many old games, so honestly, I want to play games with modern graphics.
Nothing is gorgeous and realistic graphics like AAA titles, but even with deformed expressions, I think that there are modern graphics like “Kena: Bridge of Spirits” that I reviewed on this site.

In addition, as mentioned above, because HD-2D expression was adopted in all kinds of scenes, there are scenes where you feel weak in terms of directing in event scenes and the like, and there are also scenes where visibility is lacking.

I understand that the resources and costs required for graphics are much lower than those for realistic-looking graphics, and I understand that the platform may need to be changed if the graphic quality is increased, and I think that in some respects (budget-wise, etc.) the game could be released because it is HD-2D, but I feel that it is somewhat sad for a company as large as Square Enix to release this work.(I understand that there is a point where the pure significance of “HD-2D” can’t simply be compared to modern game expressions.)

At last

In terms of combat, consideration for tactics RPG beginners can be seen, and it can be said that the balance is also quite good, so it can be said that that point can be appreciated, but I have the impression that it is a work that makes you realize again problems such as the limitations of HD-2D production, the bad tempo, and the UI that obviously needs improvement.