The primary story of Triangle Strategy follows the young lord Serenoa Wolffort as he takes over the noble house of Wolffort and accepts his betrothal to Frederica Aesfrost. Serenoa must act as the mediator between three lands, the Kingdom of Glenbrook, the Grand Dutchy of Aesfrost, and the Holy State of Hyzante, which were all once at war, but now enjoying a fragile time of peace. The three lands have come together to open a mine that will help each area flourish, but tension remains high, with many eager for an excuse to return to confl
In battles, you’ll earn Morality points through achieving victory without killing every enemy unit (obviously impossible in fights where the goal is to do just that). Buffing your allies also earns Morality points, so a character like Benedict is highly helpful here despite his more Utility-minded personal
Triangle Strategy might run the risk of being too formulaic, with all chapters thus far split into a predictable pattern of dialogue, battles, and decisions that can change around depending on where the story is at any given moment. I can see this becoming played out if the writing and characters don’t remain constantly engaging or new ideas and scenarios aren’t frequently introduced to keep the plates spinning. But right now, I’m confident it will sustain itself, especially given how smitten I already am with everything it has to offer. It feels like a loving homage to Tactics Ogre or Final Fantasy Tactics while having an equal determination to move the genre forward and try new things.
While I can’t delve too deeply into the narrative as part of this preview, I can say that Triangle Strategy does an excellent job of introducing its cast of characters while making them matter. Serenoa is far too young for the post he’s been appointed but will do anything for his people, while Frederica is walking into a relationship amidst a nation who views her people with a level of racial hate that is often vitriolic. Other characters like Roland also shine, a prince who resents the people dying in the face of his own protection. The crown weighs heavy, and the SLG Game Units isn’t afraid to force difficult decisions upon you. You will learn to love all of these people, even if the English voice acting has a habit of veering into pantomime territory. Serenoa is particularly awful, to the point where I found myself guffawing at the screen as lines were delivered with the enthusiasm of a plasticine potato.
This is the first mandatory battle wherein you will have Recommended units . These units are considered particularly useful by the game for the current battle. Including all of them in your battle party will not only give you an edge but will net you some Utility points . Conversely, if you use none of them, you’ll get some Liberty poin
Each character possesses certain skills, like a second action movement, better speed, or a mount. When characters attack an enemy and have a friendly team member on the opposite side of their target, the team member is given an action of opportunity, encouraging players to strategically place their units for optimal damage. Characters can also use the terrain of the battle map for advantage, with the high ground boosting certain attacks of either the player’s units or the opposing force’s fighters. While the combat in Triangle Strategy can feel like an engaging game of chess, there is also limited opportunity to practice early in the game, which may be frustrating for those who prefer a more fast-paced RPG experie
Use Quietuses and secure spoils in battle. Also, in a bit of a dark twist from the Morality guidelines, you’ll gain Utility points by winning objective-driven fights but still killing every enemy. (Example: The ‘Take Back the Boat’ mental mock battle merely requires you to have at least one unit occupy the boat on a turn when zero foes are doing so; that’ll let you win, and earn Morality points, but slay everyone first for Utility poin
The gameplay of Triangle Strategy is made up of three primary phases: narrative, exploration, and combat. The exploration mechanic opens specific locations up for players to wander as Lord Serenoa. During this time, players will look for items scattered around the maps, communicate with NPCs and main characters, and discover information that is important to the narrative. Finding the information in the form of notes of hearsay from NPCs is a crucial task during this phase of gameplay, as it often gives players sway in decision-making later in the story. These discoveries can even allow players to persuade characters to their cause during voting sessions, which are used to determine the course of the overarching st
One of the several items players will have to take care of in Chapter 10 of Triangle Strategy while in the Kingdom of Hyzante is contacting Exharme Marcial, the Minister of Arms. He has recently been in contact with Serenoa about Minister Sorsley’s illegal salt trade, and Serenoa will make an attempt to contact him when in the marketplace of the holy city. The guard, however, will not let Serenoa in to see the Minister, so he tells Serenoa to write a letter inst