Project Triangle Strategy - First Impressions

Announced in the recent Nintendo Direct, Project Triangle Strategy is an upcoming release from Square Enix in the vein of their HD-2D art style series which we first saw in Octopath Traveller. This newest entry was announced alongside a demo that starts at chapter 8 and finishes at chapter 9; this seems like the first major chapter post-tutorial and the inciting event that kicks off the main story. Playing as a tactical turn based RPG (à la Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, etc.), Project Triangle Strategy has an in-depth combat system where multiple aspects factor in damage multipliers.

There are a lot of factors that you have to consider during combat, aside from your units placement on the map, such as the direction your unit is facing, or its positioning between their allies. The main reason for this is the use of terrain and the extra damage that can be dealt from higher ground, doing backstab attacks, and follow-up attacks when you’re flanking an enemy with an ally.

Combat is just one aspect of the gameplay which pushes the story forward. There are exploration phases where you will talk with NPCs and learn key bits of information and as you do this, you will occasionally be offered a choice between three dialogue options. These will change the parameters of your character in the background which influences their dialogue options and the party members that can be recruited down the line. This level of player choice really holds hope for a variety of playthroughs, each telling different paths of the story that is presented to the player.

Visually, the HD-2D art style is breathtaking as always and maximises pixel sprites to their utmost limits. The maps that you fight in provide a wide variety of locations as you battle in the country of Glenbrook, with many more striking locations from the peak of each area you see during the side events. These side events are small snippets of how other characters react to your choices and how the story progresses. The major aspect missing from this game is that the events could really benefit from a text auto function.

I am really looking forward to the full release of Project Triangle Strategy (and hopefully a title that flows a bit better). From the reveal trailer, it looks like Square Enix will be opening up reviews for the demo, so if you want to potentially have an influence on this game's future, give the demo a try and keep an eye out for a response form when released.

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