Triangle Strategy is another HD2D game from Square Enix, a style of graphics which I personally think looks amazing. This game is a turn based strategy much like fire emblem or final fantasy tactics but provides a few unique quirks to make it feel like something that isn't just a cheap copy.
Story: 9/10
Triangle Strategy puts a lot of emphasis on telling their story and building out the world of Norzelia. The game has a lot of cutscenes with few characters which helps you feel more involved with each one. While a lot of the cutscenes are interesting, there are many times when you just want to actually play the game instead of watching something more happen.
Score: 9/10
The music is catchy and has a good vibe to it as most Square Enix games do. The main theme is particularly good.
Characters/Character Development: 9.5/10
Both the characters you can use and the characters you interact with have meaningful dialogue which help them feel flushed out and real. While the game focuses on the 8 main characters you start the game with, side cutscenes allow you to interact with other characters and see more of who they are and what drives them. Even enemy characters have meaningful motives and stories associated with them.
Graphics: 9.5/10
The 2DHD style of graphics is something that looks completely amazing and only looks like it has improved in Triangle Strategy since they have started making this style of games. However, due to the way some maps are laid out, certain area of the maps can be obstructed. There is a free moving camera but sometimes the only way to see things is at a weird, unpleasant angle.
Gameplay: 6/10
This game focuses a lot on its story which can cause the game itself to feel rather slow. Things like exploring the area are nice, but the areas are small and all the objectives can be completed in about 5 minutes which leads you back to more cutscenes.
Deciding choices with the scales is a nice touch but convincing people in a certain direction can be difficult and annoying if you aren't able to select the right dialogue option.
The majority of the gameplay comes from battling which is where the game shines. Interesting attacks feel nice when you can hit enemies or line them up in such a way to hit multiple enemies at the same time. Having two units on each side of an enemy triggers a second attack which can be very satisfying and helpful when taking down an enemy with a lot of health.
It's also disappointing to see how few maps there actually are when it comes down to it. For a game with such a flushed out world, we only see about 15 different locations, many of which feel like they are reused over and over again. Granted the locations we see are very significant to the story, but at a certain point you feel annoyed that you are seeing the same map again and after a while it starts to feel a bit lazy from a development standpoint.
Difficulty: 6/10 (0 being the easiest, 10 being the hardest)
Some of the missions in this game can get rather advanced, however you are able to keep your experience when you lose, making each attempt easier until you can eventually beat it.
Fun: 7/10
There's a lot of fun to be had with Triangle Strategy and the fact the game is rather short (around 40 hours to complete) means replaying the game to see the multiple endings won't feel like such a chore. While battling is enjoyable, the game feels broken up by so many cutscenes. The world of Norzelia feels so rich in lore and it's a shame we physically see so little of it.
Despite its problems Triangle Strategy still provides a lot of fun and once I beat a chapter I couldn't wait to see where the story would go next, especially as I got closer and closer to the end. It's definitely engaging but if you are a person who skips the cutscenes in video games, this one probably isn't for you.
Recommended for-
- Fans of story driven games.
- Turn based strategy fans