[Switch] Triangle Strategy - FF Tactics/Tactics Ogre spiritual successor

[Skinypupy]

Ridiculously terribly name aside, Triangle Strategy is looking like it could be something really fantastic. I've played through the demo, and it seems to tick all the same boxes that Final Fantasy Tactics did all those years ago. A Game of Throne style plot full of political intrigue, weighty decisions, interesting characters, and great world-building, combined with solid strategic tactical gameplay. And it uses the same 2D-HD art style as Octopath Traveler, which I find absolutely beautiful.

Only downside I saw was that the voice acting was less than stellar, but the writing was fantastic and the story is quite gripping.

Really looking forward to starting this one tomorrow. The original FF Tactics is one of my favorite games of all time, and while there have been a few games that have attempted to capture that same magic, none have really come close. Looks like this one might be about as close as it gets.

Seriously though...that name. Can't help but wonder how many people are going to skip it entirely because it's so bad.

[Blackhawk]

Note: Switch only.

[Skinypupy]

Note: Switch only.

Good catch, I've updated the thread title.

I expect it will likely come to PC at some point, as most of the other games have (Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler, etc.).

[Baroquen]

Oh wow! That does look good. And I loved me some Tactics Ogre (And FFT) back in the day.

Might have to burn an Amazon gift card and get this. Let us know how you like the full game Skinypupy!

[Skinypupy]

Watched a number of reviews today, this one seems to sum it up well.

[coopasonic]

Ridiculously terribly name aside

Rock, Paper, Scissors was already taken.

[Baroquen]

Boughten. I like it so far. I'm only in the VERY beginning stages, but game mechanics are familiar enough to be comfortable. And while reviews have mentioned/complained about overly long cutscenes, I've been ok with it up to this point. We'll see if that continues. But yeah, I'm expecting to enjoy this a lot.

And I hadn't heard about until the thread, so thanks for the heads-up!

[Sudy]

It looks gorgeous in videos. I look forward to playing it one day when it has a $20 price tag. (2029, probably.)

[Skinypupy]

Played the first 4 hours tonight. A few initial impressions:

- It's absolutely gorgeous. The 2D-HD pixel artwork is truly fantastic, with subtle touches in every map that really bring it to life (i.e. glass reflections, dust motes, swaying fabrics, etc.)
- Combat is pretty standard SRPG fare. Grid movement, lots of abilities, bigger damage from high ground or behind, etc.
- Cool environmental effects with spells. Ice spells freeze the ground, slowing movement. Casting fire will melt the ice and leave a puddle, which amplifies lightning. Seems like it will definitely play a larger factor as the spell selection increases.
- If a friendly character is on the opposite side of an enemy you're attacking, they will get a free attack. I like that, as it really forces you to consider positioning.
- There's lots of story. In 4 hours, I only played through 6 total battles (4 story and 2 training) that took about 20 minutes each and the rest was all cutscenes. Thankfully the story is very interesting and I really like the way they're setting up the characters and the world. Roland and Seranoa have a very similar vibe to Ramza and Delita in FFT.
- I like how you get some free exploration sections between combat to wander around zones, talk to the locals, and find hidden items. It really helps to flesh out the world, and you can gain knowledge that will unlock dialog or decision tree options later. Very cool touch.
- Only downside to the story is that the voice acting is...not great. The lines are written fine, but most of the acting sounds very amateurish (at best).
- Levelling seems fairly slow, with minimal XP awarded for actions (4-7 XP per action when 100 are required to advance a level). I've done all the main story battles and each of the options "training" battles from the Encampment, and most of my party is barely at level 4. The next story mission recommends level 5, so I'll either have to go in underleveled or grind through the training battles a few more times. Not a huge deal right now, but could get annoying later.
- I'm not crazy about the music. A couple tracks are kinda catchy, but most are forgettable. Seems like a missed opportunity.
- The job upgrade system looks like it could hold some promise, but while you can upgrade to better versions of a specific role, there's been no indication that you can actually change jobs. Not sure if that comes later or not at all.
- It does all the little SRPG touches right. Moves aren't permanent, you can change your mind and go back to your initial spot. Landing a killing blow gives more XP, but regular actions or attacks still give some. It has a "simulation" option so you can see the anticipated effect of an attack or ability. It gives percentage chances of special abilities to land (i.e. blind, darkness, slow, etc.). It nails all the small things that many other games miss.

Really enjoying it so far, only thing dragging it down is the mediocre to poor voice acting.

[wonderpug]

Thanks for the impressions! I’m really tempted by this one but I think the cutscene to gameplay ratio will be too much for me. It’s a shame because I think I’d really like the actual gameplay.

[Skinypupy]

Thanks for the impressions! I’m really tempted by this one but I think the cutscene to gameplay ratio will be too much for me. It’s a shame because I think I’d really like the actual gameplay.

From what I've read, the story/battle ratio gets much less lopsided once you get out of the "prologue" area (which I'm still in). I'm actually not even out of what was in the demo yet. My understanding is that it starts to even out with multiple branching paths after a couple big events happen.

Still, it is a very narrative-driven game so if that's not your thing then it's probably not the best choice.

[Zaxxon]

I haven't tried it yet, but I believe I read that the demo progress carries over to the full game. So you can try the demo and jump in and purchase if it grabs you.

[Skinypupy]

It does.

[Zaxxon]

Digging into the demo this morning. Enjoying it so far, but boy, you know the complaints about never-ending cutscenes have merit when the switch goes into screensaver mode in the middle of one.

[Zaxxon]

Alright, fine. I'm in. 4 hours of play out of the demo is a good sign. I'm loving the art style.

[Zaxxon]

Man, I am loving it at this point (midway thru chapter 5). It's absolutely true that there is a ton of exposition, and lots of lulls. If you're the type that just wants to move from battle to battle, this game's not likely for you.

But I'm finding the exposition fairly gripping, with mostly-competent voice acting, an art style that agrees with me (pixel art but with beautiful backgrounds, lots of detail, and variation), and a lot of depth here.

Oh, and it's a jrpg that has a menu system and interface that doesn't drive me up a wall.

Good stuff.

[Skinypupy]

I just finished Chapter VII, and am absolutely captivated by the story. It's very reminiscent of FF Tactics, in all the right ways. It does require you to pay attention to who's who, but if you can make the investment, there's a terrific tale to be told. I still think the voice work is lackluster, but having just come from Witcher 3,pretty much everything pales in comparison.

Two things I'm not sure how I feel about yet:
1. I've played for around 9 hours, and the first advancement medal just became available. I could only buy a single one from the Kudos (the extra points you earn for doing actions during battle) and it was pretty expensive, taking about half of what I had accumulated to that point. If that continues to be the only way to get those advancement medals, then it seems like building characters is going to be glacially slow.
2. Outside of the main party, I've only recruited two other characters. That's not a bad thing in my book (I prefer focusing on building a smaller cast than trying to level 1678 different characters), but will be interesting to see if that pace accelerates or not.

The graphics continue to look better and better as the game goes, and the battles have introduced some pretty interesting mechanics. It's started to even out a bit on the exposition/battle ratio as well. I'm wildly impressed so far...big thumbs up.

[Zaxxon]

Back on a machine with a real keyboard, so here are some more fleshed-out thoughts...

This game is great. Also, all the complaints are valid. It's an interesting mix, for me, because I don't disagree with any of the complaints--I just don't care. My acceptance of these things may be influenced by the fact that a) I don't play a lot of tactics-style RPGs (and never played FF Tactics*), so I don't have a particular gold standard I'm looking to meet/exceed, b) I have a very particular aversion to typical JRPG conventions** which Triangle Strategy seems to have blessedly avoided triggering for me, and c) the game's a joy to play.

The main complaint is that you spend more time talking than playing, which is certainly the case in the early game, in which I'd include the demo chapters. The balance does even out as the story progresses. I've enjoyed the exposition, though, which is why I don't mind it. It's all voiced, the voice acting is pretty good (I agree that it's not spectacular, and the main character, Serenoa, is one of the weaker ones), the dialogue is well-written, and it's more time for me to take in the gorgeous art.

Further, all this time with my characters has made me appreciate them more, which lends itself to improving the enjoyment I get out of the dialogue/action choices I make. The battles hit harder because I'm invested in the characters doing the fighting.

Another complaint is that there's little ability to customize your characters--there's a set cast, and each player character has a set class (and they're generally the only instance of that class). This also hasn't bothered me, as the trade-off there is that these characters have backstories, and there's a deeper ability to tell those stories when the player isn't mucking it all up. That said, there are customization options, in the form of ability trees, two boost item slots per character, etc. It also helps that I've found most of the classes interesting thus far, and that you can set your character load-out with each battle, with no penalty. Characters join your party at an appropriate level, and there's little tedium involved in using who you want when you want. In short, you don't get to ground-up design your own character nor radically modify the ones that are included, but I've found that there's enough choice to satisfy my itch to have a hand in their development as well as customize my team for each battle.

That's a running theme for the game so far, for me--Triangle Strategy's designers appear to have put great effort into making sure the fun parts of the game are what you spend your time on, while the tedious aspects of RPGs are streamlined. Just a few examples of things that I've appreciated:

• There's no wasted time in travel--either overland or in-area. Every minute you're playing, you're advancing the story, battling, or adjusting your characters.
• All inventory is shared inventory, and any character can use any item at any time (at least, with no major exceptions that are coming to mind for me).
• Party customization, shopping, battle practice, and character advancement all take place in an 'encampment' section that is accessible at any time. Another example of the game respecting your time. You're not going to be spending 20 minutes traveling to the right location/vendor to get Widget X in order to craft Item Q needed to advance Jim-Bob's widget-whacking ability.
• Exploration areas are interspersed sections between major events. These have you exploring a relatively small area, talking to people, stealing their goods (what?), petting their cats (huh?!), and picking up usually-optional clues that can come in handy in future dialogue sections. Get what you need, spend an extra few minutes searching for more if you want to, then get on with the story/battle.
• Exposition can be toggled between auto-advance and manual with a button at any time.
• There is no permadeath. Losing a character in battle isn't a big deal, so long as your party makes it through the battle victorious.
• Battles include a simulation feature, so you can see the result of an action before taking it, without the need to jump back and forth trying various actions to decide which one to take. It's also easy to toggle between all the player and enemy units to check their statuses. Really, I find the whole battle system to be well-designed. Difficulty level can be toggled at-will in-game, as well.
• Autosaves are implemented well.

All that said, if dialogue is one of the things you find tedious, that's gonna be a deal-breaker for you.

Also, the soundtrack is pretty good, too.

I just finished Chapter VII, and am absolutely captivated by the story... It does require you to pay attention to who's who, but if you can make the investment, there's a terrific tale to be told.

I agree.

Now for a list of things I don't like or are less sure of:

• I'm getting old. Text is sometimes difficult for me to pick up after a couple of hours, even on a relatively large TV. A text-size adjustment option would have been nice.
• I love the art style, but in some battles it's been a little difficult for me to easily-differentiate the different units on the battlefield at a glance.
• I am not spectacular at tactics-style games. I'm playing on normal, am about 11 hours in, and haven't lost a battle yet. But I've had a couple where I'd deem the outcome as sub-optimal. If permadeath were a thing, I'd have lost some folks.

This wall of text is already way too long, so I'll end my thoughts here. My short summary would be that if the idea of an exposition-heavy romp doesn't turn you off, give this one a shot. The demo is meaty, and I think it does give a fair feel for what the game writ large is like (with the caveat that things do continue to open up / your choices start to matter more once you get past the demo areas) so that there's really no risk to checking it out--by the time you need to decide whether to plunk down cashola, you'll be pretty sure whether it's a winner for you or not. And as mentioned above, demo save data seamlessly transfers to the full game, so you won't need to start over.

Some highlights from the tweety-bird place...



Glad to see it's apparently doing well...



I guess I could have just quoted this tweet instead...



Poor Roland...



* - in fact, the FF game I've put the most time into is Chocobo's Dungeon.
** - Indecipherable / tedious menu systems (lookin' at you, Xenoblade), a bunch of crap I just don't care about (hello there, Fire Emblem!), ridiculous art styles ('fan service'-type stuff).

[Skinypupy]

Good summary, agree with pretty much everything. Well…except that whole Chocobo Dungeon thing. Seriously though, you should try FF Tactics. It really is an incredible game and SRPG standard-bearer.

Speaking of story, there’s a decision you have to make at the end of Chapter 7 that is an absolute gutwrencher. I thought about it for ages, and am still not sure I made the right call. The emotional investment in these characters is very real.

In regards to advancing characters, I really wish that they would let you see what the abilities in the next tier actually do. You can see their names (which sometimes give a clue), but have no way to know if spending the extremely rare resource to upgrade one character will be worth the skill your ability you get. For example, I have no idea if advancing the healer to the next level gives her an AOE heal, a stronger single target heal, or something else entirely. Makes it difficult to plan and is a little frustrating.

Also, why do they call the “domain” a “demense”?

[Zaxxon]

Also, why do they call the “domain” a “demense”?

Cuz.

[Isgrimnur]

Also, why do they call the “domain” a “demense”?

Cuz.

Someone wasn’t a Piers Anthony fan and it shows.

[Zaxxon]

Seriously though, you should try FF Tactics. It really is an incredible game and SRPG standard-bearer.

I needs me a Switch remaster (which is rumored but who knows).

Speaking of story, there’s a decision you have to make at the end of Chapter 7 that is an absolute gutwrencher. I thought about it for ages, and am still not sure I made the right call. The emotional investment in these characters is very real.

I'm at this point now. Made one hard choice, now have to make a hard decision on how to handle the fallout. We'll have to see whether anyone ends up in gaol over it.

In regards to advancing characters, I really wish that they would let you see what the abilities in the next tier actually do. You can see their names (which sometimes give a clue), but have no way to know if spending the extremely rare resource to upgrade one character will be worth the skill your ability you get. For example, I have no idea if advancing the healer to the next level gives her an AOE heal, a stronger single target heal, or something else entirely. Makes it difficult to plan and is a little frustrating.

I kind of like it. I mean, I hear you and agree it's a big wrench into the ability to min/max. But I don't find Triangle Strategy to be a game about min/maxing.

[Skinypupy]

I'm at this point now. Made one hard choice, now have to make a hard decision on how to handle the fallout. We'll have to see whether anyone ends up in gaol over it.

Which decision did you make?

Spoiler:

I chose to turn Roland over to Aesfrost because I thought it was the best way to keep both him and my own people alive. I made the strategic bet that they would keep him as a captive, not kill him.

The repercussions of that have proven to be very interesting, and I'd be fascinated to see what happened if I chose the other path (to fight the invasion).

[Zaxxon]

I'm at this point now. Made one hard choice, now have to make a hard decision on how to handle the fallout. We'll have to see whether anyone ends up in gaol over it.

Which decision did you make?

Spoiler:

I chose to turn Roland over to Aesfrost because I thought it was the best way to keep both him and my own people alive. I made the strategic bet that they would keep him as a captive, not kill him.

The repercussions of that have proven to be very interesting, and I'd be fascinated to see what happened if I chose the other path (to fight the invasion).

I chose

Spoiler:

*not* to turn him over, as I trust Gustadolph about as far as I can throw him right now. (I mean, he blatantly lied to the Glenbrook people about Regna's role, got Regna to admit complicity, then lopped his head off. If he needs a royal hostage, he's already got Cordelia.

Don't tell me your further repercussions, as I can see myself playing through again using the new game+ feature after this run through. But I'm sure they're interesting.

So far, in my scenario,

Spoiler:

The Aesfrost army is bearing down on the Wolffort city, and Benedict assures me it's not likely to go well for us without extreme measures, which include setting up traps to torch sections of the upcoming battlefield, which will include torching the homes of our people.

So I am in full agreement that the choices are set up to matter in this game. I'm also curious how the earlier (chapter 3, I think?) choice plays out--I picked to visit Aesfrost rather than Hyzante.

[Skinypupy]

I'm at this point now. Made one hard choice, now have to make a hard decision on how to handle the fallout. We'll have to see whether anyone ends up in gaol over it.

Which decision did you make?

Spoiler:

I chose to turn Roland over to Aesfrost because I thought it was the best way to keep both him and my own people alive. I made the strategic bet that they would keep him as a captive, not kill him.

The repercussions of that have proven to be very interesting, and I'd be fascinated to see what happened if I chose the other path (to fight the invasion).

I chose

Spoiler:

*not* to turn him over, as I trust Gustadolph about as far as I can throw him right now. (I mean, he blatantly lied to the Glenbrook people about Regna's role, got Regna to admit complicity, then lopped his head off. If he needs a royal hostage, he's already got Cordelia.

Don't tell me your further repercussions, as I can see myself playing through again using the new game+ feature after this run through. But I'm sure they're interesting.

So far, in my scenario,

Spoiler:

The Aesfrost army is bearing down on the Wolffort city, and Benedict assures me it's not likely to go well for us without extreme measures, which include setting up traps to torch sections of the upcoming battlefield, which will include torching the homes of our people.

So I am in full agreement that the choices are set up to matter in this game. I'm also curious how the earlier (chapter 3, I think?) choice plays out--I picked to visit Aesfrost rather than Hyzante.

You and I took completely different paths. I actually visited the other location earlier, which (I think) gave me a different character for my party. I love the branching path structure that gives very different experiences.

I actually read a review that spoiled what happens on your path (grrr) as an illustration of the story impact. I won't spoil it here, but suffice to say there are...consequences.

[Zaxxon]

Hopefully the consequences include lasting peace and harmony.

[Kurth]

This one may be enough to get me to dust off my Switch. That and the impending return of business travel. Together, seems like good timing!

[Zaxxon]

This one may be enough to get me to dust off my Switch. That and the impending return of business travel. Together, seems like good timing!

This one would be fantastic for travel play, IMO.

[Zaxxon]

Hopefully the consequences include lasting peace and harmony.

Narrator: The consequences have not included lasting peace and harmony.

But I did get to make another consequential decision in the next chapter, and also nabbed a pretty unique side character.

Spoiler:

[Zaxxon]

Sure, I'll go for three posts in a row!

I'm now over 20 hours in, and am midway through chapter 10 (of a rumored ~20). I plan to play through at least once more on the NG+ mode after I finish this run. Highly recommend the demo to anyone who thinks they may be interested. The game has a few niggles, but I think it's bottled lightning.

It's managed to continue to impress me by trying new spins on its mechanics. For example, last night (light, non-specific spoilers)

Spoiler:

I was tasked with finding evidence to prove a certain muckety-muck is up to no good. I was dropped into one of the game's 'exploration' sections. The core gameplay is the same as prior instances of this mode, but it felt different--rather than just obtaining perspectives from NPCs to make a decision of my own, I was on a mission to find information, and if possible proof. This involved getting hints from one character, then using those with another. Also a item initially had no use to me, until I was given context around that item from another character.

The info I gleaned in this exploration then gave me upgraded dialog options in a future event.

I've had similar impressions of the battle system--most battles are of the 'extinguish the enemy' variety, but there has been enough variation in goals to keep things fresh for me. The art style is still grabbing me, and I'm loving how varied the looks of the three major geographic areas are.

[Isgrimnur]

[hitbyambulance]

i don't have a Switch myself, but i am highly interested in this one. so i decided to acquire-it-by-proxy by gifting it for my brother's birthday this Sunday (the Switch is technically the nephews' console). he _hates_ Japanese-style comic art, but is really into XCOM so we'll see how he reacts to it.

[Zaxxon]

i don't have a Switch myself, but i am highly interested in this one. so i decided to acquire-it-by-proxy by gifting it for my brother's birthday this Sunday (the Switch is technically the nephews' console). he _hates_ Japanese-style comic art, but is really into XCOM so we'll see how he reacts to it.

Well-played.

[LordMortis]

I see no plans to port this to PC. I want this game but not buy a Switch just to buy this game want this game. I also see used Switches go for nearly full retail price.

[Zaxxon]

I see no plans to port this to PC. I want this game but not buy a Switch just to buy this game want this game. I also see used Switches go for nearly full retail price.

Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default 2 eventually hit PC, so I imagine this one will, too.

[Zaxxon]

In other news, what's with these naming conventions? Triangle Strategy? Octopath Traveler? Bravely Default?

I can't wait for the sequel--Quadrangle Quandary. Or maybe Pentapath Progression? Hexagon Hypothesis?

[wonderpug]

Thanks everyone for keeping the impressions coming! I’m convinced to at least give the demo a serious try, especially since Advance Wars got delayed again.

[Zaxxon]

Had my first game over tonight. Chapter 12.

Spoiler:

Boy, that key quest section was a PITA. Fail to get the hidden rock, Ns House Wolffort is demolished and you're sent back to the title screen... In my case with the last quicksave being 30 min prior. First experience in the game where I found myself thinking this is poor design. There should be a way to choose to keep searching in this dialog section.

Onward! I'm now at 26 hours.

[Baroquen]

I've fallen into a routine where I'm playing a bunch of games at once, so I haven't been playing this as much. But part of what I like about it is that I can play a few scenes or a battle or two, and it then get on to something else (be it a game or real world life). That kind of short session play is really helpful these days.

I'm up to Chapter 4 I think. I had a bad battle experience but with an extra mental battle completed, and some weapon upgrades, handled it easily the next time. I'm liking the balance so far. Challenging, but not too difficult yet. I'm also liking the abilities of some of these characters. Anna, Hughette and Erador have all been helpful, while the usual healer/mage/archer/horsemen units fill their roles admirably too.

Even the story is kind of interesting so far. Honestly - the biggest drawback of the game so far is that it's on switch. My son is usually hogging the TV with his Apex sessions, and it's tough to play it handheld with my aging eyes. Not a huge deal, but it has led me to play other games instead. Going to knock out another few scenes now. Maybe another plot battle or grind battle before stopping.

[Zaxxon]

Still addicted to this one, nearing 30 hours in, on chapter 14. Haven't had much time this week as I'm on a trip, but I'll echo prior commentary that it rocks (hee hee) that this game is on Switch, so I can keep at it on the road.

Had my favorite battle experience so far, too:

Spoiler:

I chose to blow the castle bridge to try to take back the city with minimal bloodshed. As I'm prepping to blow it, Thalas and Erika appear, replete with elite battlemages and a boatload of archers and shieldbearers. I thought from the start that I was doomed as I was under-leveled. This seemed confirmed when I lost Serenoa on an early crit hit, then Roland a few turns later. The combo of Erika tossing oil for her brother to light up is pretty devastating.

Made some progress from there, and then things got interesting--I shield-bashed Thalas right off the bridge, and I used a Quietus to halt his next turn. This meant I had several turns to work on Erika before Thalas would be back in service. However, Frederica also crapped out on me.

In the meantime I had nuked the healers and mages, and felled Erika just as Thalas got back. By this time I was down to Hughette, Anna, and Rudolph. Thalas had 3 shieldbearers. I still thought I was toast, but Hughette's high movement + shadow stitching combined with Anna's ability to poison and hide, plus a steady supply of HP recovery pills saw me kick their asses.

This was the most pitched battle I've had so far, but it's not the first where I thought I was toast but wound up seeing the battle play out very differently than anticipated. I find that the game does a great job of varying the level design and battle objectives to keep things fresh. The fact that battles are all story-integrated and not throwaway grinds helps, as well.