Triangle Strategy: Chapter 3 - How To Win The Vote

For those that want to enjoy the story but do not want to pay perfect attention, there is a button for that as well. Players can autoplay the dialogue. This negates the need to hit a button to skip to the next speech bubble every time. It’s been done in RPGs before, but it still deserves applause h

Triangle Strategy is an excellent game that expertly combines satisfying combat and a layered narrative to create something I didn’t know I needed. Serenoa Wollfort’s journey is punctuated with intrigue, betrayal, and triumph that are all driven by player decisions that actually feel like they matter. It isn’t smoke and mirrors on a moral railroad presenting the illusion of choice, it's a ride or die political rollercoaster where failing to convince a single ally will result in the untimely deaths of thousands.

Each major character also has a trait unique to them - such as being able to act twice in a single turn or build ladders to navigate trickier terrain. Everyone is different, which makes selecting which units are coming into each battle that much more difficult. You will need to mix and match in order to match each new situation, which can often result in lower level characters having to hang back until they are needed because, as I said before, grinding opportunities in Triangle Strategy feel oddly truncated for a JRPG of this scope. Outside of battle and between story sequences you are free to visit a War Tent filled with your allies ready to strike up conversations. This is also where merchants and traders are found, who are required to upgrade weapons and advance character classes on the regular.

Chapter Three of Triangle Strategy gameplay Strategy is the first chapter in the game to be split up into multiple parts, and it's also the first chapter to feature a vote using the Scales of Conviction. This is a big part of the game that dictates your playthrough's ro

This tourney is only a mock battle, but it's a mock battle that you have to win. After all, you can't let Hyzante embarrass you! After some preamble about the structure of the event, you'll get right down to

This is the very definition of an uphill battle. The lifts will help even the odds, but this is still going to be a tough one. Your desperate former allies are willing to do whatever it takes to stop Serenoa, including setting their fields abl

One thing that is missing completely is cutscenes. The PSP version of Final Fantasy Tactics added cel-shaded cutscenes to some major plot points, and they looked great. They aren’t needed in Triangle Strategy but they would have rounded out the package nic

Coloured tiles appear whenever you are about to move a character, making it clear when you are within reach of an enemy attack and when you are safe. This makes positioning a breeze, guaranteeing safe passage in the midst of chaos when moving more sensitive units like mages and healers across the battlefield. Synergy is also emphasised. If an attack is performed with an ally sitting on the opposing side of a foe’s position, you will perform a two-pronged combo that essentially doubles your damage. These are small additions, but compile to create a tactical experience that feels infinitely more layered and satisfying. It is no longer about executing a single action and hoping it goes well, forced to restart if the opposing side suddenly decides to call in reinforcements or deal a critical hit.

After taking part in your first momentous vote in Triangle Strategy , you will be taken to either the Grand Duchy of Aesfrost or the Holy State of Hyzante. With the latter route, Serenoa and co. get to see the scorching sands for the first time in the game and meet the hierophant. Hyzante's egalitarian surface proves at least a partial facade, culminating in a conflict with rebel scholars whose worldview certainly does not mesh with those forecast by the Saintly Seven. Good thing we'll have an ice mage to help us keep our cool. More Walkthroug

Triangle Strategy veers in unexpected directions like this all the time, likely encouraging repeat playthroughs or a naughty bit of save scumming in case a pivotal decision turns sour. I stuck to my guns even when it was clear I should have acted differently, making me curious to revisit certain moments and seek out alternate endings where those I love might have lived, or sacrifices to my people might have been avoided if I was more cautious. One battle involves setting braziers alight to keep enemies at bay, but as a result countless houses are burned to the ground. These belong to real people, and they will reside by the wreckage in later sections talking about what they’ve lost while bitterly accepting that it was for the greater good. Nice one, Serenoa.

There is a button players can hit during conversations to get brief character highlights. This can help, but it’s still tricky to keep track of them all. It is a double-edged sword and can be a nice problem to have in a story. Multiple characters give the world a more lived-in feeling at the cost of being confusing at ti