Triangle Strategy Review: Ruling A Kingdom Just Ain’t Worth The Drama

thegamer.com:

Triangle Strategy made me feel like a terrible person. JRPGs are normally defined by anime melodrama and silly haircuts, but this TRPG somehow brings out the human side of fantasy as we are forced to make decisions that have a tangible impact on the world around us. Ruling a kingdom is no easy task, especially when you find yourself embroiled in a war where everyone around you is a potential saboteur ready and willing to embrace betrayal.

While the characters are little more than a mess of adorable pixels and many environments deliberately resemble handcrafted dioramas, there’s an element of realism in how this game expresses loss and sacrifice amidst conflict, often placing harsh decisions on our shoulders and expecting us to reach an ultimatum that will never satisfy everyone. You will make mistakes as a ruler, forced to leave loved ones or citizens to die in the face of progress or knowing that the war ahead will see further blood spilt if we aren’t prepared.

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Taking clear inspiration from the likes of Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics, Triangle Strategy is an achingly faithful homage to classic genre conventions that can often feel too retro for its own good. However, this faithfulness is complemented by myriad innovation and creative mechanics that help it shine. Combine that with excellent characters and an unexpectedly poignant narrative and you’ve got one of 2022’s biggest surprises. After being somewhat underwhelmed by Octopath Traveller, the team behind it has returned with a tighter, punchier, and more refined experience that cuts away so much of the needless chaff.

You play as Serenoa Wollfort, a young lord who is forced into the