The quiet confidence of Triangle Strategy is even more apparent in the combat system, which initially felt like a perfectly generic tactical RPG. I still think the Roselle are a little weird, especially the physical trait of pink hair, but they were definitely handled a lot better than I’d feared. That oppression wasn't mere window dressing to make the world seem darker and more realistic, but instead some created a storytelling opportunity. But Triangle Strategy consistently gave me the opportunity to take action to make life better for the Roselle when they became relevant. For example, one of the seemingly minor setting traits of Triangle Strategy is that it includes an oppressed people called the Roselle, whose historical and religious oppression seemed directly inspired by the history of the Jewish people in a way that was so direct as to feel awkward (real history of real oppressed people being given a slight fantastical mask can lead down some strange and unpleasant paths). The choice system is also deployed well in some crucial ways. (Relaxing and letting the campaign happen as it happens proved to be one of the better ways to play.) On the downside, the Conviction system is masked for the entire first playthrough, which did lead me to some confusion over whether I was supposed to know what was happening or not. That scrupulous honesty, for example, helped me acquire the honest anti-corruption support character Julio, who proved invaluable in the late game as someone who could keep my mages casting spells with no breaks. All the little dialogue decisions you make (and even some actions taken in combat) end up combining to both subtly lead Serenoa down particular paths, and unlock side characters and flashbacks for them. The voting and Conviction systems end up being very clever ways to manifest your choices. Needless to say, things go badly, and everyone starts fighting once again. The three competing states have vied for control of salt and iron, but a new joint mining project serves as a symbol of peace. Instead, the characters do battle over resources and political authority. Magic exists on the continent of Norzelia, but here it's a tool and weapon more than a world-defining power. It's important to start with the plot and setting, because this is a story-heavy game. Likewise, (and also extremely importantly for a word- and number-heavy RPG) I was able to easily read all the text fairly easily both on the Switch itself and on a relatively small television. It looks good on both TV mode and handheld on the Switch, although I ended up preferring the latter slightly because the characters really popped on the small screen. Being able to zoom in and out and swirl the camera around or tilt from an isometric to a top-down view, all while looking consistent and clear, is a tremendous achievement. It’s the hallmark of Tomoya Asano, who also worked as a producer on the similarly impressive Octopath Traveler. The game's retro look on a 3D plane feels like playing with miniatures on a well-crafted map.The initial impressive standout for Triangle Strategy is its two-dimensional character pixel art that exists in a flexible three-dimensional world. Using the rogue to get an extra attack works particularly well, especially when you include the flanking bonus. There's backstabbing critical damage and flanking bonuses where characters, or enemies, can get in extra attacks. Having traps and terrain effects caused by spells like melting ice and electrocuting enemies who step in the water. PTS seems to be breaking away from the more complex strategy RPGs that dominate the sub-genre and getting back to basics, although it does have a few extra mechanics which take a page from Dungeons & Dragons combat. ![]() It sounds awfully familiar to what we've seen in PTS's demo so far. There were phases where you could explore areas, find treasure, or just talk to party members and townspeople. They leveled up, had set classes and could wear equipment. ![]() Instead of hiring them, they were encountered across the world in towns or after certain events and stayed with you - no character perma-death. Characters could be recruited, but there was a set amount, and they were all considered core characters. Terrain could affect character movement, and there were, of course, characters with different movement speeds. ![]() You could head up to an enemy and attack or attack at range with magic or arrows. Shining Force's strategy combat was very basic.
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