Game Review: Project Triangle Strategy (Debut Demo)
Project Triangle Strategy was a pleasant surprise from a recent Nintendo Direct, and it is a game that I’ve been waiting for on multiple levels. In the first place, Final Fantasy Tactics is a game that holds a special place for me, and it’s been too long since we’ve seen another tactical turn-based JRPG of that quality. For another, Project Triangle Strategy is a game with the visual and narrative style of Octopath Traveler, a JRPG that I highly enjoyed. Although Square Enix seems bound and determined to push ARPG cinematic games with its AAA titles, Switch games like Project Triangle Strategy have done a far better job of respecting the roots of classic Final Fantasy than the main Final Fantasy series has.
Although the setup of the demo is a bit clunky on a narrative level, it does at least a reasonable job of setting the scene. The demo drops the player in the sixth chapter of the game and it expects the player to pick up what’s going on; fortunately, this isn’t too difficult if you pay attention to the cutscenes. The scenario revolves around a balance of power between three kingdoms that have gone to war against each other over resources. The opening scenario shows the betrayal of the truce by one faction, led by the Archduke of Aelsfrost, against a rival royal family. This leads the surviving crown Prince Roland in an alliance with a group of individuals determined to settle the conflict, including the Archduke’s sister and her husband-to-be. The opening scene of the demo is lengthy, and the cutscenes take their time with the narrative and the character setup. Much of it revolves around the political situation and the characters’ relationships to each other and to the war. The characters are promising at least, enough that I want to learn more about them and to play as them once the full game releases. At this point, the demo doesn’t quite offer enough to truly get to know them, especially given the cast is large and there are so many moving parts to the story, though there is enough to be intrigued. However, if you’re more interested in the combat than the story, it’s possible that the full game may lose you. Still, the tone of this game is correct, reminiscent of the original Final Fantasy Tactics, which was heavily political dark fantasy, reminiscent of early Game of Thrones. My hope is that the completed game will improve on the formula enough to make Project Triangle Strategy a great JRPG in its own right, though it’s too soon to be certain based on the demo alone.
The basics of the combat are recognizable to anyone who’s familiar with the original Final Fantasy Tactics, though the execution has evolved since that game. As with FFT, you’re given the choice of different character classes, and you have the option of placing these units on the battlefield before the encounter begins. Once battle begins, each character type has different options in battle, including attacks, movement along a square grid, and special abilities (such as skills, healing, and offensive magic spells). Project Triangle Strategy manages to build on this formula in various ways that make combat more compelling, while being consistent with the Octopath Traveler visual style. Players have the option of manipulating the environment, such as raising a drawbridge to allow their party to move into the next area where the objective is. There are options to use the terrain to your advantage, and you get bonuses depending on whether your party members hold the high ground or inflict back attacks. With the right units, such as the assassin or the archer, mobility and stealth can be combined with terrain advantage to get the edge on your enemies in battle. Special attacks also give a variety of options in addition to normal attacks and weapons, though these are often limited by range and the attack grid. The difficulty of the battles may be challenging in this demo if you’re not familiar with tactical JRPGs, though that makes victory in battle more satisfying. It’s possible that the difficulty will be more scalable in the full version, though there’s not enough to be certain on this front.
As someone who is a fan of turn-based classic JRPGs, I always appreciate when I find a game that can fill a void in the genre. At this point, it’s not certain whether Project Triangle Strategy is that game yet, though the potential is clearly evident with this demo. The demo is free to Nintendo Switch owners on the Nintendo eShop, so it’s worth trying for yourself to see if this game is for you. There are definite points that still need polish with this game, but there is also promise to be a great successor to Final Fantasy Tactics. Provided that Square Enix allows the developers the necessary time to polish the narrative and combat flaws, Project Triangle Strategy could be that game that alienated classic Final Fantasy fans are looking for.
Score: 4/5
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Publisher: Square Enix
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
