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Square Enix released the Nintendo Switch version of Triangular Strategy on March 4, 2022. Reminiscent of the tactical RPG battles of the year, and the "HD-2D" picture effect combined with the retro dot matrix combined with 3DCG are the biggest features of this game, and unique elements such as the route branch decided by the vote of the companions have also attracted the attention of the majority of players. This time, the editorial board of "Fami Tong" will introduce the various elements and different charms of this work.
Gamble on the honor of the lord and the battle of life
The stage of this game is located on the continent of "Nozeria", which is in a situation where the kingdom of Greenborough, the Principality of Esphrest, and the Great Church of St. Heisand are established. In the past, Nozelia had a "salt and iron war" in which the three countries competed for the interests of salt and iron. Now that the mines are being mined jointly by the three countries, peace has been restored in Nozelia. The protagonist, Serenoia, is the son of the lord of the Warhold family in the Kingdom of Greenborough. He succeeded his father Simon as head of the household and would marry Frignica, the duchess of Esphrest.
▲ The Warhold family is one of the three major families of the Kingdom of Greenborough, and Serenoah's father, Simon, is the biggest contributor to the end of the Salt and Iron War
▲ Freudika is the daughter of the side chamber with The Bloodline of the Roger, and comes to the Warhold house with the maid and teacher Gila
However, due to an incident at the new mine in Nozelia, conflict broke out again between the three countries. The Principality of Esphrest invaded and occupied the capital of the Kingdom of Greenborough, and the three kingdoms collapsed in an instant. Serenoa, who was forced to make the final choice again and again, was sweating profusely in every battle that followed. In addition, before choosing the story branch route, the game will meet with the protagonist's companions to vote on future decisions, voting in the form of a minority obeying the majority, but sometimes the companions may choose the opposite path to the player's wishes... There is no doubt that until the final ending, no one knows where the story of this game will go.
The kingdom of Greenborough, where Serenoah and others lived, was a prosperous country that used rivers for trade, and before it was attacked by Esphrst, it was peaceful, but it also hid problems such as aristocratic corruption
The Principality of Esphorus, ruled by Frieka's brother General Gustadev, is a country with perennial snowfall and harsh environment. Although the country was not rich due to the lack of salt, the state advocated that everyone had the opportunity to emerge from the strengthism, so people could learn a wealth of knowledge in the university academy
Salt is an indispensable and important substance for maintaining human life, but the Saint-Hysandre Sect state located in the desert is a monopoly of salt. Although all believers in the Goddess of Salt are equal, the state discriminates against the Rochelles as natural sinners and forces them to work in the Salt Lake
The battle part with simple rules but esoteric strategy
The game is divided into "battle part", "RPG part" and "plot part". Advance the game by switching to the RPG section while exploring and the battle portion when fighting enemies. The battle portion allows for a battle that tests the strategy, with players aiming to achieve the conditions for victory, issuing instructions such as move and attack to friendly units on a battlefield divided by squares.
Since this game is a strategy RPG, some people may think that this is a very brainy game, but the elements of this game are actually very simple. First of all, you need to understand the order of action between the enemy and our side, and then pay attention to the position while moving the friendly unit, such as pinching and shooting behind the opponent, attacking from a vantage point such as a high place.
▲ There are height differences such as cliffs and stairs in the field where the battle is fought, for example, the bow and arrow has the advantage of being able to shoot arrows from a high place into the distance
▲ Each unit can decide its own direction at the end of the operation, and if it can attack from the back of an enemy unit, it will deal fatal damage. In addition, if the enemy is caught between our units during the attack, the other side of the unit will pursue, and a single action can cause huge damage
There are also many convenient features in the game, such as each unit displaying its own numbers so that players can view the order of action at any time during battle. When our unit moves, the player can see at a glance the expected damage this attack will inflict on the enemy, and which enemy's attack range will enter after the move. When I played, I was shocked that "there is such a function!".
With these handy features, the combat part also becomes less difficult for strategy RPG beginners, but that doesn't mean players can play through the level quickly. Since the enemy will also seize the advantageous position, the slightest carelessness will reveal the flaws and fall into a desperate situation in an instant. Therefore, players need to think about whether to choose to attack with all their might, or choose to seize the advantageous position first and wait for the opportunity. This gameplay derives from the strategic nature of predicting actions, allowing players to experience the joy of thinking in battle.
By the way, I wanted our unit to solve a dying enemy, but unfortunately it was immediately hit by another enemy, and it happened before the unit that could use the recovery ability to act, so it failed miserably... The next time I attack, I vow to double-check the sequence of actions of the characters.
▲ Each unit can learn skills by leveling up. Skills include attack magic and status improvement, as well as special abilities to draw enemies to the side of their partner characters
▲ The combat section also has elements of weather and terrain effects. For example, if you fire a Lightning Magic skill on a square that has become a puddle due to rain, the current will pass through the water, and the units in the other square will also receive electric shocks, hitting damage without direct attack
Shake the faith in the choice
Unlike the combat section, the RPG section operates Serenoa to explore places it has been. In addition to picking up props, the city also has access to the information mentioned above as persuasive material for voting. A vote is held when Serenoia and others decide on the course of future action, and the result is an important factor in determining the branch of the story. Each character votes for the person he thinks is right, but before that, the player can also convince him to change his mind by offering his own opinion or information obtained in the city.
The RPG part explores cities that may become battlefields like the battle parts. In addition, since it is possible to detect the favorable factors that can be used in battle in advance, it is recommended to take a closer look at all the places that can be explored
However, the system of this game has a unique design, that is, not all characters will vote for the player's wishes, and those who seem to be convinced may not change their opinions in the end.
As a result, the player may not get the votes he wants, and the story may go in an unexpected direction, but it may eventually become better. I'm not very good at convincing others myself, but I'm still deeply attracted to the story and can't help but sigh that "this result is really good."
The interesting thing about the voting system is that the player himself (Serenoa) cannot vote. Correspondingly, the player needs to analyze the personality of each character, come up with a shocking point of view, and put it into practice, living like a real master
In the RPG section, the author's biggest concern is that Frederica, who is already married to Serenoa, is in. She was the daughter of the side chamber and a member of the Rogers, and occasionally spoke of her sympathetic past, such as the bad old days in the Duchy of Esphrest. Moreover, her personality is pure and her mobility is high, and I can't help but be very concerned about her story.
Perhaps because of this, Serenoa's beliefs gradually take shape in the options the player chooses in each action and dialogue. At first, however, he actually valued reality more than ideals, and as soon as he encountered something related to Frieka, he would immediately change his mind. In order to protect Fridrica, he will not hesitate to distort his beliefs and agree with the opinions that are favorable to Fridrica.
▲ The player's actions and decisions affect the three values of "interest", "morality" and "freedom", and thus form Serenoa's belief
▲ Among the characters who can become partners, the author especially recommends the blacksmith Jens. In the battle section, he can use the ability of a ladder to climb high or push an enemy off a cliff with the ability to set traps at a high place. He was able to achieve great success in terrain with high and low differences
Not only Forderica, but the RPG part and the plot part of the game depict each character's personality and interpersonal relationships in detail, which is easy for players to resonate with. And according to the player's feelings for the character, it should also greatly shake the player's belief.
Square Enix's highlight Triangle Strategy consists of a combat part, an RPG part, and a plot part. Each section has its own unique charm. The combat part, while simple in rules, can enjoy a sweaty brainstorming session.
On the other hand, in the RPG section, depending on the player's own beliefs, the characters who become partners and the development of the story also change. Voting also involves elements such as persuading a partner or being questioned for being a master, which is a different kind of fun than the combat part, and it will not be boring to the player at all.
▲ When I was playing, I was forced to accept voting options, such as whether to participate in the illegal salt trade
Also, as mentioned above, even if you convince these buddies, the Warholds don't always act according to the player's desired choices, so there will be a series of unexpected developments along the course of the game. Even if you have already passed the level once, you should be curious about "if you can convince others at that time, how will the story change?" When I looked back, I found that I had actually started playing from scratch again. If you are interested in The Triangle Strategy after reading this article, please try it out.
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