Nintendo Switch can boast of having in its catalog one of the best SRPGs today, such as Fire Emblem: Three Houses; but also of having seen the birth of a new IP within the Japanese label role-playing games, the wonderful Octopath Traveler. And it is precisely the latter that comes to mind when thinking about Artdink’s future Project Triangle Strategy.
The resemblance is summed up in a retro aesthetic and that both are RPGs edited by Square Enix, with the difference that in the Acquire studio’s work of 2018 we were facing turn-based battles a la Final Fantasy and in this work by the Artdink studio they are strategic battles , in the vein of Vandal Hearts or the aforementioned Fire Emblem.
A large-scale conflict on the Norselia continent
Available for a few days as a demo for the eShop, after its presentation of the Nintendo Direct, it is the ideal opportunity to get an idea of what awaits us in 2022 with this new IP in RPGs. At least in terms of gameplay and mechanics, since the story has crumbs and the demo itself warns us that we probably won’t find out much, in part because it only shows chapters 6 and 7, which last just over three hours. play.
Be that as it may, its introductory scene presents us with the continent of Norselia, where three nations coexisted: the Kingdom of Glaucoburg , a commercial link due to its proximity to a great river; the Archducado of Icebreaker , the main iron producer; and the Sacred See of Dunálgida , sole owner of the salt, necessary to live.
But due to the limited resources of these nations, they provoked a constant struggle that led to a series of skirmishes for iron and salt, which led to a huge unprecedented conflict known as the Great Ferrosaline War . The attrition it produced culminated in a ceasefire … until the new Archduke of Iceforge (Gustadolph) suddenly attacked the kingdom of Glaukoburg. And this is where we come in, embodying the role of Serinoa, a young man from House Wolffort (the most important of the three vassal families of Glaucoburg) who occupies the role of patriarch and leader and who leaves without delay to the capital to resolve the conflict. accompanied by Benedict, Roland and Frederica.
With the plot advanced in this demo, little more can be said about the story to put us in the situation, save for the importance that our decisions will have in the face of the Balance of Conviction . Through the meeting chamber, there will be moments in history where there will be two options to choose from that will have consequences on the plot, such as delivering Roland and avoiding a battle or protecting him and standing up to the Archduke. And change the matter.
In this process, it will be necessary to listen to the citizens beforehand to see the situation with a better perspective, paying special attention to certain information that will serve as a hidden conversation with which to persuade our allies in the chamber to reflect on their vote. The process is quite interesting , because we will constantly see who is in favor and who is against it, with a final section for the undecided; but we won’t know the verdict until the end.
Project Triangle Strategy, good strategy
That Project Triangle Strategy gives a lot of weight to the story is evident in the demo , since there will be a good number of secondary missions that only have the name of “missions”, since they will be other people’s conversations with which to better understand what is at stake on the continent of Norselia. In addition, there are major investigation parts, prior to tactical combat.
Obviously, carrying “strategy” in its own name, the part of tactical strategy mixed with role plays an essential role in this work by Artdink, I particularly like the care with which all the essential parameters of a good SRPG have been treated . To begin with, the terrain plays a crucial role, influencing the elevation or the type of ground we walk on, to the point of modifying its advantages if we apply elemental magic, as happened in Suikoden Tactics .
In the case of Project Triangle Strategy , we have an example of ice magic, modifying the squares that have suffered the spell to reduce the effectiveness of agility and dexterity by 30%, apart from increasing the cost of movement by 1.5 points. And, logically, it also applies other types of parameters in other situations, such as increasing the percentage of critics in attacks from behind, with the consequent appeal of creating a combined attack if we have a partner of ours in squares adjacent to the enemy we attack.
Each character has their own specialization, both for weapons and magic, and can unlock more skills as they level up. Everything works like a Swiss watch and respects the probability percentages, unlike the XCOMs. Or at least, in my three hours with the demo, wow.
I also liked having a lot of information on the screen, such as being able to mark the option to know at all times who each shift corresponds to with a number, beyond the lower “compass” with the basic order. Or that when moving, let us know if in a square we are going to be exposed to a rival attack later. After all, planning is essential in such a game .
For now, I am left with the sensations that it has given me, where it has evoked part of what I felt with the sequel to Vandal Hearts , a game to which I dedicated more than 150 hours in its day. I don’t know how I’ll last until 2022 without playing this Project Triangle Strategy . Or yes: replaying (again) that Konami saga.
