Triangle Strategy is currently my favorite entry within the tactics RPG genre.

It is a game that is admittedly very heavy on the story, but the story is executed very well from the voice acting all the way to the overall "flow" as you make heavily weighted choices that are felt throughout your playthrough. For comparison, TO:R has 3 routes but there exists a jarring contrast wherein both Catiua and Vyce seem borderline schizophrenic when going from 1 chapter and locking onto a route. In Triangle Strategy, the player can self-insert their own convictions when making decisions while the reactions or consequences affecting Serenoa's companions are written really well (Frederica in Roland's route for example). I was glued to my seat for the major turning points in the game especially since Team Asano made expert use of camera angles and panning (think of the Theater scene in FF6) to keep narration fresh. It wouldn't be a huge leap to say that this game provides a cinematic storytelling experience.

As for combat, while some may consider TO:R a bit more hardcore, TS has more variability and diversity in some regard. This may sound weird if you consider that you have a set of 30 unique/usable characters in TS as opposed to the army you can raise from various races and classes in TO:R, but hear me out for a second. TS has difficulty settings that can punish the most hardcore players for making 1 bad decision OR allow those new to the genre to learn the ropes and get a chance to appreciate the game. It's that variability in difficulty that gives me the confidence to recommend this to all of my friends. As for diversity, nearly every single one of the 30 playable units in TS lends to 2 styles of play (aggressive or otherwise). They each have their modestly developed backstory that's told really well through their character stories. I personally prefer this over how things are done in other titles within the genre. The maps also lend to that diversity as you see a broad array of map layouts (that do reappear to some degree) and not just an obnoxious repetition of height-based terrain (looking at you TO:R fortresses).

This is a game where choices do indeed matter and this is key to their design choice because it takes a total of 4 playthroughs to platinum TS. Each playthrough is different enough in a significant way (both story and combat) to keep things fresh and you can strategically speed through the common routes/parts thanks to the various upgrades you unlock. I haven't had this much fun hitting up NG+ 4 times over in a long while. You owe it to yourself to experience all the endings and the battles because there really is substance there. I broke down a little bit after completing the golden route thanks to the vivid change on the title screen. So emotional. So epic. Overall the tone of the game (and the slow pacing) reminded me a lot of Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans except I was the captain of the ship and I was the one making the hard decisions.

I treasure the time I spent playing this game and I hope a lot of newer tactics RPG players choose this as their first game. It's a special experience and to anyone who gets the 100%, I'll happily shake your hand in solidarity. Erador best girl.

Triangle Strategy is currently my favorite entry within the tactics RPG genre. It is a game that is admittedly very heavy on the story, but the story is executed very well from the voice acting all the way to the overall "flow" as you make heavily weighted choices that are felt throughout your playthrough. For comparison, TO:R has 3 routes but there exists a jarring contrast wherein both Catiua and Vyce seem borderline schizophrenic when going from 1 chapter and locking onto a route. In Triangle Strategy, the player can self-insert their own convictions when making decisions while the reactions or consequences affecting Serenoa's companions are written really well (Frederica in Roland's route for example). I was glued to my seat for the major turning points in the game especially since Team Asano made expert use of camera angles and panning (think of the Theater scene in FF6) to keep narration fresh. It wouldn't be a huge leap to say that this game provides a cinematic storytelling experience. As for combat, while some may consider TO:R a bit more hardcore, TS has more variability and diversity in some regard. This may sound weird if you consider that you have a set of 30 unique/usable characters in TS as opposed to the army you can raise from various races and classes in TO:R, but hear me out for a second. TS has difficulty settings that can punish the most hardcore players for making 1 bad decision OR allow those new to the genre to learn the ropes and get a chance to appreciate the game. It's that variability in difficulty that gives me the confidence to recommend this to all of my friends. As for diversity, nearly every single one of the 30 playable units in TS lends to 2 styles of play (aggressive or otherwise). They each have their modestly developed backstory that's told really well through their character stories. I personally prefer this over how things are done in other titles within the genre. The maps also lend to that diversity as you see a broad array of map layouts (that do reappear to some degree) and not just an obnoxious repetition of height-based terrain (looking at you TO:R fortresses). This is a game where choices do indeed matter and this is key to their design choice because it takes a total of 4 playthroughs to platinum TS. Each playthrough is different enough in a significant way (both story and combat) to keep things fresh and you can strategically speed through the common routes/parts thanks to the various upgrades you unlock. I haven't had this much fun hitting up NG+ 4 times over in a long while. You owe it to yourself to experience all the endings and the battles because there really is substance there. I broke down a little bit after completing the golden route thanks to the vivid change on the title screen. So emotional. So epic. Overall the tone of the game (and the slow pacing) reminded me a lot of Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans except I was the captain of the ship and I was the one making the hard decisions. I treasure the time I spent playing this game and I hope a lot of newer tactics RPG players choose this as their first game. It's a special experience and to anyone who gets the 100%, I'll happily shake your hand in solidarity. Erador best girl.