The half-sister of archduke Gustadolph Aesfrost, Frederica was born of a Rosellan concubine-a pink-haired ethnic group viewed, at best, as second-class citizens-making her the lesser of her siblings and perfect for a half-hearted show of transnational unity. This union of minor nobles is engineered to help unite the two nations without providing either party too much political clout. In fact, one of the game’s earliest developments concerns Serenoa’s arranged marriage to Princess Frederica Aesfrost. Loyal to their king to a fault and seemingly devoted to righting the wrongs of the past, Glenbrook is hampered by the trappings of the classical hereditary monarchy. Your primary protagonist, Serenoa, is the heir of House Wolffort, one of the three great houses of the largely agricultural Glenbrook. Of course, events early in the game threaten this tentative harmony, and the mine itself becomes a flashpoint for another grand international incident. The three great Norzelian kingdoms-Glenbrook, Aesfrost, and Hyzante-seem to have put at least some of their lingering differences aside, and have recently launched a joint mining operation in the heart of Glenbrook.
Beginning some 30 years after the Saltiron War that divided the continent of Norzelia, it instead picks up in a time of relative peace. While most tactical titles are content to set themselves at the start of a great war, Triangle Strategy takes a different approach. Suffice it to say, as far as this review is concerned, the phrase “spoiler-free” may be a bit of an understatement. This is because, while devious political machinations, difficult player choices, and nonstop plot twists are to be expected in this style of game, they are as integral to Triangle Strategy as its battle maps, skill trees, and loot system.
With the title arriving on retail shelves later this week, I can at last share my thoughts on this new take on the age-old tactics gaming formula, though, in truth, I find myself wanting to insulate my enthusiasm a little, to wrap it in a blanket of vagueness for the sake of those about to take their first step into the land of Norzelia. Even from its earliest reveal, Square Enix’s Triangle Strategy reminded me of FFTA, with its multi-tiered battlegrounds and granular character progression, so I was obviously excited to see my way through two separate demos and, finally, the full game itself. While the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem series kicked off my love affair with turn-based strategy gaming, it was another Game Boy Advance title, 2003’s RPG-heavy Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, that truly cemented the genre as a longtime favorite.
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