Project Triangle Strategy - What We Know So Far

The Nintendo Direct on Feb. 17, 2021 brought plenty of interesting games to the table, and Project Triangle Strategy was among them. A demo for the tactical 2D RPG game from Square Enix released immediately after the Direct, which, as seen in gameplay footage, offered a special look at "chapters excerpted from the middle of the game."

Project Triangle Strategy comes from the same studio behind Octopath Traveler, another tactical Switch title. It's unclear whether Project Triangle Strategy will serve as a follow-up to Octopath Traveler or whether it takes place in a separate universe. Since Nintendo unveiled the game under a working title, the official name might shed further light on the developers' intentions.

Though Project Triangle Strategy retains some elements of mystery, the Nintendo Direct announcement and accompanying demo made at least a few details clear.

There's no official release date for Project Triangle Strategy just yet, but the end of the presentation during the Nintendo Direct provided a launch window: 2022. That could be anywhere from January to December, giving Square Enix and Nintendo plenty of flexibility. Nintendo also made it clear at the start of the stream that COVID-19 could affect release dates and "other information" revealed in the video.

Square Enix has yet to provide any information about Project Triangle Strategy on its website. All details about the game have come from the Nintendo Direct, the demo, and its Nintendo.com listing. However, it may be comforting to note that the title is far enough into development to have a demo featuring content taken from the middle of the storyline, so it's not a brand new concept that's just getting started.

The trailer for Project Triangle Strategy premiered as part of the Nintendo Direct, and it gave fans a lot to think about. The trailer showed what seems to be the main theme of the game: balancing three different ideologies as you progress through the story. Each ideology will be encompassed by a character that's close to the protagonist: his best friend, his fiance, and his family's advisor. You'll pick throughout the story, making decisions based on "virtuous morality," "the liberty of all," and "pragmatic utility."

The game will "test the courage of your convictions" as you progress, making choices that will have a direct impact on the story. While there's not a lot of in-game action shown in the trailer, there's enough to see the animation style of the 2D characters and the world around them. The Nintendo Direct presentation also showed a lot of voice acting when it came to scenes from the story.

Fans were introduced to several different aspects of Project Triangle Strategy's gameplay in the February 2021 Nintendo Direct. The combat will be turn-based on a grid system, similar to other tactical games like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics. Project Triangle Strategy will add in a vertical twist, letting players attack their enemies from above. Based on the Nintendo Direct presentation, the attack range of weapons is a central part to the battle system. Pairing up with comrades to set up flanks and combos is also going to be an important aspect of a successful campaign. 

There will also be riveting gameplay that's not part of the combat system. As explained in the Nintendo Direct, players will need to make choices throughout the game that will directly impact the way the story plays out. This feature will inevitably affect battles as entire wars seem to hinge on these decisions.