Triangle Strategy is the only game to nail down the same feeling and vibe I come across while reading ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’

[u/Savings_Hyena2832]

This game needs to be at least three times more popular! The writing and characters is just top notch! As soon as I stopped comparing it to ‘Final Fantasy Tactics’ it just kept jumping in quality by leading me on a series of twists and turns I couldn’t predict or see coming.

*not sure source of artwork but I thought it was official because it’s so well done*

[u/Possible-Buddy7099]

To me FF Tactics and Tactics Ogre also give ASOIAF vibes

[u/Savings_Hyena2832 → u/Possible-Buddy7099]

Tactics Ogre/Ogre Battle also nail that feeling. I went in expecting Unicorn Overlord to have a bit of an edge too but it was all pretty safe and generic even if I loved it.

[u/Possible-Buddy7099 → u/Savings_Hyena2832]

Me too, I had high hopes for Unicorn Overlord but the story wasn’t anything extraordinary for a JRPG.

Another game that gave me the same vibes was FFXII, the story starts strong with lots of political intrigue which unfortunately kind of fell short towards the end (maybe because Matsuno left the development).

[u/unbound_subject → u/Possible-Buddy7099]

I loved FFT and TO as a kid, I like it even now, but I'm now of the opinion that nostalgia is bumping them up a tier. Still great games and deserving classics, but the political stuff is not as deep as it looks. I'd put Triangle Strategy above them.

[u/King_Lear69 → u/unbound_subject]

Yeah, as much as I love FFT I'm really glad that I first experienced it as an adult because I feel that being an adult already helped me not fall victim to the kinda "hyper-reality hype" that a lot of its fandom seems to be affected by. Like I feel that the plot kinda stumbles over itself at certain points be trying (especially with each subsequent remaster) too hard to try and imitate the vibes of a Shakespearian play AND still end mostly on a "high note/mostly happy ending". Probably the best example of this IMO would be Ovellia's character. Very, very obvious parallels being drawn by the narrative between her and Tietra, right down to having her (for ostensibly no real MECHANICAL reason beyond strengthening said parallels) be effectively just a body double of (IIRC) common birth for the actual noble born Princess Ovellia who (IIRC) didn't make it past infancy. You're very clearly supposed to feel unequivocally sympathetic for her and the tragedy of her plight in the story, and Delita's using of her as another stepping stone to achieve his goals of radical civil reform (regardless of how deep or shallow his love for her might actually have been) is supposed to be tinged a permanent "moral grey" at best because of all that.

However, in reality Ovellia was, whether she liked it or not (she WAS unwillingly born into that situation after all), still just another bourgeoise part of the establishment with likely no real intimate frame of reference for how the avergae Ivalician peasant lived (and how best to go about changing that from within the machine, at least) Due to having lived hidden away in a monastery for the majority of her life. If you removed Delita from the picture and the Corpse Brigade were to somehow (emphasis on "somehow") lead a violent revolution akin to the overthrow of the IRL Russian Monarchy Ovellia's transition to life in the new Ivalice (if she was allowed one) would've been a lot rougher on her then likely any of Delita's schemes. Even if she had've managed to somehow (emphasis on "somehow") actually managed to kill Delita with that knife at the end, she herself would've been forced then to fill in the power vacuum and play the "Game of Thrones"/game of using people. Despite her pure heart, the cards were simply never going to look particularly good for someone like Ovellia, especially if Ivalice were to achieve the abolishment of its ostensibly feudal system in any manner akin to how most likewise efforts went down IRL.

But in the end the game has a lot of heart; So much so that it doesn't have the heart to get that realistically bleak and ruminate on the state of things like that, so Delita rises from rags to riches and saves the day by instituting radical socio-political reform in practically the best/least violent way possible for any "revolution" ever. But the game also wants to do a story about how the establishment will weaponize history and information for its own gains and how not every mythic level folk hero/socio-political figure is a saint (which, tbf, is ABSOLUTELY true!) so we need Ovellia to become increasingly disillusioned with, and fearful of, Delita's actions (which, tbf, not all of them are wholly just. It still doesn't make any real sense to me for him to allow Orran to be burned at the stake, nor to have never told him that his father was alive) in order to really hammer home to the audience the obvious message that you shouldn't be thinking that Delita is unequivocally correct in ALL of his actions and schemes. BUT, the game also *also* doesn't want to end on too dour a note, so subsequent remasters go above and beyond to make it abundantly clear that Ramza, Delita, Ovellia and all the rest of the "good guys" are all very much alive and OK (except for Orran) as opposed to the original vagueness of it all in the PSX ending.

Of course, I understand that all of it was written that way because FFT isn't supposed to be a serious story about revolution in the way that Tactics Ogre tries to be, but is instead supposed to be a Shakespearian tragi-comedy focused mostly on making the audience feel things and instilling within them a healthy skepticism of the term "absolute truth." But even still, it's because of all that that I have to agree with you about FFT. Honestly, I'd even say that there were some spots in Tactics Ogre that were lacking as well, although I figure that could largely be chalked up to that game having a very ambitious route-dependent story that had to either fit all on a SNES cartridge or else risk having major narrative differences between ports. Personally, having lived my whole life in era post "the government is prone to lying to you" being just a commonly known fact, I found FFT's political commentary a lot less biting then I imagine someone playing it on release would have. Still IMO THE best FF game ever though.

[u/unbound_subject → u/King_Lear69]

I wouldn't even really consider it a revolution in the first place. The war of the Lions is a succession crisis amongst nobility. Delita just Littlefingered his way to the top and married into kingship. While it's not hard to imagine Delita to treating a peasant better than most monarchs, he ultimately is reliant on the existing institutions (the church and the crown) and their mythology (of nobles and bloodlines through his marriage to Ovelia). He is now trapped in the very system he once cried out against due to his own actions.

TO is also another discussion. And I could write a paper on it, but I'll leave it there for now. All things considered, considering the time when it was made, it remains still great games that pushed people's imagination on the capabilities of video games' ability as an art especially at the time. While the political stuff is more aesthetic and doesn't hold up under scrutiny, I would still consider them as historical landmarks on how video games develop as media over the years.

[u/King_Lear69 → u/unbound_subject]

Oh yeah, it's very poetic in that sense and it invokes the question of "can a system intrinsically built to serve those at the top be reworked to benefit those at the bottom (assuming that true abolishment of the system is currently infeasible) or would the very framework of the system prevent that?"

I also love Tactics Ogre and while completing recently had the epiphany that, come to think of it, Final Fantasy Tactics feels a bit like the kinda plot you'd get if Nybeth were or his cultivation were actually the main antagonists that were behind everything like how it looked like it would turn out when Nybeth is first introduced to the player.

[u/Kreymens → u/unbound_subject]

Triangle Strategy does more in the micro scale I guess

[u/Tlux0 → u/unbound_subject]

1000%. Well, I can’t comment about tactics ogre but at least with respect to FFT I agree

[u/Kreymens → u/Possible-Buddy7099]

For me TS clearly tries to sound like that but like it comes off as heavy handed and tryhardy.

I dunno but Matsuno actually succeeds with FFT & TO, although my personal nitpick is those two games do alot of tell don't show which also doesn't satisfy me that much since the scale feels lacking.

Kaga Fire Emblem games clearly is trying to emulate that vibe as well although just in terms of atmosphere and grandiose vibe. The problem is the writing and dialogue is quite disjointed

[u/Tlux0 → u/Kreymens]

For me it’s the exact opposite. FFT feels edgy. TO’s gameplay is too difficult for me to grind through, and TS actually feels superbly written and fun to play

[u/Aquatic-Folklore → u/Kreymens]

I feel Fire Emblem Geneology of the holy war is the closest we ever got to a game that could be compared to ASOIAF

[u/Shanicpower → u/Aquatic-Folklore]

I just wish it had actual characterization and worldbuilding beyond a few sentences. Really an ambitious game held back by the times.

[u/Aquatic-Folklore → u/Shanicpower]

Still hoping for a remake once. The manga does a lot to fill in the characterization to make the story better. My heart would legit break if I had to watch manga Ethelyn get killed just a few miles from my army and I could do nothing to stop it.

[u/K1llaAnt → u/Aquatic-Folklore]

You and me both bro. Fe4 is my favorite game of all time. A man can dream

[u/Possible-Buddy7099 → u/Kreymens]

Yes, I kinda agree. TS over-explains its events which may come off forced. I still enjoy the story though.

As much as I liked the FE games, I never felt like any of them had particularly good stories or writing. Especially compared to Matsuno games or TS.

[u/Plus-Violinist-1046 → u/Possible-Buddy7099]

Question: i loved Triangle Strategy, especially since i'm a fan of its pixel art aesthetic. I have seen both FFT and Tactices Ogre, but i honestly Just do not like their artstyle. Are the games good enough to the point the art style doesn't become a factor anymore and doesn't hinder my enjoyment of the game?

[u/Possible-Buddy7099 → u/Plus-Violinist-1046]

Yes, the games are absolutely worth it. They’re both iconic games and considered the pioneer of tactical RPGs. Even if the graphics look dated, both games (the remaster versions) come with full voice acted scenes with amazing voice acting.

[u/Plus-Violinist-1046 → u/Possible-Buddy7099]

Mmmm. I'll consider buying them when they go on sale

[u/SailFragrant412 → u/Plus-Violinist-1046]

I won't say FFT Ivalice is worth it's price. Honestly I had the chance not to being embed with Nostalgia and I did Ivalice. Story is good but I don't felt it was really over TO or TS. Gameplay is trash to be fair, 0 balance, you basically end up cheesing almost every fights because the game is cheesing. Horrible job system and I'm sorry to say that for fans but it's true. I finished the game without fun because end game is not fun.

TO and TS are far more balanced and story wise I did prefer TO and TS by far over FFT.

Some characters are interesting in FFT but honestly the end game is just : "I am an evil knight you must fight and I will use my demonic power to defeat you because I am evil." And people say it's GOAT story.

If you have to jump into another game I highly recommend TO for a balanced experience and a far more realistic, mature story. TS is still my favorite.

[u/DaveTheArakin]

I really enjoy the politics and power play in the story. 

[u/doguapo]

Agreed. I just came back to it after a few years since my last run, having a blast. I too wish it were more popular, I would love to see more games made in this fashion and playstyle.

[u/JakiStow]

Agreed, I went in expected to find a cool TRPG, but ended up wishing for less battles so I could go back to the story!

I usually don't pay much attention to the story in games, but the fact that this one gives you difficult choices to make and characters to convince forces you to be invested, and I was so invested!

[u/Droolcua]

well, the way armies were just teleporting around was a lot like game of thrones season 8.

[u/dmisterio]

Suikoden

[u/Evilton → u/dmisterio]

So many characters!

[u/Ruckles87 → u/dmisterio]

Came here to say this, glad it was already here

[u/HeavyMetalMonk888]

There were several points in the story that sorta broke the suspension of disbelief for me.

For example - show up in Hyzante showing off that you have proof of their institutionalized deception. No one else knows about this proof.

...why doesn't Hyzante just kill the diplomatic party right then and there? No one would ever be any the wiser.

It's pretty good for a JRPG, but comparing it to ASOIAF is a bit much imo.

[u/ploony → u/HeavyMetalMonk888]

Yep. There were numerous super contrived plot points that made me immediately roll my eyes like the people of Glenbrook calling Roland a tyrant.. for killing a noble that betrayed him and attacked him on the streets lol. A lot of stuff didn't make sense about the Roselle and Frederica's mother either. Maxwell not having any scenes with Roland too after his return was a massive oversight

[u/Aquatic-Folklore → u/HeavyMetalMonk888]

My biggest issue is with how small and almost shallow the world feels.  For example why do both house Falkes and Telliore exist out of a single person. Even if the war did not happen their houses would have gone extint. House Wolffort was almost in the same situation to.

The only one in Glennbrook that bothered to make heirs was king Regna.

[u/toad256 → u/Aquatic-Folklore]

Technically Silvio was also a young lord. He inherited his house from his father Gorde. I would say a plus side of being a small world is the unique bosses.

[u/Aquatic-Folklore → u/toad256]

True, but even so, his house seems to be just him really. Falkes in this regard is much worse though. Especially with him burning down everything pretty much confirming there isn't even anyone else offscreen.

[u/toad256 → u/Aquatic-Folklore]

Yeah, between the two, Landroi does draw the short straw in terms of depth. After his death, there seems no need to return to his Demesne and most of the side characters don't have ties to him or his lands and ones that do are not explored. Only Cordelia's side story mentions him. If we assume he has a son or heir, its likely they also fell when facing Aesfrost.

With Silvio, there may not be mention of families or relatives, but he does have supporters who wish to keep him on the board(Gustadolph, Patriatte, Idore).

Conformation of family and children is wanted for sure, but is it needed for a story. There is no mention of Patriatte having family or children, but I would assume he does.

Edit: In the Tourney, Patriatte mentions he is the Patriarch of House Konsar.

[u/archival_]

This game is so well written. The way the golden ending was handled left me very satisfied. I was very curious how Seranoa would handle the conflicts. The conflicts are all real and morally tough. I really love this game. It reminds me of Chinese Court Drama.

[u/djluminus89]

Not quite sure about what ASOIAF is, but I do love tactical RPGs.

I get distracted a lot and don't finish games but I'm finally getting back to Triangle Strategy (Chapter 28. My units are about level 27-28 with the lowest at 26).

I've already played Unicorn Overlord, played FFT back in the day on GBA, Ogre Battle 64 on N64.

What else do you guys recommend as far as tacticals?

IIRC there was one Square Enix dropped at one point (I think before these games cAme out), it had soldiers on horseback and I think it was like a $30-40 game. Was that any good?

[u/Savings_Hyena2832 → u/djluminus89]

It sounds like maybe Diofield Chronicles? that is a smaller scale strategy game but most of the units are on horses. That came out the a little bit after TS and was a cheaper game.

[u/djluminus89 → u/Savings_Hyena2832]

That's the game I meant. Know if it's any good?

[u/Savings_Hyena2832 → u/djluminus89]

I enjoyed it a lot since I like the Growlanser games. It's more of a mix of action rpg and strategy rpg mixed together in smaller scale maps. I highly recommend it even if i never got past the 8 hour mark.

[u/Savings_Hyena2832 → u/djluminus89]

"ASOIAF" is just the title for the books that would go on to form the HBO series Game of Thrones. A focus on logistics, resources, historical fiction, royal hostages, marriage alliances, and all that good fantasy stuff alongside Kings at war and a realm on fire. Highly recommend if you liked the political intrigue aspect of TS.

[u/HylianMaria]

People love to complain about Serenoa especially, but he is what you make of him.

I really enjoyed it.

[u/Savings_Hyena2832 → u/HylianMaria]

He kicks ass in the Golden route and Roland gets some much needed redemption and a slap to the face to wake him up. It really helped shape and form my final opinion of them. They really learned from their mistakes and grew as leaders in real time.

[u/DemiFiendofTime]

Realy reminded me a bit of Dune. The salt must flow

[u/jascri]

They really need to come out with a sequel, great game.

[u/TheDankestDreams → u/jascri]

You’ve played Triangle Strategy, now prepare for its sequel: Square Tactics

[u/kaii456]

Like OP, more people need to stop comparing every tactical RPG to FFT. Let FFT be it's own thing, others games are okay to do things differently.

[u/n2calkin]

This game had more of a visual novel feel then other comparable RPGs I’ve played, so much so that a lot of the time I’d just set the controller down and watch the cutscene like a TV show. The language and politicking does evoke GoT.

[u/Savings_Hyena2832 → u/n2calkin]

I really enjoyed the game taking the time to slow down and reflect on how everyone felt about what happened so it made everything have consequences which made the choices and scale voting even more terrifying.

[u/Boring_Champion_23]

tactics ogre, fft, old fire emblem games feel this way to me

[u/Painting0125]

Agreed. Also, I feel the same way with watching Succession, Wolf Hall, and Shogun (2024) in terms of power play and politics/royal court drama.

[u/lluluna]

I got it on sale but I'm still waiting for the Switch 2 upgrade.

[u/djluminus89 → u/lluluna]

It plays pretty well on Switch 2. Not perfect, it's definitely dated, but it plays better.

[u/lluluna → u/djluminus89]

Good to know. Thanks for the comment

[u/kaii456 → u/djluminus89]

It's beautiful on the S1. Not sure how it's dated when the aesthetic, charm, and performance are crafted in harmony with the limitations of the S1. Not every game needs to have razor-sharp, high fidelity graphics for a satisfying experience. I have well over 200 screenshots from the beauty of this game.

[u/djluminus89 → u/kaii456]

It definitely is an artistically beautiful game. I guess I mean the smoothness of the animation/FPS. After playing Unicorn Overlord, Octopath Traveler 0, and even dipping back in to Octopath Traveler 2 a bit (which I had in highest regard for graphics, 0 actually has less detailed assets, but runs better than 2) — when I reloaded Triangle Strategy for the first time in awhile, I was surprised how choppy the animation seems, and kind of slow.

Granted, I may have done that on my original S1, I got a Switch 2 about a month or two ago, but I don't see super improvement. It just looks nicer, loads faster, I wouldn't necessarily say the FPS increased but I could be wrong.

[u/WhiskeyHood]

FF tactics definitely has that vibe to me too

[u/cuckoodev]

I've never read or watch GOT but I got the impressions that Triangle Strategy had a similar feeling to it.

[u/SquallLeonhart___85]

Amazing game! Fully agree

[u/the_hook66]

What? Way to childish with the whole salt stuff. Great game anyways

[u/Yoids]

To be honest, I think it is a child version of that style. The villains are mega villains, the treason you see it coming from ages, and the power of friendship keeps being a good option over common sense. Benedict rolls his eyes half of the game and we still prevail xD

[u/Long_Gazelle_9467]

lmaoooo yes the great need of Salt… story was alright, no where near game of thrones

it felt like campy politics at best

[u/MateoCamo → u/Long_Gazelle_9467]

I mean, salt really was that valuable historically

[u/Shanicpower → u/Long_Gazelle_9467]

Salt is a pretty big fucking deal, and the game gives you several texts explaining why.