The greatest Game of Thrones game we'll never get is Triangle Strategy.
The market of licensed video games is rapidly growing, despite having formerly been something of a Wild West where only high-quality products like Mickey Mouse's Castle of Illusion or Aladdin made a breakthrough. It seems that many excellent games these days draw inspiration from pre-existing media properties. We've had fantastic video games based on popular anime series like Dragon Ball Z, South Park, and The Walking Dead. If you haven't been living north of The Wall, then you may be familiar with the television series Game of Thrones. Furthermore, I don't think any game has yet done it right.
GoT is a dark fantasy television series that captivated the country for years with a violent attitude to life and death, profound character development, and political intrigue. I enjoyed almost every minute of it. It's unfortunate that all we ended up with was one Telltale interactive narrative game and a few mobile games. As a great lover of role-playing games, I'm excited about the possibility of a dark, expansive videogame that balances life-and-death combat with the political elements of the program. It would be a real dream, after all.
Square Enix's Team Asano presents Triangle strategic, a strategic role-playing game. A story about countries at war with one another for riches, dominance in politics, and the world economy. Yes, that may seem like a lot, but this is what I look for in a game, and I'll explain why it's also the ultimate Game of Thrones videogame.
You may read my review of Triangle Strategy to find out all the reasons I think it's one of the finest games of the year. In this strategy-based role-playing game, you take control of many characters in turn-based combat. Characters utilize magic, swords, axes, arrows, and even the occasional big hawk in this grid-based game where assaults take use of the resources around to achieve massive rewards.
Thus, turn-based combat and magical powers in role-playing games are nothing new. Here's where things get interesting: you play as Serenoa, the leader of House Wolffort, and decisions you make now will impact them later on. You see, you travel in a caravan with other party members, and many decisions you make in combat and in cities have an impact on the group's overall conviction. Everyone has a vote when it comes to making important choices (such where to go, who to rescue, and others with even greater repercussions), and your actions influence what your party chooses.
I really mean it when I mention all of your acts. Your conviction is influenced by the individuals you kill or rescue during combat, as well as by how ruthlessly you carry out your murders. It is shaped by the people you converse with, the things you use, the money you spend, and even the number of fights you engage in. This extensive mechanism, which may be divided into liberty, morality, and utility, determines how your tale will turn out. It's the secret ingredient that makes Triangle Strategy so compelling.
The decisions you have to make are incredibly difficult, and it's intriguing to see how the people respond to these challenging circumstances. Game of Thrones is made possible by its sophisticated political logic and gradual disclosure of repercussions, which are communicated via rich conversation and well-developed characters.
Ned Stark lost his head as a result of well-meaning but ultimately foolish decisions he took (spoilers). Few games effectively portray the highly satisfying and often devastating mechanism of witnessing the results of every decision you make during the game, which is Triangle Strategy's Serenoa having to live with the repercussions of his deeds.
To be clear, some games do include a morality component. While games like Infamous use a straightforward "good or evil" meter to provide players more abilities, Triangle Strategy connects Serenoa's beliefs to every aspect of the universe. Furthermore, things aren't always clear-cut. Serenoa tries to be good all the time. The game does not have any bad options. Rather, you must decide who or what to sacrifice, where to make compromises, and who most needs your assistance.
The similarity between House Stark and House Wolffort in Triangle Strategy, as well as Serenoa's resemblance to either Jon Snow or Rob Stark's impoverished youth, are undoubtedly intentional. Males forced into leadership roles at an early age, forced to decide between doing what is best for the many people who depend on them and protecting those they love. No matter which of the several Triangle Strategy endings you choose, you must pay a price in order to obtain the crown, which is heavy.
About halfway into the game, there is a certain aspect of Triangle Strategy that makes my heart hurt. You're in an entirely hopeless war if you don't give anything away. However, one of your allies offers a strategy for victory that would be very expensive and eliminate several enemy units. When I think about my favorite gaming moments of the year, I always remember back to this moment—the one when I fell head over heels in love with Triangle Strategy. An very difficult decision when there are no winners—only a war to be won.
I want to experience the far-reaching effects of decisions if a video game adaptation of Game of Thrones ever captures the brutal, violent, and heartbreaking reality of Westeros. Even while our favorite characters often pay a heavy price for their decisions in the show, it's this feeling of genuine responses and heartbreaking loss that makes every moment so compelling.
Triangle Strategy is as near to Rob Stark as I've ever felt, even if it's not quite as graphic or vicious as Game of Thrones. Serenoa's path is filled with repercussions, but it's all the better for it as she struggles to balance acting in her loved ones' best interests with the requirements of her country. This game may not be for you if you can't handle the intricate details of a strategic role-playing game. But if, like me, you like the political responsibilities of leadership and the bureaucracy of bickering countries, Triangle Strategy could be the game you've been waiting for.