Triangle Strategy VR

Written by Eric Hauter on 11/8/2024 for QW3  

I say it in almost every review, but I love playing with my toys in VR. There is nothing I love more – in VR, at least – than hovering over a living board game and manipulating my little dudes, making moves and watching with satisfaction while 3D special effects swirl around them. I’ve long been wondering (basically since VR hit the consumer market) why more developers haven’t taken their existing libraries of RPG and tactics games and ported them over to VR. It just seems like such a no-brainer.

Well, here comes Square Enix, y’all.

Never one to let a good game rest, Square Enix is constantly tweaking, rebuilding, rereleasing, and remastering. The 2022 tactical RPG Triangle Strategy, which I’ve now played on both Nintendo Switch and Steam, has been reworked into an immersive VR experience for the Meta Quest 3. And, lemme tell you, Square Enix didn’t just knock on the VR door with this port—they kicked the door's teeth down its throat – hopefully paving the way for an onslaught of similar releases.

For those unfamiliar with Triangle Strategy (you can find our 9.0 review of the original release here), it is a game that combines tactics-style strategy battles with a sweeping Game of Thrones storyline. Long story short, there are three nations that share a continent, and each of the three controls one vital resource neccesary to the survival of the others. Of course, this has led to a history or strife, betrayal, and war. The game takes place against this backdrop, with the player dropping in and out on scenes that take place in various nations. The story, while rich and complex, is never confusing. As our reviewer Elliot put it, "if you are into those medieval political backstabbing shows on those fancy network channels then this is right up your alley."

Bringing Triangle Strategy into VR sounds like a straightforward process on paper, but what Square Enix has achieved is really impressive. The game has been reimagined in a way that leverages the Meta Quest 3's VR capabilities in ways that, honestly, surprised me. In an interesting choice, the game’s cutscenes still play out “flat”, displayed on a virtual screen floating in front of you, grounding the story in traditional JRPG style. And yes, for those not in the know and those that might have heard, Triangle Strategy has a lot of cut scenes. This is a very – shall we say – story-rich game. The opening hours of the game are fairly extreme while the narrative dominos are set up, but once they start to tumble, the game sinks in its claws.

At first, I was a little taken aback that the story scenes weren't translated into 3D. But once the combat starts, the field springs to life, with your characters suddenly inhabiting a world with depth. It feels like a Wizard of Oz Munchkinland moment every time it happens. You were watching a story on a simulated movie screen. Suddenly, you’re at the heart of it, controlling the battlefield as though it were a living diorama. Your characters are there on the grid, tactile in front of you, waiting for you to maneuver them to victory. The first time it happens, it feels a bit bonkers, kinda like putting on your 3D glasses at an IMAX theater.

One of the defining features of Triangle Strategy was its Octopath Traveler-style HD-2D art, which translates very well into a 3D space. The visuals are vibrant, with re-rendered 3D effects that make every spell, every attack, and every movement pop off the board. When you cast a fire spell, for instance, it’s no longer just a colorful splash on the screen—it’s a burst of 3D flames right in front of you. The impact of seeing these effects rendered in VR is significant; it reminds me of the first time I cranked the 3D slider on the 3DS and went “Oh. Wow.” (For the record, the 3DS is still the best Nintendo handheld, and the 3D was awesome, and I don’t care what anyone says. Bravely Default on 3DS is an all-time classic. Believe it.) As the game progresses and the characters' powers grow, you find yourself treated to amazing 3D lightshows, as the effects zip around the battle field and burst high above it. 

The gameplay’s major VR enhancement is that, rather than using a controller to direct your units, you’re physically picking up each character and setting them down on the grid like HD-2D chess pieces. Square Enix has done a fantastic job of making it feel natural. The learning curve is smooth, and by the end of the first few battles, I found myself totally comfortable reaching into the virtual board, selecting a character, and placing them where I wanted them to go. Frankly, I usually find tactics games a little fidgety, and I often struggle to find the correct box on the grid. Not a problem here. Things never get too cluttered, and you can always grab the board and twist it around for a better view, or just get up and hunch over the area you need to see better. It's freaking awesome, and it makes strategizing much easier and more engaging.

But of course, what really sells Triangle Strategy VR as a must-have for Meta Quest 3 is the mixed reality option. At any time, you can toggle on the mixed reality mode, which allows you to place the battlefield in your real-world environment, just like you can with Lego Bricktales VR. More of this, game developers. More, more, more. The sensation of placing a battle map in the middle of your living room or coffee table is so damn fun, and it adds a novel twist to tactical gameplay. It feels like you’re playing a high-end board game, moving beautifully rendered pixel art miniatures around a field of battle. Mixed reality doesn’t just look amazing; it enhances the illusion that this is a real, tangible game world. The effect is endlessly surreal, pure science fiction stuff. It's a visual treat, particularly for those that love this sort of art style. More than anything, it feels like your SNES just cracked open and the worlds inside it came spilling into your living room.

I also want to call out what a polished experience this is – Square Enix did not simply chuck this thing out the door. Triangle Strategy VR runs beautifully on the Quest 3. Sure, it's probably not the most demanding game, but still, I saw no hiccups or frame rate issues during my playthrough. The visuals are crisp and clean. Controls are smooth, and the interface is very well organized, allowing players to easily access character stats, abilities, and inventories through some clever menu placement.

Triangle Strategy VR is a remarkable achievement. Square Enix has done more than port its game; it has reimagined Triangle Strategy as a hybrid between traditional tactics and board gaming, fully utilizing VR's immersive potential. The game’s translation into VR and mixed reality is not only seamless but also reinvigorates the genre, setting a high bar for future VR strategy games. For fans of Triangle Strategy, this VR version is a no-brainer. And for anyone with a Meta Quest 3 looking for an experience that combines deep strategy with immersive (though occasionally long-winded) storytelling, it’s a must-have. Square Enix has managed to transform an already fantastic game into a new, exhilarating experience that could only be achieved in VR. Now bring on Final Fantasy Tactics, y’all.