Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is perhaps the closest thing to a modern Final Fantasy Tactics that you can get, at least until Project Triangle Strategy releases sometime in 2022.
What will stand out as similar to Final Fantasy Tactics right away is the gameplay and the class-system. If a complex class system with lots of different combinations and possible strategies intrigues you, then Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is a perfect fit.
There are over 20 different classes in Fell Seal that are unlocked just as they were in Final Fantasy Tactics, by leveling up different combinations of classes that then unlock more specialized and/or hybrid classes.
You have your standard fare classes like Ranger, Wizard, and Knight, but there are also some more creative ones like Gambler, Gadgeteer, and Fellblade. This is all in addition to a monster party member who functions as a Blue Mage of sorts and is able to copy and play as enemy jobs as well to add to the strategy.
Now don’t go into Fell Seal expecting a tale as epic as Final Fantasy Tactics’, or what we’re hoping to get from Project Triangle Strategy. The story is serviceable but isn’t an all-time great, and the music isn’t as memorable as that in Final Fantasy Tactics or Octopath Traveler.
That said, from a nuts and bolts gameplay perspective, Fell Seal is absolutely worth a try while you’re waiting for Project Triangle Strategy on Switch.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
While Fire Emblem: Three Houses might lack the hardcore tactical depth of some of the games Project Triangle Strategy might be inspired by, it more than makes up for it in terms of character development and story.
As the name implies, in Fire Emblem: Three Houses you’ll be selecting a house to play through as part of, each of them with a unique story and its own set of characters that you can befriend, get to know, and even match up with at some point down the line.
In Fire Emblem: Three Houses you play as Byleth, a teacher who is responsible for training and motivating their soldiers. It’s your job to ensure your team is properly trained and ready to fight for you when war inevitably arrives. You’ll grow quite fond of each character, and their struggles will end up being your struggles.
It’s this teaching system that’s the beating heart of what makes Fire Emblem: Three Houses unique, but of course, there’s solid and polished tactical gameplay too that serves as the backbone of the experience.
If you wanted a dash of Persona-like relationship-building mixed in with your strategy games, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is definitely the play here.
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is kind of a soft reboot for a franchise that made a name for itself in the tactical-RPG genre with its first entry. There were two PSP follow-ups (one of which never came West), but with Valkyria Chronicles 4, the series is back on more powerful hardware with ambitious ideas. Thus, it serves as a perfect starting point in case you’ve never gave the series a shot until now.
Valkyria Chronicles 4 features a story focused on two major powers in a World War 2-inspired conflict. You play on the side of the Atlantic Federation, one of the world’s two major powers that is at odds with the despotic East European Imperial Alliance.
The series, including Valkyria Chronicles 4, strikes the balance between being cheerful, fun, and even silly in a way that anime fans will appreciate, while also being dark and confronting the horrors of war in a way that many games shy away from.
Gameplay-wise, you’ll not only be managing a strike team constructed of different classes such as Snipers, rocket-wielding Lancers, highly-mobile Scouts, and assault Shocktroopers, but you’ll often be in control of one or more customizable vehicles such as tanks, APVs, and even a Battleship.
While a balanced approach is usually the case, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is constantly challenging you with unique battlefield conditions that will force you out of your comfort zone and can be quite difficult at times.
If you’re looking for something will make you think, and will push you hard, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is an excellent choice to keep you busy while you wait for Project Triangle Strategy.
Looking for more Project Triangle Strategy? You can check out our thoughts on the demo right here, and also learn everything we know about it so far.
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