Amidst a lot of exciting announcements during the Nintendo Direct digital event, Square Enix announced Project Triangle Strategy, a tactical RPG with pixel art aesthetics similar to Final Fantasy Tactics and Octopath Traveler.

Temporarily titled 'Project Triangle Strategy', the game has a medieval setting, a dense storyline, and a beautiful art style that mixes ancient graphics and modern effects. You play Serenoa Wolffort, heir to house Wolffort, in a plot that will be denser than it looks, with several decisions which create divergent paths from other players. One of the most striking features is Conviction. Three major guiding convictions prevail: Utility, Morality, and Liberty. Depending on your choices these parameters change, but are not shown in the game and reflect directly on how the story unfolds as well as on the companions who will join your cause.

According to the Demo, the game consists of multiple stages. The first is an exploration, where you walk around the map collecting items, information about people, and reviewing mechanisms or terrain features to help you in battle. Use information collected at other times to manipulate - or amicably convince - companions to help you.

At the end of the exploration, you go to the world map similar to Final Fantasy Tactics and can set up an encampment to buy items and check the status of your characters. So far, there wasn't a lot available on the demo. We can analyze the members, see their equipment and status, but we have no information about changing or evolving classes, a recurring feature in tactical games. After planning and sharpening our weapons, it's time to show that in video games the sword is mightier than the pen.

The battle gameplay has some mechanics that try to diversify from the current tactical RPGs on the market. It's based on turns, has different terrains that alter hits, special attacks (no innovation so far, Squarie), and some complex mechanics that put your spells and your chemistry lessons on trial (like using fire spells on ice to create water and then throwing an electricity spell to take advantage of the water's natural conductivity to cause area damage - Divinity did it first, ahem).

Check out the full presentation trailer if you are the visual and not reader-type:

A demo version is available on the Switch if you want to jump to your conclusions. Keep in mind the release is planned for 2022, so a lot can change.