With the success of 2018's Octopath Traveler, and the recent release of tactical RPG Triangle Strategy, the HD-2D art style that each game employs has been at the center of much respective praise. The style leans heavily on the pixel art of old Square Soft role playing games, but provides sharper textures, and a more impressive color palette, bringing the retro aesthetics into the present. The HD-2D visuals have the potential to be replicated on a number of games and franchises, but with Fire Emblem's continued success on Switch, it's in a prime position for a visual makeover.
Fire Emblem's origins lie firmly in the sprite-based era of the Famicom, with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light releasing in 1990. As time has passed, the series' visuals have changed drastically, with the most recent entry, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, sporting a sharp, anime-inspired art style. It's a significant change from the series' humble beginnings, but as Triangle Strategy has fans swooning at its pixel aesthetics, it could be an exciting change of pace to see Fire Emblem return to its blocky roots sporting an impressive HD-2D look.
Triangle Strategy's Innovation Could Be Fire Emblem's Salvation
Triangle Strategy's stellar gameplay shows that the tactical gameplay approach still has the potential to impress and provide tense combat encounters, despite its lack of any real-time elements. The grid-based battlefield and menu-focused actions offer more than enough enjoyment throughout the game's 40-hour journey. As the game clearly learns much from Fire Emblem, the potential for Triangle Strategy to return the favor is evident, especially in the art department.
Releasing a new Fire Emblem title in 2022 makes a lot of sense, and the HD-2D visuals feel far more at home on a tactical plane, rather than a typical, turn-based battle layout. Characters feel like pieces on a chess board instead of low-res versions of fully-realized characters, and with Fire Emblem: Three Houses' deep combat mechanics and intricate character leveling, HD-2D would be a gorgeous return to a retro-infused presentation while maintaining the same attention to detail the series is known for.
Furthermore, the murky colors and ominous lighting present in Triangle Strategy adds to the tone greatly. With much of the Fire Emblem: Three Houses story draped in war, the textures made popular in Octopath Traveler could be more suitable, even, than the anime-esque art that the Fire Emblem series looks set to use moving forward.
HD-2D Is All The Rage
HD-2D is an approach to visuals that are to be utilized once again with the remaster of cult classic Live A Live, announced at February's Nintendo Direct presentation, so the likelihood of more games utilizing the art style is high. The presentation is something that wonderfully harkens back to RPGs of old, while giving new fans more than enough to appreciate. There are plenty of beautiful scenes in both Triangle Strategy and Octopath Traveler, and using something similar could revive series' of old and refine the current trajectory of Fire Emblem.
Fire Emblem's identity lies in its combat, and as Triangle Strategy proves HD-2D is perfect for the tactical RPG genre, the former is free to go in a number of different directions. Unlike titles like Pokemon, which are known for turn-based skirmishes and pocket monster collecting almost exclusively on handheld consoles, Fire Emblem has seen mainline entries on the 3DS, Wii, and Super NES, and has altered its formula somewhat drastically along the way. The heart of the series lies in its characters and gameplay, two components that certainly wouldn't suffer and could even prosper from HD-2D graphics.
Fire Emblem's impressive resume of iconic titles maintains its quality by adapting to the needs of modern audiences. From ditching the weapon triangle of old, to adopting a Harry Potter-inspired narrative for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the series' sky-high reputation has never got in the way of its willingness to change. As Triangle Strategy brings forth an aesthetic that would fit Fire Emblem like a freshly forged gauntlet, adopting the HD-2D graphics to any future title could unlock huge potential for the franchise.
Triangle Strategy is available now for Nintendo Switch.