That’s not a deal-breaker given how many other things are fresh and exciting on the campaign map, but I was never all that tempted to give it much of my time when the other option is so much cooler. It also led me to feel like I might as well be playing any other historical Total War game, though. Records mode is closer to classic historical Total War, where generals are mere mortals accompanied into battle by a bodyguard regiment, and real-time engagements play out slowly and less decisively. Three Kingdoms offers you two ways to conquer its sprawling, attractively exaggerated map of 200s CE China. A political and tactical landscape that’s almost never boring, filled out with gorgeous, stylized graphics, an excellent character system, and massive performance improvements over previous games in the series leave no doubt who the new emperor is around these parts. With this foray into ancient China, however, Creative Assembly seems to have finally hit an elusive sweet spot with its campaign tuning. Rating: 9.5/10ĭeveloper: Creative Assembly Publisher: SEGA Players: 1-2 Released: May 19th, 2019 ESRB: T for Teen, Violence MSRP: $59.A turn-based grand strategy game on the scale of Total War: Three Kingdoms often struggles to present a consistent and meaningful challenge across hundreds of turns and dozens of battles. That is a hard feat to accomplish, but Creative Assembly makes it look easy. TOTAL WAR: Three Kingdoms continues to find a way to breathe new life into a franchise nearly twenty years after their first game. And for those who do not enjoy the real-time side of the game, there is always an auto-resolve. The blended strategy game elements of turn-based and real-time make for a fun mix of the best of both worlds and keep the player very engaged. I found myself deeply immersed in the outcome of the campaign. VerdictĪll things considered, Three Kingdoms is another hit out of the park for Creative Assembly. There is also the fact that occasionally the random elements of the campaign can work you into a corner that is difficult to overcome. However, that may be more of an issue with the setting. The only issues I take with the game are the sheer number of characters to choose from. But after I took the time to reflect on my strategy, I was able to win back some key territory. I found myself at times struggling with the normal difficulty setting during my initial campaign. The graphics of the game are the best in the series up to that point, and the AI opponent is very competent. The systems surrounding kingdom management can feel expansive, but once you can get your feet under you, leading a large coalition of nations feels very rewarding. If you are a fan of strategy games and have yet to play a TOTAL WAR game, Three Kingdoms is a great place to start. It is another impressive entry in the franchise, from its core systems to the new and unique changes to the gameplay. Three Kingdoms brings a lot to the table. If you want to follow the story, I recommend playing Three Kingdoms with Romance Mode enabled as it immerses the player in perhaps the most impressive aspect of the game. Were you to prefer the idea that Cao Cao would be the Ruler of China, that is an option afforded you. However, that is only one possible path to follow. The narrative takes place in the era of the Romance of The Three Kingdoms, and Creative Assembly was kind enough to tell the players what decisions follow the story. The only requirements are previous reforms and required buildings. Changing the way tech trees work allows the player to advance at a similar pace as everyone else while still having variety through a massive tech tree. Instead of investing in technology with money, you can issue a reform after a set number of turns. The other improvement I am a fan of is the reform tree. This mode also adds a dueling mechanic for characters. Now, with Romance mode, your generals are hero units with special attacks. In previous games, a general would be a mounted unit of honor guards with the commander. The most jarring change is something called Romance Mode. While the core gameplay of Three Kingdoms will be familiar to fans of the franchise, many unique elements make the game a new experience. And with the map's size in Three Kingdoms, you do need to take that time. It makes you feel like a tactical mastermind on the battlefield as you take time to plan things on a large scale. The combination of turn-based empire management and troop movement with real-time battles is a well-executed idea. The TOTAL WAR franchise has been one of my favorite strategy games.
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