‘TOTAL WAR: Three Kingdoms’ Review
If you have ever played a Dynasty Warriors game, you would know the classic Chinese story Romance Of The Three Kingdoms. The tale chronicled the civil war of China that began around 190 CE and was considered one of the most intricate stories ever told. TOTAL WAR: Three Kingdoms takes a different approach from the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Instead of the up close and personal feel of the Warriors game, TOTAL WAR chooses to give you a blended strategy game.
TOTAL WAR: Three Kingdoms is the 13th installment of the franchise, a part of a long 22-year history. After all these years, Creative Assembly still finds a way to introduce refreshing gameplay changes. After playing roughly 80 hours on PC at the time of this review, Three Kingdoms might be my favorite of the series.
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Gameplay
The TOTAL WAR franchise has been one of my favorite strategy games. The combination of turn-based empire management and troop movement with real-time battles is a well-executed idea. It makes you feel like a tactical mastermind on the battlefield as you take time to plan things on a large scale. And with the map's size in Three Kingdoms, you do need to take that time.
While the core gameplay of Three Kingdoms will be familiar to fans of the franchise, many unique elements make the game a new experience. The most jarring change is something called Romance Mode. In previous games, a general would be a mounted unit of honor guards with the commander. Now, with Romance mode, your generals are hero units with special attacks. This mode also adds a dueling mechanic for characters.
The other improvement I am a fan of is the reform tree. Instead of investing in technology with money, you can issue a reform after a set number of turns. 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. The only requirements are previous reforms and required buildings.
Graphics
I am a fan of the artwork in the game. Creative Assembly worked hard to incorporate Chinese art styles, and they showed, especially in the UI. The reform tree is a massive brushstroke with unlocked reforms blooming like cherry blossoms.
Troop numbers in the game can also reach a staggering number giving you a spectacular feel for the size of the conflict in Three Kingdoms. In addition to that, the troops themselves look better than in previous iterations of TOTAL WAR. The battlefields and towns also look great in Three Kingdoms with better textures and lighting. It is clear that the development team had made several changes to the game's engine to optimize gameplay as it runs very smoothly.
Story
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. However, that is only one possible path to follow. You can change it as you like. Were you to prefer the idea that Cao Cao would be the Ruler of China, that is an option afforded you. 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.
Pros And Cons
Three Kingdoms brings a lot to the table. It is another impressive entry in the franchise, from its core systems to the new and unique changes to the gameplay. 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.
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. The graphics of the game are the best in the series up to that point, and the AI opponent is very competent. I found myself at times struggling with the normal difficulty setting during my initial campaign. But after I took the time to reflect on my strategy, I was able to win back some key territory.
The only issues I take with the game are the sheer number of characters to choose from. However, that may be more of an issue with the setting. There is also the fact that occasionally the random elements of the campaign can work you into a corner that is difficult to overcome.
Verdict
All things considered, Three Kingdoms is another hit out of the park for Creative Assembly. I found myself deeply immersed in the outcome of the campaign. 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. And for those who do not enjoy the real-time side of the game, there is always an auto-resolve. TOTAL WAR: Three Kingdoms continues to find a way to breathe new life into a franchise nearly twenty years after their first game. That is a hard feat to accomplish, but Creative Assembly makes it look easy.
Rating: 9.5/10
Developer: Creative Assembly; Publisher: SEGA; Players: 1-2; Released: May 19th, 2019; ESRB: T for Teen, Violence; MSRP: $59.99
Review played on PC
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