Total War: Three Kingdoms

The novel is complicated, with hundreds of characters and an equal number of side stories, and this has proved to be fertile ground for the designers, who have used the text as the basis for this, the latest Total War offering.

Play your way to be emperor of all of China by battling enemies, making coalitions and alliances to gain power or resources when needed, and otherwise enjoying side quests and espionage missions, all the while boosting your streams of income.

Your soldiers are tireless and can endlessly operate on the battlefield, while the larger than life generals play out their complicated and intricate lives against a background of battles, alliances and legendary weapons.

But, the turn-based game is not all about battles. There is an espionage menu, a court hierarchy to work through, diplomacy to practice and much more. For example, constructing various buildings raises you through the ranks, giving you more income and power.

The graphics are stunning, taking you into the heart of each scenario, whether it is a raging battle or a connecting scene, filling in the information you need to complete the next points of play.

Diplomatic deals are simplified thanks to buttons that explicitly state how much would be needed for your rival to side with you on a particular issue. This is just as well as other systems have been substantially expanded.

Diplomatic relations are important in China, and the game has adhered to this tenet. Coalitions between multiple other parties (player or AI) are another tenet of the game, adding intrigue to the play. Everyone in a coalition gets a vote on other members, so sometimes a player’s coalition makes the decision before he or she gets to have their say!

Each character has a satisfaction score which drops should they not be used appropriately or promoted quickly enough. Promotions, especially those at court, cannot be handed out willy-nilly as other generals will quickly become jealous and begin to work against you.

There are three types of income to be maintained and increased. Once you have mastered the different types of income, the game – and you! – will be enriched because of it.

There is even an entire menu dedicated to espionage so you can set your spy network to wreak havoc in the cities.

Ways to Play

Records Mode

If you are looking for a more traditional games feel, you will want to disable some of the opening options. Playing on Records Mode is a good way to enhance battle capability of the game as it offers a stripped-down storyline and more in the way of traditional gameplay.

Romance Mode

Using this mode means that all the sweeping opening and connecting sequences are played out in full, so you get the full ‘story’ experience of the narrative, even as you play and battle your way through the levels. The overall result of playing the game in Romance Mode means that it feels more like you have experienced an epic movie, rather than played a game.

Other

Many systems are autonomous so you can, for example, set your spies loose in a particular city, and let them work, only coming back to check on them periodically. The same applies to the construction levels, where work can be set in motion and left to work through by itself. This frees you up for battles, alliances and coalitions!

Endgame