Total war is an amazing franchise that pushes the RTS games to a higher level. With so many historical events to cover, it’s hard to believe that Total War will not exist in the years to come. They’ve already tackled different time periods and fantasy realms with their popular franchise and now it’s time to venture east and conquer the 3 kingdoms of China.
A couple of centuries ago, the great kingdom of China was on the brink of destruction and fell apart into 3 kingdoms: Wei, Shu, and Wu. These kingdoms managed to live peacefully together and co-exist. Total War: Three Kingdoms gives the players a hard task to fulfill: reunite the kingdoms by conquering all of these different areas and make China great again. Of course, you will be the one ruling it and no one else. As a player, you will be able to choose a faction with their own generals and troops that suits your playstyle perfectly. Just make sure, you pick the right one as some factions will have to overcome more challenges in the beginning stage which raises the difficulty level. The developers created a campaign that can be played in different modes: “Records” or “Romance”. The Record campaign plays out like any other Total War game. You have your generals that are being protected by your troops. The general and the troops are presented as one unit to do your bidding. The Romance campaign is more hero based. Your generals have become a stronger version of themselves and are able to immense damage to the enemy troops on their own. They’ll have to face their opponents alone since there are no troops to form a human shield. This “Romance” feature comes from the Total Warhammer games where different hero units had a great impact on the battlefield.
“It’s a very “important” design choice that you either love or hate.”
This was amazing to play as the Total Warhammer franchise stayed true to the lore which opened up the path for unique heroes with mysterious godlike powers. Of course, this was possible due to the fact that Total Warhammer takes place in a fantasy world. The fact that they’ve created heroes for Total War: 3 kingdoms is a double-edged sword in my opinion. It’s fun to have these amazing characters that could turn the tide of battle in an instant, however since Total War games are mostly known for their credibility and authenticity of historical events or empires, this could definitely be a deal-breaker for some. Even though, the game does fairly everything right when it comes to the authenticity of the Chinese empires, playing with these godlike characters could break the immersion to some, especially as you’re probably looking for a different RTS game than Total Warhammer. It’s a very “important” design choice that you either love or hate.
The Romance option has a different take on the battles to come because these generals (heroes) can also challenge other generals to a duel to the death. When the challenge has been accepted by the opposing teams, the generals will go all out in a 1v1-duel and show some great spectacle. Whatever outcome there may be, it has an effect on your troops and that’s something to reconsider if you’re going for a duel. A defeated opponent will probably start running to save his/ her own life or they can be stubborn during a battle and take the final blow as a true warrior. If one of these 2 things happen, it causes a big morale boost for your troops and will definitely give you a great advantage against the opposing troops. However, the opposite can also happen in other words chances are that your own general falls to the sword of your opponent. This will also have a great impact on your troops and will increase the chance of defeat. It’s nice to see some changes with this battle system but it’s a risk to change what people enjoy most. I do have the feeling that it was a change in the right direction. These duels are handled with somewhat realism, so it makes the battles still believable.
Conquering China takes a long way before you’re actually getting there. Along the way, you’ll be faced with different challenges and decision-making opportunities. The game holds your hand for a while that will help beginners with the progress of the conquering stages. With Total War games, you’ll always have to think in the long haul because some of the decisions you’ll have to make will have a great impact on what’s to come because all of these decisions are final and are irreversible. Don’t harass your opponents to quickly, be sure of your empire and make decisions towards a personal goal. Establishing your empire with a decent army, provisions, and allies will be the most beneficial way to play the game. Take in your surroundings and think about a great strategy to pick out your targets carefully because an error is quickly made, and this could crumble your empire very fast.
“Three Kingdoms is a lot more complicated than we’re used to, but people will like the challenge.”
The way to the top won’t be easy as different opposing factions will oppose you. These different factions have different strategies to complete their goal, however, some seem more challenging than others. If you invest a lot of time on the strategical overview and figure out the patterns of your opposing factions, you’ll quickly find the ones that are definitely worth it to keep an eye on. The fact that there are a lot of opposing factions makes the game harder to figure out your true opponents. Thank God for the diplomacy screen to check out the information about the opposing enemies. It definitely helps when you’re starting your career as the emperor of a newly formed China. Eventually, you’ll get the hang of it and you will be able to separate the sheep from the wolves. Three Kingdoms is a lot more complicated than we’re used to, but people will like the challenge. It’s nothing you can’t overcome.
Choices are the main component that makes Total War games difficult and challenging. There hasn’t been any Total War game that presented the player as an all- grabbing winner. It’s up to the player to make alliances and to choose wisely when it’s time to break a non-aggression pact. It’s possible that your best friends become your greatest enemies and these situations make up for great dilemma’s but in the end, you have to see the main goal of the game, one emperor who conquers all and that emperor should be you. Either way, you’re the one that’s making the decisions and for each decision you make, will open up doors to different endings. Yes, it’s important to have the most powerful army but conquering China isn’t all solvable with tremendous force. You’ll also have to consider the provisions you need that will help you to maintain your troops’ health and morale. An army can’t perform their best on the battlefield with an empty stomach. You will also need money to expand your empire and pay the men who give their life for you on the battlefield. Keeping your people happy is also something you might forget but is even more important than the military side of Total War. Unhappy people will revolt if you’re not improving the life quality of your inhabitants. Of course, this feels very familiar if you’ve already played Total War games. So many factors can influence your outcome.
Another side of Total War is the political status within your reign. We’ve talked about generals, but these generals are key for being victorious in your battles. Keeping them happy is of utmost importance. In the beginning, a higher paid salary will do the job but eventually, they’ll want more power and as the emperor, you can heighten their rank in your government. The political system of your empire consists of Administrators, Generals, Ministers, a Grand Tutor and eventually a Prime Minister. All of them have their own share of the pie but it’s up to you to whom you’re giving the power. Managing this political system isn’t easy as different people come with different visions. Placing the visionaries with somewhat the same vision will strengthen your government, not taking these visionaries into account will lead to a destabilizing political system and as you’ve already guessed… that’s not good.
“The battle system feels very familiar.”
Forming your empire to your own vision comes with certain developments. After a couple of turns, you’ll be able to look at your tree of reforms to choose what kind of reform you want to implement. This reform will have an influence on different areas within your kingdom. Buildings can be upgraded and even the economic status can be improved that will brighten up the day of your people. These reforms are important if you want to unlock certain buildings or units. Even though this tree opens up the door to build an empire of your choosing, it makes the game a lot more complex. It’s not always easy to find the right component to open up the way for better units or buildings. Viewing what you need for different innovations shouldn’t be this difficult as it’s an important part of your conquest. It seems like they’ve gone a whole other direction with this “development decision” as previous games had an easier system that often provided you with the right information with the touch of a button.
The battle system feels very familiar. You choose the units for your army; you place them where you want them to be during the battle and eventually command your units to attack the opposing units with the help of your tactical view. Each unit has a weakness, so stay aware of the enemy’s characteristic to make the right decision. Horses are weak against spears, archers are being massacred by horsemen and swordsmen top spearmen, … and so on. It’s how it’s always been, and this system remains the same in Three Kingdoms. The AI of the opponents is a lot better than last time as the AI can quickly respond to your actions. Don’t take the opponents lightly because they will surround your men if you’re too hasty with your decision making. The battle system works and is the best one around.
Technical speaking: Total War is amazing to see on your screen. They’ve managed to capture the eastern esthetic and put it into their game. The game features different seasons and a day/ night cycle which is always a plus in my book. Sound quality is also okay with some interesting soundtracks. I do wish they could have added more variety because a lot of the soundtracks sound the same. The graphical presentation of Total War: Three Kingdoms is top-notch. Going from a detailed battle environment with a lot of soldiers to the amazing map overview. The game performed well with not too many technical hiccups.
Conclusion:
Total War: Three Kingdoms is a great addition to the franchise as it improves on every little aspect that makes the game a true RTS that’s challenging and full of opportunities. The different campaign modes are a nice touch that will definitely speak to the community. It changes that familiar game into the hidden gem that it once was. The battle system is fairly unchanged, except for the heroes. The heroes are a hate or love kind of thing as it breaks the immersion of this historical period but it’s definitely not a game-breaking thing. Technical speaking: the game looks and feels phenomenal with not too many technical difficulties. Building your empire is challenging enough and makes you think about every decision possible. I do hope they tweak the upgrade system a little more, as it creates this unnecessary complexity. Especially, when we know it can be different. The developers made a great game and it’s one of the best games the Total War franchise has to offer!
