You now have total control over what you can trade, what you can request, how you can reject offers, and even a points system to see if a deal will be accepted before you even request it.
While past Total War games shared similarities to the Civilization series, Three Kingdoms goes full in on recreating what works so well about Firaxis’ popular franchise. This feeds into the overhauled diplomacy system Three Kingdoms exhibits.
That attention to detail creates a sensation that you’re living in an actual, factual world, something that past Total War games haven’t quite captured as thoughtfully. Playing Cao Cao in Three Kingdoms, you’re given the unique ability to diplomatically influence other nations into starting proxy wars with each other or negatively influencing the opinion of one another. In Luo Gaunzhong’s novel, infamous leader Cao Cao was a total jerk that used manipulative tactics to create an advantage for himself in times of need. To that end, it’s quite an accomplishment how well Creative Assembly has adopted the Three Kingdoms story for each of this title’s generals. While you may be jumping around from ruler to ruler trying to find one that gels with you, at least you’ll understand how the game plays. Selecting yes will practically guide you by the hand to figuring out how the campaign map works and how unfavorable battles can have the odds shifted through smart strategic thinking. Selecting no will actually reduce the number of hints you’re given with a further option to shut them off outright. That being said, starting a campaign prompts you with the question of whether or not you’re new to the Total War series. In possibly the only failure of this game, Total War: Three Kingdoms does nothing to get you up to speed about who would be a good choice for you. It’s hard to parse everything if you’re completely blind about what the Three Kingdoms period is all about. Each has a specific trait that makes them a viable option to become emperor of China and each has unique units that give them a leg up in specific battles. One look at the Campaign menu will show you 11 different leaders you can start your journey with. While not everything in Total War: Three Kingdoms clicks, one cannot deny that Creative Assembly has knocked it out of the park with regards to capturing this era of legends.īooting up Total War: Three Kingdoms for the first time can be daunting.
There isn’t much you need to change to provide a Total War version of this story and it also perfectly encapsulates what makes Creative Assembly’s series so wonderful. With the Total War series being a staple in large-scale strategy games for over a decade now, it only makes sense that the Three Kingdoms period would eventually find a home here.
It has everything that makes for a good story and is based on real-life events: it’s a win-win! Filled to the brim with heroic individuals, grand battles, and personal drama, that historical setting is most famous for being adapted into the 14th century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I’m not sure there is a better time period for video game adaptations than the Han dynasty period of ancient China. Can anyone provide me with a decent challenge?!