#Romance of the three kingdoms 13 series#

Indeed, the game itself plays like the hybrid of a China-set Total War title and one of Paradox’s grand strategy games, blending a map-conquest-based strategic core with field-level tactical battles and the politicking, family dynamics, and relationship-building more common to the likes of Crusader Kings II. But while Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII doesn’t quite triumph on the first count, its level of depth is absolutely unimpeachable.

“Console strategy game” isn’t the kind of label that inspires much confidence in your average strategy fan, conjuring memories of poorly-adapted control schemes, dumbed-down mechanics, or both.

#Romance of the three kingdoms 13 series#

Indeed, Romance of the Three Kingdoms has the honor of being one of the only strategy series to regularly have a presence on consoles. It’s also a different game entirely, being the thirteenth installment of the venerable strategy game series. Of course, calling this game “the thinking player’s Dynasty Warriors” would be a rather grievous rhetorical sin, not in the least because Romance of the Three Kingdoms long predates the Warriors franchise. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII (PlayStation 4, PC) This year, at least, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII may well be the answer. I am, of course, referring to Koei Tecmo’s never-ending Dynasty Warriors series, and while those games can be quite a time in their own right, they tend to err on the side of the absurd when it comes to portraying the many characters and decisions that characterize the source material. But for the better part of twenty years, English-speaking gamers have had just one product to play ambassador for the tale of Wu, Wei and Shu. It is arguably China’s most enduring work of popular fiction and the subject of countless pop-cultural adaptations in Asia.