Greetings fellow strategists and conquerors. If you are a fan of the Total War series by the leading UK games development studio, Creative Assembly? If yes, you will be delighted to learn that they have revealed the first gameplay of Total War: Three Kingdoms. So join us as we take a look and share our thoughts on their upcoming title.
The new Total War title, slated for a Spring 2019 release, is set in and around 200 AD China. The current Han Dynasty rulership is falling to corruption and a rebellion is brewing. In its wake, a powerful warlord located in the capital is manipulating the Emperor and the campaign to overthrow him begins. These series of events submerge the land into chaos as no Dynasty rules China with all remaining warlords vying the reunited the country under their banners. Each with their own ambitions and virtues, the romanticised events of Luo Guanzhong’s 14th Century novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, takes you on a journey of war, betrayal, romance, and the reforging of a nation.
In the first gameplay reveal, Creative Assemble takes us through the Battle of Xia Pi. In this battle, the greatest warrior of his time Lu Bu takes advantage of the recent wars and battles to take the castle for himself. The forces of Cao Cao lay siege to wrench its control from the great warrior general and eliminate him for good. There are several new features that are talked about. These include a new dueling system and unique equipment for your generals.
As seen in the footage above, even though it is pre-alpha gameplay, it looks very engaging and epic. No doubt upon completion and release it will look and feel beautiful. During the video, different units, formations, the destruction of walls, and various siege tactics are all show. The dueling system is also featured. This feature, new to the franchise, allows for one-on-one combat between generals once initiated in a fully animated fight. The winner can greatly affect the battle afterwards.
The second feature talked about was the equipment system. It was mentioned that Lu Bu has powerful items, that once defeated, can be claimed and equipped to your officers. The items associated with Lu Bu are his famed Halberd polearm and his renown horse among horses with red hair. It can be easy to assume that items such as manuscripts such as Sun Tzu’s Art of War, weapons across many types, and even arrow resistant armour from the fearsome South Western Nanman tribes will make it into the game.
First thoughts on the gameplay reveal are that Total War: Three Kingdoms has massive potential. Even though it is in pre-alpha right now, it already looks stunning, action packed, and full of fun. It is also based in a period loaded with political intrigue, many years of war, oodles of flavour, and enough content to publish several volumes of novels. The title already breeds excitement, both personally and for the fans of the franchise. Spring cannot come quick enough. And it will be interesting to see if more famous battles and their unique feel will make it into future videos. These include the battle of Hulao Gate, the grand naval battle of Chi Bi, and epic battle of Guan Du.
And that is all for now Total War fans. Keep checking back for more coverage on Three Kingdoms as well as other news and reviews. Until next time, smile and game!