Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
" Epic action-strategy with innovative guanxi system and rich storytelling but repetitive maps and UI issues "
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Review
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is widely praised as one of the best Total War games, offering a fresh take on the series with deep strategic layers and a strong narrative focus. Players appreciate the innovative guanxi system, enhanced diplomacy, and the choice between Romance and Records modes, which balance mythic heroism and historical realism. The game excels in character-driven gameplay, with generals having rich personalities and evolving relationships, adding an RPG-like depth to the strategy genre.
Visually, the game features vibrant, painterly art and cinematic battles that bring ancient China to life. However, some players find the map repetitive and the onboarding challenging, especially for those unfamiliar with Three Kingdoms history. The UI receives mixed feedback, with some finding it cluttered or hard to navigate. Despite the game's depth, support has been discontinued, and the DLC model is seen as expensive by many. Performance issues and bugs also affect the experience for some users.
Highlights
Players highly praise the game's deep and innovative gameplay mechanics, especially the guanxi system and improved diplomacy. The dual campaign modes cater to both historical purists and fans of legendary heroes.
The graphics and art style are lauded for their beauty and cinematic quality, while the storyline and character-driven approach immerse players in the Three Kingdoms era. Battles are engaging with versatile unit tactics and general abilities, enhancing replayability.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include a repetitive and limited map design that lacks environmental variety. The UI is often described as cluttered and unintuitive, hindering new players.
Some players find the onboarding and historical context insufficient, making it hard to grasp faction differences. Technical issues such as crashes, long load times, and bugs are reported. The DLC pricing and content unlocks behind paywalls frustrate many, and the early end of developer support leaves some feeling the game was abandoned prematurely.
Pros
- • Innovative guanxi system deepens character relationships and politics in gameplay.
- • Dual campaign modes offer both mythic and realistic playstyles.
- • Beautiful painterly art style enhances immersion and visual appeal.
- • Engaging battles with versatile tactics and unique general abilities.
- • Improved diplomacy system adds strategic depth beyond combat.
- • Rich character-driven storytelling makes conquests feel personal.
- • Strong replayability due to multiple factions and branching arcs.
Cons
- • Repetitive map environments lack climate and terrain diversity.
- • Cluttered and unintuitive UI frustrates new and veteran players.
- • Insufficient onboarding and historical context for unfamiliar players.
- • Technical issues including crashes, freezes, and long load times.
- • Expensive DLC with many essential features locked behind paywalls.
- • Early discontinuation of developer support disappoints the community.
- • Some AI inconsistencies and occasional poor siege pathfinding.
Rating Criteria
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is the first in the award-winning series to recreate epic conflict across ancient China. Combining a gripping turn-based campaign of empire-building & conquest with stunning real-time battles, THREE KINGDOMS redefines the series in an age of heroes & legends.
