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.
The game places a heavy emphasis on the central personalities of the Three Kingdoms period, with larger-than-life generals and warlords who can turn the tide of battles single-handedly. Players must carefully manage the relationships and dynamics between these characters, as alliances, rivalries, and personal bonds shape the course of the campaign.
The diplomacy system offers a wide range of options, from forming military alliances and vassalage to trading resources and arranging political marriages. Diplomacy is deeply tied to the characters' personalities and past interactions, requiring players to navigate a complex web of political relationships. Players can interact with characters within their own faction, managing assignments and relationships to maintain internal stability. The diverse playstyles of the 12 factions further incentivize replayability, as each faction specializes in areas like commerce, military might, or subterfuge.
The retinue system ties armies to individual generals, encouraging players to carefully compose their forces and develop their key commanders. Generals can unlock unique units, abilities, and bonuses for their retinues, adding an extra layer of strategy to army management. The game's extensive spy network system allows players to infiltrate enemy factions, sabotage their operations, and even turn their own generals against them, introducing an element of intrigue and behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
In "Romance" mode, the generals on the battlefield can perform incredible feats, single-handedly decimating enemy units through powerful abilities and one-on-one duels. Winning these duels can cripple the enemy's morale and leadership, while losing can demoralize the player's own troops. The battles feature a combined arms approach, requiring players to leverage the strengths of different unit types, from archers and infantry to cavalry and siege weapons. The massive scale of the battles, with unit sizes up to 240 soldiers, is complemented by the game's visually stunning Wushu combat and artistic style.