Total War: Three Kingdoms

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: May 23, 2019
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 400 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 282 out of 400
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 400
  3. Negative: 66 out of 400

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  1. DukeJon
    May 23, 2019
    10
    After a few hours play I am already getting a sense of how deep this game is. Running flawlessly as well, performance is a marked improvement over previous games.
  2. G4MR
    May 23, 2019
    10
    Amazing game, definitely my favorite Total War! The epic setting, the character focus and most engaging campaign gameplay to date -highly recommend it!
  3. Hugothester
    May 23, 2019
    10
    Praised be CA for listening to the community.
    This game does not only have the most deep and complex dillomatic system ever in a total war game, with a capable AI that does work, but also looks beautiful as hell, with changes to the graphic engine that make this one of the most amazing pieces of art of gaming map design.
    Cities look amazing, battles feel more reponsive than ever,    Praised be CA for listening to the community.
    This game does not only have the most deep and complex dillomatic system ever in a total war game, with a capable AI that does work, but also looks beautiful as hell, with changes to the graphic engine that make this one of the most amazing pieces of art of gaming map design.
    Cities look amazing, battles feel more reponsive than ever, characters feel alive and, most importantly, stuttering is gone and the game runs better than any other total war game.
    This is without a doubt the best total war title by far, so even if you do not like the tine setting give it a chance if you like total war.    … Expand
  4. alex_dragon
    May 23, 2019
    10
    I would like to thank Creative Assembly on listening to the Community's Feedbacks and Suggestions.

    I have been following CA and following all 3K's content since launch, and also have written feedback and suggestions for the game, most of the issues and concerns were fixed during the delays of the game, and the game is in a much more polished state compared to Rome 2 The Developers    I would like to thank Creative Assembly on listening to the Community's Feedbacks and Suggestions.

    I have been following CA and following all 3K's content since launch, and also have written feedback and suggestions for the game, most of the issues and concerns were fixed during the delays of the game, and the game is in a much more polished state compared to Rome 2

    The Developers also have streams over 30+ hours of content on their Total War Live Channel, as well as hours and hours of gameplay available from content creators. Unlike in Rome 2 where we only saw a trailer and some battle that's it

    The delayed have proved to have done the game justice, thank you so much to CA for listening to the fans    … Expand
  5. stgreylv
    May 23, 2019
    10
    God bless CA for creating this amazing game. Total War forever in my heart.
  6. Black-Templar
    May 26, 2019
    10
    I started from Rome (the first one, not the disaster that is Rome 2). I played every single Total War from then (perhaps over 8 thousands hour of gameplay accumulated).

    I was extremely sceptical about 3 kingdoms. I still remeber the sore deception of Rome 2 and was wondering how it was possible to go from a polished and well refined game such as Shogun 2 to the sorry sh*t that is Rome    I started from Rome (the first one, not the disaster that is Rome 2). I played every single Total War from then (perhaps over 8 thousands hour of gameplay accumulated).

    I was extremely sceptical about 3 kingdoms. I still remeber the sore deception of Rome 2 and was wondering how it was possible to go from a polished and well refined game such as Shogun 2 to the sorry sh*t that is Rome 2.

    Seeing many gameplay of 3 kingdoms, I had Rome 2 ptsd flashbacks all over again. The graphics looked cartoonish, the Combat IA looked horrible. I though it was a way for creative Assembly to test the terrain for the mobile game industry.

    Well, Ive seen released content gameplay of the game ans decided to give it a chance.. Turns out, it was a good decision. Three kingdoms is the best Total war game Ive played since Shogun 2. While the combat IA can be exploited in siege battles and can make the mistakes of puting some of its unit in questionnable situation, it is not as drastic as I feared for. And is even somewhat better than Shogun 2 (land battle,not sieges wise).

    But... it comes at no one surprise to know that the game shines at the campaign part. Even the greatest Total war veteran will have to spend dozens of hours to learn every single features. I am extremely satisfied with how the game turned out to be. With its Romance and Record mode, the game should satisfy both the historical and the Dynasty warrirors' fans.

    I've seen a bunch of review criticizing the game about its campaign complexity.. I will never understand this kind complains. Isnt it good when a game turns out to be both complexe and rewarding instead of being casual? The player has the choice to set the difficulty of the campaign to easy or medium if they just want a straightforward campaign. But please, let the gamers enjoy a game that finally takes minimal time of investment to master the game instead of just being spoonfed by simplistics features. A lot of works has been made by the devs and you can just feel it by experiencing the best campaign game since Rome 1 or Shogun 2.    … Expand
  7. Denerion
    May 23, 2019
    10
    Thanks to CA for listenning community's feedbacks.
    It proves the delay is a true success.
    This game is by far the better and the most appreciated by the fans. I really enjoy the new gameplay's mechanics, the diplomatic system is really improved and deeper, the possibility to play as Romance or Historic Mode is a nice idea to let players choose the way they like to play and live this    Thanks to CA for listenning community's feedbacks.
    It proves the delay is a true success.

    This game is by far the better and the most appreciated by the fans.

    I really enjoy the new gameplay's mechanics, the diplomatic system is really improved and deeper, the possibility to play as Romance or Historic Mode is a nice idea to let players choose the way they like to play and live this story.

    A tons of hours in view.    … Expand
  8. StrykeI
    May 24, 2019
    10
    After an hour or two of getting familiar with things, this game has totally hooked me in. I didn't think Three Kingdoms would be able to match Warhammer 2, but it has. The world feels far more alive than any recent title, the depth of diplomacy is a joy, the character-driven nature of the game feels great. At first it's hard to relate to all these Chinese characters you've likely not heardAfter an hour or two of getting familiar with things, this game has totally hooked me in. I didn't think Three Kingdoms would be able to match Warhammer 2, but it has. The world feels far more alive than any recent title, the depth of diplomacy is a joy, the character-driven nature of the game feels great. At first it's hard to relate to all these Chinese characters you've likely not heard of, but after a few hours you get a feel for your faction's place in the world, find friends and rivals, and see all sorts of dynamic events. Like I said, it's a living world - in my campaign the "big bad guy" Dong Zuo actually died to Lu Bu within the first 15 turns, leaving a significantly weakened faction that never became a threat. I was worried the battles would be a let down, but these are also top-notch; I've fought a number of tough battles already. At first the retinue system feels strange, but once you get used to it it works incredibly well, and you find yourself using your heroes in a complimentary fashion; Champions diving in to snipe generals; Vanguards helping to smash the enemy lines, and so forth.

    In almost every way, 3 Kingdoms has improved upon the series. I wrote this review because I want CA to know that what they've done is fantastic, and the vocal minority who complain it's too complicated can bugger off. Most of us want a deep game. The only criticism I do have is the campaign map UI; every city has quite a large name tag, and this overwhelms the screen a little unless you zoom out. There doesn't seem to be an option to change this at all. I'm getting used to it, but it does feel a bit much to have a dozen or so tags getting in the way of the beautiful scenery.    … Expand
  9. Ruairi
    May 24, 2019
    10
    Definitely one of the better total war games out there, and I've been playing them for years, a surprising amount of detail, runs like a charm, and has a lot of little nice touches that add up to a great game. One example having the option to have all the game's dialogue in Chinese or English, or the other having the game have more historically accurate battles or more romanticisedDefinitely one of the better total war games out there, and I've been playing them for years, a surprising amount of detail, runs like a charm, and has a lot of little nice touches that add up to a great game. One example having the option to have all the game's dialogue in Chinese or English, or the other having the game have more historically accurate battles or more romanticised battles, where your generals behave like they did in Total War Warhammer.

    Would definitely recommend!    … Expand
  10. TotalWarrior
    May 24, 2019
    10
    its great buy it. I have had 0 bugs so far 0, its amazing, and runs so buttery smooth, It looks and runs better than rome 2 does right now, its good to see CA in a return to form.
  11. Viranto
    May 23, 2019
    10
    Best total war so far. Amazing new features and runs smoother than any total war. It's a big success
  12. bryce_lx
    May 27, 2019
    10
    Positive:
    Basicaly,
    good understanding of the novel 'three kingdom'
    good map for old china
    good simulation for war and generals
    good view for chineses cutule

    Negative:
    random crash.
    obscure view sometimes.
    lack of guide for economic system
  13. 4xGamer
    May 27, 2019
    10
    I've been playing TW3Kingdoms for the past two days straight since its release, and I figured I'd let people know what I've found. I'll start by telling you the end... this is by far the best total war game CA has ever made (IMHO), and I've played all of them, with the exception of the first shogun game. Let me explain why this is the best, first off and most critically, the game is veryI've been playing TW3Kingdoms for the past two days straight since its release, and I figured I'd let people know what I've found. I'll start by telling you the end... this is by far the best total war game CA has ever made (IMHO), and I've played all of them, with the exception of the first shogun game. Let me explain why this is the best, first off and most critically, the game is very stable, it actually works after you download it which means CA didn't force the development team to birth an unfinished Turd into the world just because some executive wrote a date on the calendar with the word RELEASE on it (several prior TW titles had this problem), so THANK YOU CA.

    Second, this game has exceptional depth, which translates not only into intriguing game-play but also an exceptional amount of re-playability. Although the game is deep, CA did an excellent job with the campaign UI to make it so the game isn't excruciatingly confusing or just a boring list of stats. They have artfully used a color scheme to help gamers easily identify what items pair best together. For instance, Blue background colored Generals pair best (due to their buffs) with Blue background colored units. Also, the campaign has much, much, much greater depth than any other TW game. For instance, when you build-out a town or city you now should look at the entire province (called commanderies) in order to maximize gains since the regions all work together. The regions also use a color-coded system for ease as well so you don't follow the same simple pattern of prior TW games where every province was nearly identical with its build-out -- #1) Build farm, #2) build up town, #3) build squalor reducing building, #4) repeat. There is much more variability in province building in TW3K, which is a very welcome addition and makes the game much more interesting.

    Additionally, generals now interact with one another so some of your generals will like or dislike other generals dependent on their personality stats, which really adds some character and complexity to the game since an unhappy general may leave or start a rebellion. There are also unattached wandering generals who will wander through your provinces looking for work. Again, this is a great mechanic that adds variability and depth to the game. To go along with that, your generals can be used as Spies, so you can push one of your generals into the "Wandering Generals" pool in the hope that he becomes employed by an enemy faction, which will give you great incite into the enemies machinations. This is a brilliant mechanic that fixes the old, sometimes OP mechanic of spies from prior TW games.

    Also, for all you TW game fans, CA finally made great improvements to AI diplomacy so now campaign faction diplomacy has many more options and the AI behaves in a reasonable manner. I'm sure it's incredibly difficult to program a desktop computer to behave like a person, so a big thumbs up to CA & Sega on this one.

    As usual, the campaign map and battles are amazing in regards to how they look, which was always a big selling point for prior TW games and CA came through again in this regard. Unit pathing and the battle AI are very good, where the AI will perform quite well and function in a reasonable manner in most battle situations. It's good to see the battle AI improving along with the campaign AI.

    Ship and Sea battles have been removed from this TW. This is mostly a good thing. Live-action sea battles in prior TW games were beautifully rendered, like looking at a work of art, but often the ships were slow moving, difficult to path and control, and, because of that, I used to auto-resolve nearly every sea battle, which means that developers probably wasted years of development time making a function that hardly anyone used. I think it's a good thing that CA used that valuable development time to make a complete and outstanding land battle based game. I like the idea of sea battles, and maybe they can come back in a future TW game, but only if someone can figure out how to make them interesting... a difficult task, so I commend CA on making a difficult yet good call with the no-sea-battle in TW3K.

    There's so much more I could say that is good about this game but I'll stop here. There are a few (minor) things that would be nice to fix in this game. CA changed the layout of how unit stats are read, using icons to denote battle stats, for instance, a gold sword indicates armor-piercing damage, so you're constantly having to scroll over the icon to see what the stat is since there are about 15 of them. The method from TW Warhammer 2 was better with the actual wording of the stat so you could see what it was. This is a minor problem considering the game just released.

    Overall, this is an outstanding 4x game. CA actually listened to their fan-base and made the game changes requested by gamers. If you like 4x, go buy this game.    … Expand
  14. SaintJames012
    May 28, 2019
    9
    Best Total War since Shogun 2. Romance mode is a great inclusion that adds a sense of personality to each general more than any other historical Total War game. Because of the emphasis on generals as opposed to units, Romance mode is also a great starting spot for anyone new to the Total War series.

    Definitely a must buy for any TW fan.
  15. juliiouse
    Aug 1, 2019
    8
    Having been a fan of the Total War series since Medieval Total War back in 2002, I've picked up and mostly enjoyed the games, but more recent ones have shown a wide variety of issues which have impacted this enjoyment. From the horribly optimised Warhammer II with its' litany of performance problems and turn transitions which take upwards of five minutes, horribly bugged launches and theHaving been a fan of the Total War series since Medieval Total War back in 2002, I've picked up and mostly enjoyed the games, but more recent ones have shown a wide variety of issues which have impacted this enjoyment. From the horribly optimised Warhammer II with its' litany of performance problems and turn transitions which take upwards of five minutes, horribly bugged launches and the lacklustre Thrones of Britannia game, I was extremely cautious in my optimism for Three Kingdoms.

    However, upon playing it, I feel like initially this is one of the best overall package that Creative Assembly have created.

    All of the campaign features have both impact and complexity, meaning that you have ot engage with them and get great benefits for doing so. For example, instead of playing as an abstracted "faction", you take the role of an individual characters' family, and over time slowly become a Duchy, then a Kingdom, then an Empire by building up your influence, court of characters with conflicting loyalties and building the foundation of a working state with advisors and "reforms", this games' version of a tech tree. The only issue I have with the campaign is that the way to produce higher quality infantry is a little too finnicky: rather than being linked to higher quality recruitment infastructure within a settlement, it is tied to the Reforms which you have unlocked as a prerequisite, then requires a character to be at a high enough level to recruit said units into your army. This would be fine, but it can be frustrating when you are going into the late game (more on that later) and suddenly have the need to recruit a new army to face a newly declared war, but you can only recruit the trash units you had at the start of the campaign, whilst facing off against high quality armies. Another issue with the new recruitment system is how the character "classes" work. In Warhammer I & II, you would hire a "Lord" to lead the force. They could be from a variety of classes, and their development tree would provide greater benefits to specific units within their army to match their intended playstyle, but there was nothing stopping you from building any army you wanted to respond to specific threats. In Three Kingdoms, you hire three generals to lead an army-- each general can bring six units to the battle, but outside of absolute basic units they can only hire units from within their class. For example, a Strategist can only hire ranged units, whilst a Champion can only hire spearmen. This is an issue because it can lead to armies only really having three unit types in them, which severely restricts your options when it comes to battles.

    Despite the concern people had over battles during previews, battles in this game really shine through compared to other Total War games. In Warhammer I & II and some of the earlier historical titles, most battles in campaign mode were usually decided before they started-- unless you were stupid or the enemy Ai decided to stop working, a one-sided battle would usually result in a guaranteed win or loss for the player. In Three Kingdoms, there is such a wide variety of options, strategies and variables in battles that they always feel fresh. A battle which is predicted as a "decisive defeat" no longer feels like damage mitigation. You get a genuine feeling that if you play your cards right, you can either win, or go down in such a way that you'll halt the enemy army's advance. The only issue I have is that ranged units are rather overpowered at the moment. Whilst previous Total War games limited the usefulness of ranged units against shield users unless you were willing to take risks and flank the battle line, in Three Kingdoms, even a unit of basic archer militia will clock in a hundred kills before the melee has even started.

    My only real issue with the game in general at the moment the endgame. Once you've reached a sufficient strength, the game picks you and two other factions of a sufficient strength and nominates them as the "Three Kingdoms". At this point, you will be at war with these people as your sworn enemy. Diplomacy is usually a waste of time at the point. Although it's better than the Realm Divide feature of Shogun II in that you're still able to broker deals with smaller powers on the map, unless you've built up a good coalition or alliance beforehand, most the map will become your enemy very quickly. A further issue to this is that you can't raze settlements, meaning that if you find yourself having to go deep into enemy territory to defeat your rivals, you have to capture every city on the way, which can have a huge impact on your food supply and public order, leading to irritating micromanagement of settlements you have no interest in keeping for the time being.

    All in all though, the game is definitely worth picking up, even if you're not too fussed with Chinese history.    … Expand
  16. GurmpyCoolCat
    Sep 15, 2019
    9
    I am a fan of the Three Kingdoms era, which started with Dynasty Warriors on PS1. I always liked the large battles. This game is perfect for large empire building with familiar characters of history. They improved a lot. The only thing I dinged it for was charging to buy blood effects as a DLC instead of just having it. :(
  17. willyallthewei
    Oct 25, 2019
    10
    Chinanumbaone very good game. very very good. Must buy. Great. Chinanumbone.
  18. MohammadBAghri
    Jun 27, 2020
    8
    This text does not contain spoilers
    And that's just a short review, not all parts of the film, and it's just a summary.
    The gameplay is much more attractive than the previous version.
    But the main reason for its weakness is its extremely long loading. So you can have lunch behind the loading at the beginning of this game.
  19. Swrunsdeep
    May 24, 2019
    10
    Best Total war by far. Extremely fun to play campaign and awesome real time battles. Hope that in the future will ad much more unique characters in the game.
    Really enjoyed playing this game.
  20. NEAMf1337
    May 25, 2019
    10
    Just excellent game, nothing to say more, probably best game in the series.
  21. Sabratha
    Jun 11, 2019
    9
    Kampagnen-KI, Diplomatie, Wirtschaft, Politik und Handel wurden verbessert und sind grandiose Spielelemente.
    Aber Three Kingdoms überzeugte mich in den bisher 45h auch in all seinen anderen Facetten.
    Das antike China sieht wunderschön aus, läuft flüssig und ohne Abstürze oder Bugs. Die Menüs sind aufgeräumt und übersichtlich gestaltet. Die Karte ist riesig und dabei voller Details und    Kampagnen-KI, Diplomatie, Wirtschaft, Politik und Handel wurden verbessert und sind grandiose Spielelemente.
    Aber Three Kingdoms überzeugte mich in den bisher 45h auch in all seinen anderen Facetten.
    Das antike China sieht wunderschön aus, läuft flüssig und ohne Abstürze oder Bugs. Die Menüs sind aufgeräumt und übersichtlich gestaltet. Die Karte ist riesig und dabei voller Details und individueller Landmarks.

    Die chinesischen Namen sind anfangs ziemlich ungewohnt, sorgen nach einigen Stunden aber nicht mehr für Verwirrung und tragen stattdessen zum allgemein stimmungsvollen Gesamtbild bei.

    Ein klasse Strategiespiel und das beste Total War seit langem.    … Expand
  22. Shadow1234
    May 29, 2019
    10
    This game is great, as both a Total War fan and as a Three Kingdoms fan. My favorite thing about this game believe it or not is how smooth it runs. As long as you meet the game requirements which I am right on the limit, with the GTX970 and it still looks and runs smooth.

    I love the games romance mode which die hard fans of Three Kingdoms will surely enjoy, as it is the more story based    This game is great, as both a Total War fan and as a Three Kingdoms fan. My favorite thing about this game believe it or not is how smooth it runs. As long as you meet the game requirements which I am right on the limit, with the GTX970 and it still looks and runs smooth.

    I love the games romance mode which die hard fans of Three Kingdoms will surely enjoy, as it is the more story based version of the game. For those that want a more Total War experience then you can do the regular mode instead of romance.

    I love the building tree and the tech tree, everything seems simple and is easy to learn. I like that as sometimes games get to complicated with their learning curve. I really enjoy the court/family aspect of the game.

    I like everything about this game.    … Expand
  23. Coldhandsyo
    May 25, 2019
    10
    I'm not giving this game a 10 lightly, this isn't simple a case of I like it so it's a 10. I will argue why it deserves a 10. I want to break this review down for three types of people. Those who have never played total war/Those that have/and those on the fence.

    Before that a quick review. It's fantastic, the campaign map, characters, diplomacy, interactions all just have such great    I'm not giving this game a 10 lightly, this isn't simple a case of I like it so it's a 10. I will argue why it deserves a 10. I want to break this review down for three types of people. Those who have never played total war/Those that have/and those on the fence.

    Before that a quick review.

    It's fantastic, the campaign map, characters, diplomacy, interactions all just have such great depth. When I first loaded up the game, I was expecting an 'ok' experience, something that ends up in a backlog, ToB had been a let down and Rome 2 had been pretty meh for me. I enjoyed the warhammer series a lot and the older historical games, but the newer historical games not so much.

    I look through the various factions and come across the bandit queen, rather than build up China she wants to tear it down. I like that idea and role with that. I also choose to go for romance mode as I like my characters having more 'character' to them and being single solo units.

    I load in, I don't start with a province which is cool, I am free to roam, I explore the UI and it's so much more expansive than any other total war, so much more diplomacy options, faction options, character options and interactions like them having bonds and relations, there is just so much good stuff there.

    I get into a battle and decide to charge my bandit queen solo into a unit to see how she does, I was expecting an initial good hit as she rode in on her horse, only to be bogged down in fighting slowly like warhammer can be.

    I was wrong, she smashes into that unit and then goes mental swinging her axes and just tearing the unit apart, before chasing them down and wiping them out. It was fantastic.

    As I explored the game more, it plays like you are almost writing a novel, with how the characters are, the various faction interactions, coalitions forming, betrayal and back stabbing it's brilliant.

    Now for those of you who have never played a total war, I will say Shogun 2/Warhammer are better starting points in terms of how easy it is to learn but if you're willing to spend a bit of time learning, you will love this game, there is truly nothing really like total war. Building an empire and having massive battles you fully control. If you've never played a total war, I say go for it and you most likely will love it and end up 100 hours deep into this game.

    For those who have played a total war, it's brilliant, it's just much more expansive than any total war before it imo, there is just so much more depth to bite down on and get invested in, the campaign map is great, the battles are great. It's a really unique total war and well worth full price.

    Those on the fence, go for it, it's brilliant and if you get it on steam and don't like it within 2 hours you can always refund.

    Overall I give it a 10 because it really is a unique total war, which I can already see having over 100's of hours and great enjoyment to have and how many games really offer that?

    Buy it, have fun!    … Expand
  24. Reckitt
    May 29, 2019
    8
    I've played every total war since Attila. Attila was my favorite and now Three Kingdoms has topped that. Only reason my score is not higher is because I've found some movement bugs that caused me to lose battles like units ignoring orders and won't move, units going the opposite way as told. On legendary mode, these bugs will break you.
  25. Falkee
    Jun 2, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well i played total war games from Rome 1 and i finished all games on hard/very hard difficulty .I can say i like this total war game more than any of them , i didn't have a bug or a problem , i played the game in hard difficulty i conquered all the map and i had a lot of fun , i can say the fights where well balanced and the game its self , and the map is huge and full of beauty , so far i can tell the game is worth to play i really recommend anyone to buy this game and try it. And a warning this is a comment from a player that played the game on hard , maybe the game is to ez for normal or easy and is **** but i don't play on lower difficulties this comment is for fans that like to be challenged and have fun doing it.… Expand
  26. Ascheibe91
    May 27, 2019
    9
    I've always been a fan of the three kingdoms story, and the game delivers it almost perfectly! The only gripe I have is the UI is a bit cumbersome.
  27. elKuarlos
    Jun 1, 2019
    10
    Really, really good.

    It takes the slogfest that was Warhammer and refines it. It adds elements from the original Shogun and merges them perfectly with the journey the creative team have been on. Total War often messes up releases, they didnt here. The game isnt just about swinging armies, its about managing them. To add this element to the game so well isn't just impressive, its    Really, really good.

    It takes the slogfest that was Warhammer and refines it. It adds elements from the original Shogun and merges them perfectly with the journey the creative team have been on.

    Total War often messes up releases, they didnt here. The game isnt just about swinging armies, its about managing them. To add this element to the game so well isn't just impressive, its ground breaking. The team have paid service to long term fans, I'm hours in and not even close to knowing how to truly do well in it.

    Would have been a 9 but you guys brought me right back to Shogun days. Have the ten ya gits.    … Expand
  28. DHHF
    Nov 17, 2019
    9
    Very in depth turn based strategy. The core concepts of building and specializing your cities (commanderies) will be familiar to Civ 4/5 players after about 10 - 15 hours, after which you'll probably want to restart from making so many early errors.

    Steep learning curve, immensely immersive, character management can take quite a bit of time towards the late game, but it's all about how    Very in depth turn based strategy. The core concepts of building and specializing your cities (commanderies) will be familiar to Civ 4/5 players after about 10 - 15 hours, after which you'll probably want to restart from making so many early errors.

    Steep learning curve, immensely immersive, character management can take quite a bit of time towards the late game, but it's all about how much you want to optimize vs. hitting that next turn button. You'll be fine if you don't agonize in the details of character gear and talents, but it can be a definitive factor in how your faction runs.

    Overall, I'd rate this higher than Civ 4 or 5 for those willing to invest the time to learn. The largw number of starting campaign situations(leaders) can provide hundreds of hours of different playstyles and diplomatic scenarios.

    Recommend a more modern GPU to render the large scale army battles (which there will be many). The level of detail of watching units collide at close up, launch fire arrows or treb. shots, is amazing and worth the effort of learning this game.

    Final edit. If you care about "finishing" a campaign, consider it will take you a hundred hours to do if you take your time with your decision making. Not exaggerating.    … Expand
  29. United84
    Nov 13, 2019
    10
    Pros:
    1. New setting.
    2. A lot of innovative ideas.
    3. Character is very detailed.
    4. The best pre-medieval setting you can get for a game.
    5. Massive wars, diplomacy and faction management.

    Con
    1. Developer lacked a long-term vision. Came out with a cookie cutter content, Eight princes.
  30. izumii3
    Oct 7, 2019
    10
    You know what ? I d give this game a 10/10.

    Amazing game, wonderful graphics .. You d have to play the game and buy it to actually experience the fights .. the setting .. the 'historical accuracy'. I still need time to play this game for the first time though.

    Recommended good Total War (been playn since Medieval Total War BTW)
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Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best PC Game of 2019
39
#39 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
5
#5 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Aug 2, 2019
    88
    There’s a definite focus shift from tactics to strategy – which is risky, considering that tactical combat had always been a staple of Total War series. It couldn’t be avoided, though: unlike Medieval and Rome settings, China simply lacks variety in troops types. So fights end up being very predictable – while Chinese politic field is anything but! [Issue#239, p.48]
  2. The Overpowered Noobs
    Jul 24, 2019
    70
    The Total War series finally takes on land wars in Asia with this latest installment, bringing its signature RTS/TBS hybrid gameplay to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Series veterans will find a lot to love about this new iteration, and fans of the source material will find this a great jumping on point.
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  3. PLAY! Zine
    Jul 8, 2019
    90
    One of the best entries in the series yet, deep enough for veterans and approachable for the new players.
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