Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
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  1. High-Def Digest
    Jul 21, 2016
    70
    While it's complexities edge a tad too close to convolution at times, 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII' was a great time once I wrapped my head around it all. The steps towards accessibility, while far from perfect, definitely make this the most user-friendly entry in the series, and the amount of options available to players is hugely appreciated.
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Jul 15, 2016
    70
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is an old school strategic game hard to play on PlayStation 4 due to its complex interface. If you'll manage to survive the dull first impression, though, you'll find a deep and interesting game.
  3. TheSixthAxis
    Jul 6, 2016
    70
    Strategy aficionados will look on approvingly as fans of the series rejoice. It’s certainly not a game for everyone, yet those who find themselves hooked by Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII will struggle to break free of its hold. The fact that it plays so well on console as well as on PC shows that Koei is capable of more than mindless button bashers.
  5. ZTGD
    Jul 15, 2016
    65
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is most certainly not for everyone.
  6. GameSpew
    Jul 20, 2016
    60
    Using full 3D models and a real-time system, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII’s combat boils down to a numbers game more than strategy.
  7. COGconnected
    Jul 21, 2016
    59
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII brings historical authenticity to life with real world locations, figures, and events.
  8. Everyeye.it
    Jul 8, 2016
    55
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the umpteenth demonstration of the unfortunate union between gamepad and strategic games. The developers have thought of a great product, with many potentialities on paper. The title is destroyed by the bad mapping of controls and a not so impressive technical realization.
  9. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Jul 5, 2016
    55
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII undoubtedly has a cult, niche following, as games don’t usually receive that many sequels without such a following. However, this is one niche that is as obscure for newcomers as it is deep, and it’s certainly an instance where real-time strategy simply does not fit on the console with a controller. If you’re a fan of this series, save yourself from grief and pick it up on PC.
  10. DarkZero
    Aug 1, 2016
    50
    The new mechanics that the developer tried to add to the mix end up making everything much less fun than they might have seemed conceptually. Adding this with the historical parts of the game makes it feel like a lot of the player’s agency has been taken away.
  11. PlayStation Universe
    Jul 28, 2016
    50
    ROTK13 lacks any of the basic macro and combat strategy fundamentals of previous titles, making this a sequel in name only. If you liked Sphere of Influence then you’ll enjoy this title too. But for those who waited for an ROTK game, keep waiting.
  12. Game Revolution
    Jul 19, 2016
    50
    I played on the PS4, which most definitely added to my frustration. The beginning is especially overwhelming as the menu options are so dull and dense. There's just too much text to read on my HDTV. (On a PC, I assume with the screen up close, it's not a big deal.) RTSs are often not suited for consoles, and this is sadly one such example.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 40
  3. Negative: 6 out of 40
  1. ericlef81
    Jul 6, 2016
    10
    This game is great, I sat down for ten hours straight the first day.This is my first romance game, i struggled grasping the controls andThis game is great, I sat down for ten hours straight the first day.This is my first romance game, i struggled grasping the controls and mechanics,but after some grinding in hero mode it felt very fluent.… Full Review »
  2. megabear
    Aug 8, 2016
    6
    AI is so exploitable that I can conquer China with the worst character you can possibly create. For example I gave my guy 1 stat all aroundAI is so exploitable that I can conquer China with the worst character you can possibly create. For example I gave my guy 1 stat all around with no abilities whatsoever. No followers, families or affinities either. Threw him in hard difficulty mode as a free officers.

    It was ridiculous how easy it was for me to beat the game. It didn't even take that long. Worst offender is that you can abuse diplomacy to a point where you can expand as aggressive as you want without any fear of retaliation. Officers also just love you in general and you can recruit just about any random character that's not loyal bound by history without an issue. Basically you can just let them do your bidding so your own stats become nearly irrelevant. Combat, I don't even know where to begin. It's so ridiculously exploitable that I can send a small force against a force triple my size and still beat the crap out of it under manual control. Foreign policy options took a real beating. You can't get countries to fight each other (i.e. rivalry/rival tigers,), no marriage option between forces, "Hide", "Gossip", "Arson", "Snoop", joint invasion option, coalition is random and you can't form your own while they dog pile on top of you early in the game unless you maintain truce/alliance against them. The game is also missing many subtle additions that used to make the series great, such as traps, natural disasters, in-depth terrain advantages, wanderers, unique places, changing economy (i.e. varying prices of supplies and arms), ability to self impose an exile, etc.

    I can go on and on but it's so riddled with AI holes that I can't enjoy the game anymore. While there have been many improvements by adding visuals and audio, and I do love the new battle system minus the AI, this game has lost so much from its predecessors.    … Full Review »
  3. dallasnda614
    Jul 13, 2016
    10
    Amazing deep deep war strategy goodness...Great game for anyone who enjoys rpg mixed with strategy. Theres hundreds of fun hours this game canAmazing deep deep war strategy goodness...Great game for anyone who enjoys rpg mixed with strategy. Theres hundreds of fun hours this game can deliver.… Full Review »
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