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Ne at magic tricks and old rivalries still exist between some of the generals such as the widely proclaimed God of War in that era - Guan Yu and Zhang Liao.
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The real fun to be had here is the battle system. Yes, this game does involve the three kingdoms and their respective rulers such as the ever cunning and ambitious Cao Cao who is very much portrayed as the cold and calculating villain of the story (with a softer side here and there) and Liu Bei - the ever charismatic and almost annoyingly naive Hero looking to sacrifice armies to save his beloved Diao Chan.Who supposedly had nothing to actually do with Liu Bei.Did they get the two confused and replace Liu Bei with Lu Bu? Oh, and Sun Quan is thrown in there for good measure as well.Īnyway, I digress. I'd like to start off by saying if you are a fan of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and are looking for a game that follows that story-line then stay very, VERY far away from this game. Cut-scenes occur during battle as well as between stages, and engage the player in the epic tale of love, romance, and war. Though they're set before each mission, unit formations can be changed in the middle of battle if desired. The various squads forming your army consist of foot soldiers, archers, cavalry, winged troops, and elephants, among others. Careful use of these spells is advised, because they can do just as much damage to your own troops as they can the enemy's.
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Players can engage enemies in combat from a third-person viewpoint, though their actions don't quite have the same bearing on a battle as they do in the aforementioned title.Įach army has the services of a sorcerer at its disposal, allowing the player to cast spells such as tornadoes, earthquakes, meteor showers, and more. Once in the midst of battle, generals can be directly controlled in a manner reminiscent of the Dynasty Warriors series. Strategy, planning, and troop management no longer plays as important a role before battle, although players can recruit more troops or train existing ones. It soon becomes evident, however, that the outcome of this battle has far-reaching consequences, and Liu Bei must win no matter the cost.īefore each mission, players are given a rudimentary set of tactical options from which to choose. In an attempt to rescue Diao Chan, the woman he loves, Liu Bei engages the tyrannical ruler of the Wei Kingdom, Cao Cao, in a vicious war. While the original Kessen took place in feudal Japan, the series' second iteration returns to ancient China and centers on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga.
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