News by Matt S.
Koei Tecmo continue to be the publisher to watch out for in the early part of the year. On the back of the Atelier Dusk trilogy in January, now we have the latest in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series to look forward to on February 28.
You’ll want to buy this one early, as for the first two weeks following release, there will be a bonus scenario – Battle for Yiling – available for free download.
It’s going to be a big, complex game. As anyone who has played a RoTK before will be able to tell you, Koei doesn’t skimp on the strategic options, and offers layer after layer (after layer) of strategy across diplomacy, empire building and warfare. So rather than try and describe all the elements, here’s an overview to the game as well as a new trailer:
The entire map of China becomes a grand battlefield in Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV, with no boundaries to where fights can take place. Warfare includes everything from siege—such as battering rams and catapults, to battles on water with a variety of different assault boats. Players will even find famous landmarks from the period of The Three Kingdoms; including the Yangtze River and Yellow River, with the chance to claim them as part of their domain.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV, claiming land is vital to overthrowing enemy forces and uniting The Three Kingdoms. Once an area is controlled by ally forces an officer can be appointed the role of ‘Area Overseer’, tasked with advancing the land’s development to increase its income; in commerce, agriculture, etc. During each turn this overseer will supervise the area they have been assigned and increase the territory of their forces – this simplifies territorial expansion and can be used tactically to cut off local supply lines. Carefully choosing an officer with appropriate abilities and characteristics can ensure the developments they make will lead to a strong and prosperous domain. For example: Those with a high charm statistic or the fame characteristic, and who are proficient in domestics, can become a force to reckoned with.
Some domains envelop Cities and Gates, which are extremely important locations on the map. Cities are bases for armies that can grow in scale and raise durability, if the right conditions are met. This growth brings increased gold and supplies, as well as unique tactics to defend these locations from enemy units. Gates such as Hulao Gate – which guards Luoyang on the East—and Yangping Gate—which guards Hanzhong from invasion from the North – are just two points on the map which are crucial to control. These sturdy locations can be occupied by military units and, like some of the cities, can have tactics activated to swiftly repel enemies.
While it is pivotal for players to develop areas within domain, it is also important to use ally land to construct an assortment of buildings and obstacles to defend and attack from incoming foes. Faculties such as “Arrow Towers,” which attack enemy units in the area automatically, “Camps,” allowing allied forces to consume less supplies on long campaigns, and “Stone Soldiers,” lowering enemy morale and causing great disorder through their ranks, are just a few of the unique strategies players can use to their advantage to protect their land. Combined with Obstacles, which play both an offensive and defensive role, these structures can have a great impact on the flow of battle. Strategic construction can allow players to re-create famous moments from The Three Kingdoms—set-up a long string of fire trap obstacles and carry out a large-scale fire attack like Lu Xun did at the Battle of Yiling.
The game will be released for PlayStation 4 and PC.
– Matt S.
Editor-in-Chief
Find me on Twitter: @digitallydownld
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