Romance of the Three Kingdoms 4, a game Developed by Koei, is one of those rare games that somehow didn’t make it into the machines (mainly the Super Nintendo) of many gamers. Why? I can’t explain it, and we will probably never know. The truth about this game is, it’s probably one of the best alternatives you can take to escape the overly used genre clones, and establishes something so fresh in strategy games on home consoles, that its guaranteed to keep you playing for not day or months, but maybe even years.
The game is a historical simulation, based upon the story of the attempt to unify China under one Ruler. You can play a historical mode, which will allow you to play according to real events of the time the simulation is being played in, or a fictional mode, which plays out in an “anything goes” fashion. The beauty behind Romance of the Three Kingdoms 4 is the fact that you can create yourself as a ruler, and ever create the officers that will aide the
ruler. This allows you to almost put yourself in the same position as famous Chinese rulers such as Cao Cao, Wang Lang and Liu Yan just to name a few. As a ruler, you must make sure all the aspects of your kingdom rises above the rest, such as your farming and technology. The gameplay is very simple. There is no use for jumping, flying or anything of the sort. If you know how to get around menus, you can play this game. It’s very basic, but everything you need to do within the game gets done with the menu system it has set up. There are many things to do as a ruler, such as recruiting other officers, assigning officers to duty, and drafting armies, which are all done through the menu. Battles between rulers are done using the same menu system, with a mix of turn based strategy. Overall, the gameplay wont give you sore thumbs, but isn’t that a good thing?
In terms of graphics, the game shines. Mode 7 technology is used to make the map of the game, giving it a warm feeling every time you play the game. The graphics really make you feel as if you were there. Your castle and your surroundings are nothing spectacular, but it just feels great. There are also many faces to choose from for the
characters you will be creating for the game. The only complaint that I can really single out and exploit is the battle modes. These could have really used some help. The fields seem to be very blank, and the battles near the castles are very dull, showing no detail to them whatsoever. The battles in the sea with ships are not as bad, which saves that aspect of the game.
The music in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 4 is absolutely top notch and near perfect. The score in this game will have you killing time without you noticing it. It makes you think, it makes you play. The sound effects catch your attention, making you aware of things that are happening not only to your kingdom, but kingdoms around you as well. The sound is well fitting for a strategy game, and
companies involved in developing strategy games should take note as to how Koei put this score together not just because the game needed music, but because the game deserved ambience.
So, are you tired of the Super Mario clones? Tired of shooting people? Then this is right up your alley. Romance of the Three Kingdoms 4 may be a hard game to find but don’t let that stop you from trying to find it. It’s one of the most excellent strategy games to land on a home console, and in my opinion the best historical simulation based on Chinese history to have been put together. I highly recommend it.
