To start, this doesn't have a score because I'm doing it in multiple parts. This will cover the Story Mode, and I'll give it a final score when I cover Conquest Mode, Legend mode, and Challenge Mode together. I'm unsure of how the multiplayer works, but I may play through a bit of that and do a third entry, too, with my partner if we decide to.
Anyway, so this adaptation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms focusing on a 4 part story based on 4 kingdoms (god damn it), Wei, Wu, Shu, and Jin. That was the order I was told to play them in at least. Each of these stories is seperated into the historic battles they fictionalize, 'episodes' kind of, where you switch playable characters quite seamlessly throughout.
The Wei story, where your recommended to start, I think is the most coherent. The biggest benefit to starting with Wei, though, is that it's the story line most focused on the characters' friendships, making you immediately emotionally invested, if an adaptation of an old ass historical fiction novel as a large scale action game is the type of thing to emotionally invest you in the first place. It's sort of a double-edged sword, I became attached enough to some of this little guys to feel a little bad going against them in combat as the other dynasties.
The Wu storyline mixes with the combat present in the past one of my favorite things: story-based restrictions in combat. Albiet, they aren't the best, but the effort is noticed. Throughout the three first campaigns, a lot of visuals repeat, making you feel like your running through the same story as different people at times.
The Shu storyline is defined, I think, by the unique armory compared to the rest. In Wei you'll rely on swords and axes, in Wu you'll use nunchuks and tonfas. But here, you'll be using magical staves and war fans. The weirdest arsenal difference is the staple of combat games on the PS3 and Xbox 360: turret sections. Yeah, they found their way into a game set in this of all time periods. They're short, mercifully. A lot of these stories revolve around a specific death, and while Shu's is the least effective one, it comes so late you barely expect it, and serves as a great shock....assuming you haven't read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. God damn, they all hit regardless, I bet.
I'm a little lukewarm on the final storyline, Jin, but I may just be burnt out from all this. It's main gameplay mechanic is fog of war, not done as well as it is in other strategy games, but still pretty neat. But if you've played all the other stories, your pretty much in for the long haul, and have to check this one out. It's quite the incredible ending as well, to be fair.
Anyway, it's a fine story. The narration between each battle is relaxing and enthralling amongst other things. It's crazy they could string an understandable story between this gameplay loop.
Anyway, so this adaptation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms focusing on a 4 part story based on 4 kingdoms (god damn it), Wei, Wu, Shu, and Jin. That was the order I was told to play them in at least. Each of these stories is seperated into the historic battles they fictionalize, 'episodes' kind of, where you switch playable characters quite seamlessly throughout.
The Wei story, where your recommended to start, I think is the most coherent. The biggest benefit to starting with Wei, though, is that it's the story line most focused on the characters' friendships, making you immediately emotionally invested, if an adaptation of an old ass historical fiction novel as a large scale action game is the type of thing to emotionally invest you in the first place. It's sort of a double-edged sword, I became attached enough to some of this little guys to feel a little bad going against them in combat as the other dynasties.
The Wu storyline mixes with the combat present in the past one of my favorite things: story-based restrictions in combat. Albiet, they aren't the best, but the effort is noticed. Throughout the three first campaigns, a lot of visuals repeat, making you feel like your running through the same story as different people at times.
The Shu storyline is defined, I think, by the unique armory compared to the rest. In Wei you'll rely on swords and axes, in Wu you'll use nunchuks and tonfas. But here, you'll be using magical staves and war fans. The weirdest arsenal difference is the staple of combat games on the PS3 and Xbox 360: turret sections. Yeah, they found their way into a game set in this of all time periods. They're short, mercifully. A lot of these stories revolve around a specific death, and while Shu's is the least effective one, it comes so late you barely expect it, and serves as a great shock....assuming you haven't read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. God damn, they all hit regardless, I bet.
I'm a little lukewarm on the final storyline, Jin, but I may just be burnt out from all this. It's main gameplay mechanic is fog of war, not done as well as it is in other strategy games, but still pretty neat. But if you've played all the other stories, your pretty much in for the long haul, and have to check this one out. It's quite the incredible ending as well, to be fair.
Anyway, it's a fine story. The narration between each battle is relaxing and enthralling amongst other things. It's crazy they could string an understandable story between this gameplay loop.