Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Good
Well, this game really started it all. Since there wasn't much else to compare it with back then, it was an "alright" game.

Why was this game so popular back then? Beats me. The game as I said was alright, but what made this game what it is is not because of the game itself, but more about the storytelling about the legend.

When KOEI made this game, it wasn't just a strategy game - it was a history lessen and flashbacks to ancient China. They really did some major research into the history of Sam Kok (Romance of the Three Kingdoms). While the game itself was alright, the manual was a treasured item to behold.

The manual consisted of detailed stories and information on each Chinese hero during the struggle, describing the overall drama between Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Ce. Japanese and European medieval history would have trouble keeping up the epics Romance of the Three Kingdoms had to offer. I would say the reason why gamers like me kept on playing this particular game is because we got "connected" with the various characters involved in the game. We chose our leaders based on what ideals they lived by in history and "borrowed" their ideals for our own. Games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a rare historical role model where the overall "aim of the game" isn't just destroy everything in sight, seek and destroy or shoot'em all, it's a strategy game that although isn't directly represented in the game, tells the story about a bunch of lads that believe in honor, valor, loyalty and friendship, strong enough to band and forge one of the mightiest nations in the world.

The Bad
Uh...why does everyone have to die in this game? Not that it's not real, it's just that everytime a plague comes along, which it often does, your officers die on you like flies. For a couple billion Chinese blokes, it dang hard to keep your officers alive...if reality followed this game, there'll be only a couple hundred Chinese left, since the rest died from plague and disease.

The Bottom Line
The stepping stone for the "better versions" of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.