all – but CA is using the framework
to make the game instinctively
readable, and to bring nuance to
Three Kingdoms’ presentation.ELEMENTAL
It’s worth mentioning how beautiful
Three Kingdoms is. This is the best
looking Total War to date. The tech
tree is a tree painted on canvas.
When you unlock a node – a taxation
bonus, or a military mustering boost- that section of the tree bursts into
pink blossom. The UI has been
reworked to be more elegant, with
splashes of blank ink that evoke the
brushstrokes of Chinese calligraphy.
The map fades into a watercolour
painting as you zoom out.
The warlords’ character portraits
even reflect their nuanced elemental
alignments. Lead character artist
Mauro Bonelli talks about how
colours and motifs in a character’s
clothing express their character. Cao
Cao is shown in ambiguous colours
that could reflect stone, wood or
metal – fitting for a masterful
manipulator – but with flashes of red
that imply military prowess.
And what about Dong Zhou?
Historically, he was killed by his
foster son Lü Bu, but what if he
managed to keep his retinue in
check? He may well have extended
his reach and brought all of China
under his tyrannical rule. That’s the
promise of Total War, it’s a chance to
take the events of history in a
different direction entirely. Close the
magazine and take a look at the
image of Dong Zhou on our front
cover. This man who would raze a
town or execute an official without a
second thought. If he came into your
home, demanded fealty and slammed
his sword down on the table, would
you say no?Total War: Three Kingdoms
COVER FEATURE
GEAR OF WAR
Looking after your warlords
(^1)
Equip heroes
with different
gear and mounts to
make them
more powerful.
(^2)
Assign
followers to
improve your
warlords’
performance.
(^3)
Level them up
and use skill
points unlock new
abilities on their
skill tree.
(^4)
Give them
titles and
assignments to
keep them happy,
and loyal.
When you capture a
hero you can execute
them, release them
or convince them to
join you.