Based on the beloved novel of the same name, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII has been developed in celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary. The game uses the tale of a collapsing dynasty and the emergence of power-hungry factions to set a complex chessboard on which players can follow and influence the fateful events leading to the unification of 2nd century China.

Fans of strategy games will find Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII to be a challenging and rewarding blend of deep strategy and historically accurate warfare, regardless of their familiarity with the rich story of the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Cities can be built and developed; alliances can be fostered or broken; armies can be mustered and deployed. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII prides itself on offering a wide selection of options for conflict resolution, the most impressive of which are the armies. A wide variety of army units can be recruited and trained, including foot soldiers, cavalry, artillery, and navy, while special care has been taken to incorporate diplomacy and personal relationships, giving the player an extra incentive to build a stable and loyal network of friends and allies.

Battles are not only won by force, but by careful preparation and strategy. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII offers various preparatory and diplomatic gameplay elements that take place ahead of combat, known as the Civic Development system. Offering players the chance to improve different aspects of their domain, this system allows the development of Commerce, Farming and Culture, which give various boosts to the army in both strength and loyalty. Economic and development decisions made are then presented to the Officers, prompting them to share their views, and point out the merits and faults of a given strategy before the player makes a final decision.

Attaining allies and influencing individuals via the Bond system is another key element of the game’s overarching strategy. A Relationship Chart rates the cadence of the player’s relations with historic figures, indicating whether the relationship is positive or negative. Maintaining a strong network is fundamental to receiving aid in tight situations, particularly when summoned by the higher lords. During these moments these connections are also able to fight for the player’s cause and help turn the tide of battle in their favor. Furthermore, a player’s relationship with a given lord can lend credibility during Debates to convince lords to act in certain ways. Winning a Debate can lead to forming alliances with other leaders, with the length of it depending on strength of a given Bond.

This comprehensive and exceptionally detailed strategy title features two compelling gameplay experiences: the Campaign mode, which stays true to the most profound of strategy games by allowing players the freedom to choose a starting year and customize the board to their liking before attempting to beat the game, and the Hero mode, which acts an in-depth tutorial, closely following historical events while teaching players all of the game’s mechanics. In Hero mode, players familiar with characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series can also enjoy an alternative way to relive the exciting lives and adventures of those heroes before proceeding to leave their own mark on history!

Players also have nearly endless customization choices in Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII, with the option to take on the mantle of one of 700 historical characters (including fan-favorites such as Zhao Yun, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and more), or create their own unique character and try to climb the proverbial leadership ladder.