Total War: Three Kingdoms is a video game that combines turn-based strategy with real-time tactics. It was created by Creative Assembly and released by Sega. This game is the 12th main game in the Total War series (the 13th entry overall). It became available for Windows on May 23, 2019. On the same day, Feral Interactive made versions for Linux and macOS available.
Gameplay
Total War: Three Kingdoms is a game that combines turn-based strategy with real-time tactics. It takes place during the end of the Han dynasty (189–220) and the Three Kingdoms era (220–280). Players control one of several factions, aiming to defeat or make other groups follow them. To win, players must gain enough respect to declare themselves Emperor, then defeat the two strongest factions to unify China. These factions are led by warlords like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. During battles, players control infantry and cavalry units. All units are grouped into teams led by generals. Players can use up to three generals on the battlefield at once, with three more kept as backups. Only the units that these generals can recruit are available in the game.
A siege battle is won by killing all enemy generals or capturing the city’s central point. Generals can be controlled separately from their troops and carry unique items that can be taken if they are killed. For example, Lü Bu’s Red Hare, a special horse, can be captured and used by other generals. Generals can fight one-on-one duels, which end when one dies or runs away. Each general has different roles and abilities that affect their units. The game introduces a system called "guanxi," where generals form social connections and relationships with other characters. These relationships are based on values like responsibilities, giving and receiving, and trust. Generals have personal traits and needs that players must address. If these needs are ignored, the generals’ happiness decreases, which can cause problems. Unlike earlier games, where characters rarely interacted, this game allows generals to build relationships with others they meet during the campaign. This adds a new layer of strategy, as players must understand generals’ personalities before making decisions.
The game has two modes. The "Romance" mode is based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where generals have nearly superhuman strength. The "Records" mode is based on Records of the Three Kingdoms, offering a more historically accurate version. In "Records," generals lose their special powers and cannot be controlled separately. Equipment in the game is also changed to match historical details more closely.
Plot
In 190 AD, the Han dynasty, once strong and powerful, was about to fall apart. The new emperor, Emperor Xian, was only eight years old when he was placed on the throne. He was controlled by a powerful warlord named Dong Zhuo, whose harsh rule caused confusion and disorder. Other warlords began to rise in power and formed groups to fight against Dong Zhuo. As these warlords had their own goals and often changed sides, the strong leaders who appeared during these long wars would influence the future of China.
Development and release
The game was created by Creative Assembly. The team improved many parts of the game, including the artificial intelligence and the user interface. They added a system called "guanxi" to make characters and generals more important in the game. This change was inspired by "Records" and "Romances," two important sources used by the team. Rafe de Crespigny, a scholar who studies the historical period, helped guide the development of the game.
In November 2016, during the planning stage, Creative Assembly said the next Total War game would focus on a new historical era instead of continuing a previous game. Sega, the publisher, announced the game called Three Kingdoms on January 11, 2018, with a video trailer. The game was originally planned for release in the second half of 2018 but was delayed to early 2019 to allow more time for development. A new release date of March 7, 2019, was later set, and then changed to May 23, 2019.
Reception
Total War: Three Kingdoms received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted the game's character-driven gameplay and storytelling. Chris Wray from wccftech said the game is "almost perfect, with a great mix of strategy and character development and stories that happen naturally." IGN's TJ Hafer said the game should be an example for other games in its genre. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell from The Guardian wrote that the game "is a wonderful story set in an exciting time, showing that the best stories are about people, not just big groups." Jody Macgregor from PC Gamer praised the campaign, but noted the game still has some issues that the series has had before, saying it "is not the best Total War game, but also not the worst."
The Romance mode was also praised for adding interesting new features to the game, with some reviewers comparing it to Total War: Warhammer. Preston Dozsa from CGMagazine said the game "shows the best parts of both the historical and fantasy sides of the series." Sean Martin from Hooked Gamers said the game "is the most different Total War game I've seen since Warhammer, combining fantasy ideas with real history." Denis Ryan from Rock, Paper, Shotgun said the game uses ideas from other games made by Creative Assembly, but "no other game has the same mix of features, and no strategy game looks as good."
Chris Tapsell from Eurogamer said the game is "very ambitious but sometimes hard to follow." PCGamesN's Phil Iwaniuk said the game has both new ideas and problems, and noted that while the campaign is memorable, the real-time battles are not as detailed as other games in the series.
Beifang Lin from GamerSky, a Chinese publication, praised the development team for their work and said they showed a deep understanding of the historical time period, adding that the Three Kingdoms theme was well connected to the Total War system.
According to the developer, Creative Assembly, Total War: Three Kingdoms was the most pre-ordered Total War game before its release. The game had the highest number of players at the same time in the Total War series, with over 160,000 people playing on the day of release and reaching 192,000 by the first weekend. This made it the largest strategy game played by the most people at once on Steam. It sold one million copies in a week after its release and had sold 3,210,000 copies by March 2025.