Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes PC

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes is an expansion to the 2019 strategy game Total War: Three Kingdoms. The expansion introduces a new story campaign, which takes place one hundred years after the events known from the base game. We also receive a number of new gameplay mechanics and changes to existing ones. The creators at Creative Assembly (they have also developed Alien: Isolation), are responsible for developing this title. The publisher was the Japanese company Sega.

Plot

The story told in Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes takes place a hundred years after the campaign of the base game, at a time when civil war is hanging in the air. The player takes on the role of one of the eight princes of the Jin Dynasty, who are trying to gain as much power as possible.

Mechanics

In the campaign of Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes we control one of the eight aristocrats: Sima Yong, Sima Jiong, Sima Yue, Sima Ai, Sima Yi, Sima Lun, Sima Liang and Sima Wei. Each differs from the others by his unique mechanics, capabilities and troops. For example, Sima Yong focuses on defense and architectural improvement and has access to Xianbei horse archers and riders. The crafty Sima Lun, on the other hand, gains advantage through espionage and diplomacy, and benefits from assault cavalry and Xiongnu from cataphracts.

Apart from the new lords, the game also features a number of mechanics that have not been seen before. The faction's development has changed - leaders are now promoted to a lesser, then a great lord and eventually become an imperial prince. The player can also decide whether they plan to take the throne or whether the role of regent is enough. Public order mechanics have also been removed, being replaced by an indicator of the support of the nobility, which better reflects the characteristics of the conflict presented in the new campaign.

The last big novelty is the attitude system, which gives new opportunities for the development of factions. The player can decide what he or she wants to do and what motivates his or her actions. Over time, this choice has a growing influence on the empire's development and causes new events, challenges and dilemmas.

Game modes

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes can be played solo or with others. The only new mode is the next story campaign, but the units and generals can also be used in battles played in multiplayer modes.

Technical aspects

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes does not introduce any significant changes in the visuals of the base game. We are still dealing with a very good looking production, full of detailed locations (including authentic sites, known from history books) and well-designed and animated models of warriors. The whole thing is complemented by an atmospheric soundtrack.

Last updated on 25 July 2019