Total War Three Kingdoms is the latest historical entry in the series. Total War, for those who do not know, is a grand strategy game, with an emphasis on massive scale real time battles with thousands of soldiers on each side. Three Kingdoms focuses on an ancient era of China, with larger than life heroic characters that have been romanticized in novels through the ages, as well as in many other videogames and properties throughout the years, such as the popular Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms series by Tecmo-Koei.

EDIT: As of May 27th, 2021, Ca has announced all patching and development for Three Kingdoms is done. This announcement comes out of nowhere and after CA promised a Northern Expansion and Red Cliffs chapter pack, a promise they now fail to deliver on. This leaves the game without a titular Three Kingdoms bookmark, and without the defining conflict of the time period, Chi Bi. CA states they are working on a new Three Kingdoms game, which will almost assuredly be a small, Saga-size game focusing just on the three kingdoms bookmark. With all this in mind, I can no longer recommend the game in its current state

Total War consists of a map-level strategy game, where the player recruits units, builds city infrastructure, issues army orders, handles spying, and other empire-level decisions. The game has a very robust diplomacy system, more so than any other previous game, and it is very possible to win entire games without doing more than a hand ful of battles, conquering China by coin and a silver tongue. Alliances, coalitions, vassals serving you, and more, are all possible, and for those coming from the Warhammer series, will likely find the campaign map to be a little overwhelming in comparison, since there is so much more to do and manage on the diplomatic and espionage end.

The batle level tactics game is very similar to other games. Heroes maintain the Warhammer style single entity heroics, capable of destroying hundreds of enemy troops and getting into dramatic duels that affect the morale of entire armies. Being a historical game, the archer/infantry/cavalry line is much more succinctly drawn, and cavalry flanking and careful use of archers, while maintaining your inantry line, are solid tactics that will carry you through a great number of battles.

Overall the entre game's philosophy is carried through by the "Wu Xing" system, which is a system of 5 elements, Wood, Fire, Water, Earth, and Metal. These elements serve to divide nearly every facet of the game into compatible, synergistic groups, that make it easy for players to make decisions. Vanguards are Fire element, and Shock Cavalry are Fire Element, so Vanguards are very compatible with, and are the only generals who can recruit, high level Shock Cavalry. It's similar on the map level, where Wood technology makes Wood buildings better, and Wood characters give bonuses in line with making Wood buildings better as well. In general this makes it easy for players to jump right in - as long as you mostly math your colors, you can't go wrong.

The game is very character focused, much more so than Warhammer or any previous game. Officers must have their satisfaction managed, through ranks, titles, jobs, assignments, and more. How, and *Who*, you select to run aspects of your empire will have a drastic effect on how well your empire runs. The untimely death of an heir or even a faction leader in battle could have disastrous effects as your faction suddenly splits into a civil war, due to feuding factions fighting over who should take over. This lends a more personal aspect to the game, rather than impersonal lords who are levelled up and tossed into battle.

Overall, if you're looking for a complex diplomatic Total War, that offers the most interesting campaign-level strategy, there is no other game in the entire series that does it better. If all you're looking for is battles, fantastic or otherwise, you may be best served with the Warhammer series, as it's difficult to beat it in terms of raw battle variety.

Total War Three Kingdoms is the latest historical entry in the series. Total War, for those who do not know, is a grand strategy game, with an emphasis on massive scale real time battles with thousands of soldiers on each side. Three Kingdoms focuses on an ancient era of China, with larger than life heroic characters that have been romanticized in novels through the ages, as well as in many other videogames and properties throughout the years, such as the popular Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms series by Tecmo-Koei. EDIT: As of May 27th, 2021, Ca has announced all patching and development for Three Kingdoms is done. This announcement comes out of nowhere and after CA promised a Northern Expansion and Red Cliffs chapter pack, a promise they now fail to deliver on. This leaves the game without a titular Three Kingdoms bookmark, and without the defining conflict of the time period, Chi Bi. CA states they are working on a new Three Kingdoms game, which will almost assuredly be a small, Saga-size game focusing just on the three kingdoms bookmark. With all this in mind, I can no longer recommend the game in its current state Total War consists of a map-level strategy game, where the player recruits units, builds city infrastructure, issues army orders, handles spying, and other empire-level decisions. The game has a very robust diplomacy system, more so than any other previous game, and it is very possible to win entire games without doing more than a hand ful of battles, conquering China by coin and a silver tongue. Alliances, coalitions, vassals serving you, and more, are all possible, and for those coming from the Warhammer series, will likely find the campaign map to be a little overwhelming in comparison, since there is so much more to do and manage on the diplomatic and espionage end. The batle level tactics game is very similar to other games. Heroes maintain the Warhammer style single entity heroics, capable of destroying hundreds of enemy troops and getting into dramatic duels that affect the morale of entire armies. Being a historical game, the archer/infantry/cavalry line is much more succinctly drawn, and cavalry flanking and careful use of archers, while maintaining your inantry line, are solid tactics that will carry you through a great number of battles. Overall the entre game's philosophy is carried through by the "Wu Xing" system, which is a system of 5 elements, Wood, Fire, Water, Earth, and Metal. These elements serve to divide nearly every facet of the game into compatible, synergistic groups, that make it easy for players to make decisions. Vanguards are Fire element, and Shock Cavalry are Fire Element, so Vanguards are very compatible with, and are the only generals who can recruit, high level Shock Cavalry. It's similar on the map level, where Wood technology makes Wood buildings better, and Wood characters give bonuses in line with making Wood buildings better as well. In general this makes it easy for players to jump right in - as long as you mostly math your colors, you can't go wrong. The game is very character focused, much more so than Warhammer or any previous game. Officers must have their satisfaction managed, through ranks, titles, jobs, assignments, and more. How, and *Who*, you select to run aspects of your empire will have a drastic effect on how well your empire runs. The untimely death of an heir or even a faction leader in battle could have disastrous effects as your faction suddenly splits into a civil war, due to feuding factions fighting over who should take over. This lends a more personal aspect to the game, rather than impersonal lords who are levelled up and tossed into battle. Overall, if you're looking for a complex diplomatic Total War, that offers the most interesting campaign-level strategy, there is no other game in the entire series that does it better. If all you're looking for is battles, fantastic or otherwise, you may be best served with the Warhammer series, as it's difficult to beat it in terms of raw battle variety.