The SEGA games company has published and produced a wide variety of titles in the sixty or so years since its founding; everything from pocket pinball to Crazy Taxi to Sonic the Hedgehog can be found listed on its portfolio and website, https://www.sega.com. 2019 sees the company take yet another step towards this kind of portfolio diversity in the published release of grand strategy game Total War: Three Kingdoms.
SEGA Charges Ahead Into Portfolio Diversity
SEGA has fingers in many pies – its own games, those it publishes, and more. SEGA is a jack of all trades – what’s not clear, however, is whether this is a good or bad thing. Specialised companies will provide fierce competition without a doubt, in every arena and genre.
One such example is that of SEGA’s personal casino – way back when, the company planned to launch a games hub of slots and cards all themed on their personal IPs and franchises. The project was a flop – meanwhile, focused casino companies like https://www.winningroom.com/en continue to flourish and produce titles themed on everything from Vikings to the legacy of ancient Egypt.
When it comes to the Total War Series, however, it seems Sega has struck gold.
Total War: Three Kingdoms Revolutionises the Series Formula
Published under SEGA’s name and developed by British development company Creative Assembly, the Total War series has been at the forefront of live action battles and campaign map tactics for decades. Their latest release coming March 7th, Total War: Three Kingdoms, takes root in ancient China (following on from previous historical titles set in Japan, Rome and Napoleonic Europe). Players will be able to take command of one of twelve factions on release, from the evil tyrant Dong Zhuo to the virtuous Liu Bieu, forging their own path through this iconic combination of Chinese history and myth. Get the full details from the Total War website at https://www.totalwar.com/.
The Total War series’ greatest strength has always been its live-action battles – players have been able to set tens of thousands of troops against one another in tremendous sieges, pitched conflicts and ambushes since the release of the original 2D Shogun in 2000. With Three Kingdoms, however, more of a focus has been placed on diplomacy, subterfuge and campaign map management.
Three Kingdoms Will Feature Two Campaign Modes on Release: Records Mode and Romance Mode
The warlords and personalities of your faction move independently of you, the player, making friends and enemies as turns progress, defecting if they are unhappy, and even spying on enemy factions should you so wish. A huge amount of time and effort appears to have gone into revolutionising the campaign map for depth, intrigue and skill.
Three Kingdoms will feature two main campaign modes on release: Records Mode and Romance Mode, with details of the latter recently released at https://www.shacknews.com. In Romance Mode, your warlords will be as fierce and reputable as they are in the epic story this game is based on (think ancient Chinese equivalents of Achilles or Hercules). In Records Mode, generals and strategists will simply form part of a bodyguard unit, be more vulnerable to defeat, and live regular lifespans.
Romance Mode will likely appeal to the more casual player, as well as fans of the Total War: Warhammer series (featuring dragons, vampires and giant skeleton archers) in its more bombastic take on the period. Records mode is for the die-hard historian in all of us, peeling back the grandeur of storytelling and focusing on the nitty-gritty of politics and conflict.
Only time will tell whether Total War: Three Kingdoms will be a success on release. With more and more content coming out every week, opinions will soon begin to form, and reviews will be on their way. Fans can only sit tight for now, and hope.
