Decisions, decisions ...

So many must be made. This is not just a case of throwing an army into the field and attempting to wipe out all who stand in the way. Knowing how to attack is as important as the attack itself. Troops will be sacrificed with feints and deception. You must learn of the enemy’s strength, and, of course, terrain can be an obstacle that stands in the way of victory.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is a turn-based strategic warfare game from KOEI that delves into historical battles for China in the second century. It was the end of the Han dynasty and the struggle for power reached country-wide proportions, with warlords all hungering for a place in the new ruling house.

The game brings to life the primary officers and situations through a host of missions and battles, but this is not just about moving army units along a battlefield. This is about thinking through what you wish to do and how you wish to do. Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is as much about the set-up to a battle, as it is to the battle itself.

Three Kingdoms VIII contains a host of new features, all designed to simplify what is a complex game, but to put the player squarely into the battle. This is an in-depth combat simulation, that does an amazing job of immersing players into the turbulent times.

Begin a campaign by selecting your units, starting with your officers. In the Battle of Chi Bi (207-213), there is the younger Fa Zheng, only 32 with a force of Liu Zhang and based out of Fu. Or you can go with Jia Xu who commands Cao Cao our of Ji and is a venerable 61 years of age. The mission allows you to pick up to eight warlords or officers.

The scenario begins in January 207 with the discussion of war. The Yuan family is on the run, and the decision must be made to either destroy the remnants of that army or move against another and conquer all of Yu.

Cao Cao sits in command and orders his officers to move southward. Meanwhile, Zhang Lu holds council. This is more interactive. Yan Pu is asked for the direction the city should take. There are five options - personnel (allocation of forces through hiring, releasing transferring, appointing or dismissing officers), military (preparations for war), diplomacy, tactics (perform various acts against other cities) and spy.

Each option yields a list of submenus and more choices.

This is a game that can take a relatively long time to set up the battle.

Pre-war strategy includes Jog (increases mobility and morale), March (normal advance) and avoid (increased trap evasion at the cost of mobility). From there the game moves into the combat phase. This is played in turns on a mapboard that is shows hills and valleys. Using your troops well in these instances is essential. Are troops arriving as reinforcements and if so, should you engage the enemy or wait until all are in place? What fortifications will you use? Will advancing armies be stalled by traps?

The game has a lot of variables which must be taken into consideration when moving on an enemy stronghold.

Richly conceived in terms of depth of play, Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII features 54 scenarios, 711 commanders with the option to creature 100 officers, 15 new tactical skills which also include surprise attacks. Each of the playable characters possesses 26 officers skills and four basic attributes which come into play during the game. How well a character can negotiate with the enemy will depend on his ‘eloquence.’ You can also try to persuade an enemy officer to defect during the battle, which will cause the army he is with great distress.

Graphically the game features two-dimensional planning phases which are colorful and bright, and serve as a backdrop for the tactical planning. The visual combat phase is rather sparse. This game features animation that is not the most fluid or natural, but rather harkens back to an earlier day in the genre. Units move with a jerky rush. The mapboards attempt to simulate three dimensions, but really fail in that regard. Special effects, such as traps falling on units lack a spectacular effect. Pop-ups dot the screen with combat information, which are really a break for the eye in the rendered environment.

The sound of the game is solid, but the combat effects are average at best. The musical score is big and well done.

The controls of the game will take some getting used to. This is a game that uses the O button as the confirmation, while the X will advance you along but may not get you where you thought you were going. Count on a 20-minute learning curve to get used to the idea of the control system, then be prepared to put in a longer stint learning the intricacies of the game itself.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is not the most visually stunning turn-based combat game on the market, on any platform. But the lure of this game is much more insidious. The game has depth of play that few can equal. This is more about entreating the brain as opposed to the eyes or ears. Certainly there is enough visually and in the audio department to move the game along, but the real strength of the game lays in the way in challenges players to think about their battle plans. Rushing headlong into the fray is not always the best course of action.

Three Kingdoms VIII will not appeal to players who hunger for a rich visual/audio presentation. It will, however, find a rabid following of war-gaming enthusiasts who like the mental exercises this game will evoke.

Gameplay: 8.5
This is not a game in which players immediately jump on the battlefield. This is a game that requires thought and planning. You must consider your options carefully and make wise choices. As such, there is quite a length of time from launching a scenario and actually getting to the combat. But the game itself is set up appropriately for this process and it all works well together.

Graphics: 7
This game has lush council settings, but the animations leave something to be desired.

Sound: 7.5
The music is solid and rich, but the battle sounds are merely average at best

Difficulty: Hard
This is a game that requires players to really think about their battle tactics. Just because you set up the game to present an easier scenario will not ensure victory

Concept: 8.8
Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII has a host of new features, such as allowing all forces to take part in a single battle (not just the maximum of four as in previous incarnations of the series), character interaction and advancement, a simplified interface which combines elements such as field and siege fighting into one process, and officer duels and ploys. All of this combines to create a game that has incredible depth of play.

Overall: 8.4
If you are looking for a game with instant battle, incredible animations and realistic combat sounds, look somewhere else. If you are looking for a turn-based strategic combat game that may be a little simplistic visually, but requires a great deal of thought and is incredibly deep in terms of strategic gameplay, this is the title you will want to play.