Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Reviews

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Recommended
May 16, 2019

Ambitious and sometimes overwhelming, Three Kingdoms does a great job of capturing the complexity of China's vivid past.

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78 / 100
May 16, 2019

Not the best Total War game but not the worst by a long shot.

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T.J. Hafer
Top Critic
9.3 / 10.0
May 23, 2019

Total War: Three Kingdoms uses excellent pacing and strong character mechanics to create a consistently exciting and challenging historical strategy campaign.

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Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
9 / 10
May 17, 2019

A hugely enjoyable mix of historical realism and exaggerated action that is both surprisingly accessible and filled with an impressive depth of tactical options.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 20, 2019

Three Kingdoms is a striking addition to the Total War series with plenty to love, though it takes a slight dip in on-the-field tactical choice

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GameSpot
Top Critic
8 / 10
May 16, 2019

Three Kingdoms is the most ambitious that Total War has ever been, featuring an impressive variety of experiences thanks to its hefty source material.

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Unscored
May 31, 2019

Three Kingdoms delivers, in the sense that it gives me the gift of a genuinely absorbing historical fantasy.

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Luke Plunkett
Top Critic
Unscored
May 28, 2019

For those new or interested in the series, this is absolutely the best place to start, as it’ll ease you in and communicate its complexities better than any other Total War. And if you’re experienced, you’ll just love how this is a smoother, smarter ride. Three Kingdoms isn’t a perfect Total War game, but it’s the closest the series has come in a long time.

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8 / 10.0
May 24, 2019

Overall, Total War: Three Kingdoms can be summed up as yet another great entry in the long-running series. While it may not be the absolute pinnacle of what Creative Assembly can achieve, it has become my favorite entry simply because of the setting used. We've reached a point where your personal favorite Total War will be determined more by the property being adapted than any worry about quality or gameplay factors. Since everything is fine in Three Kingdoms, what else do I really need to say?

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May 30, 2019

In my time with Three Kingdoms, I gained a healthy respect for what Total War is.

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7 / 10
May 16, 2019

Three Kingdoms is another solid instalment in the Total War franchise, but lacks a certain wow factor. Creative Assembly has made some clever refinements around the edges of that enduringly addictive strategic core, allowing fans to steep themselves in yet another historic saga. However, there's a chance that some won't gel with this new setting or the way Guanzhong's epic has been adapted. It's another fun and rewarding take on the series, though we'd struggle to call it a must-buy.

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8 / 10
May 16, 2019

While I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of the series, I found a lot to like in Three Kingdoms.

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8.6 / 10.0
May 16, 2019

Three Kingdoms is one the best, if not the very best, historical Total War games. The strategic gameplay is especially compelling, and almost Paradox-like in depth. Still, the lack of variety caused by the limited setting widens the gap with the much more spectacular, and overall enjoyable, Warhammer 2.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.6 / 10.0
May 16, 2019

Creative Assembly Studio knows a lot about strategies of war and fun. Total War: Three Kingdoms is a clear and sophisticated evolution. The series will continue on this path and lovers of the genre can be happier than those players who have never been in Total War.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 16, 2019

Cold, hard battle strategy meets the warmth of human interaction and politics to create an engaging and addictive experience.

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97 / 100
May 23, 2019

Beyond best-in-setting and best-in-franchise, Total War: Three Kingdoms is a game that instantly contends for best of the year, or best in its genre. The setting and franchise here give it high expectations, and Three Kingdoms surpasses those expectations at almost every level.

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Unscored
May 16, 2019

It’s the best Total War game, the best historical strategy game released so far this year, and its stories are so compelling I’m as excited to read about other people’s anecdotes as I am to create more of my own.

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85 / 100
May 16, 2019

Total War: Three Kingdoms is a fantastic addition to the series, taking place in the Three Kingdoms period of China's history. The gameplay requires patience and strategizing, but is satisfying when successful. With plenty of aspects to manage, you won't be wanting for something to do, although it may be too much for some gamers.

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May 16, 2019

The battles are as gripping as ever but it's the character-driven melodrama that truly enlivens this first-rate strategy game

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Chris Wray
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
May 16, 2019

Total War: Three Kingdoms is as close to flawless as you'll find, with a fantastic balance of 4X strategy and character-focused development and emergent storytelling. The battles are frantic, with increased tactical opportunities through duelling. City development is more intuitive and less restrictive, though still requires thought and all of this takes place on a China that looks downright fantastic, where even the UI and menus look great. This is the Total War experience and a new high for the series.

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