

Just one week after release, the title sold over 1 million copies, two-thirds of which were contributed by Chinese players. Localization is not just about translation The previous games in the Total War series like Attila and Warhammer, although had high ratings on Steam, were unable to attain a solid fan base in China. official pictureĪmong the Chinese gamers, the majority of them were first drawn to Total War by the sheer idea of it being based on the Three Kingdoms.

It’s entirely different from just creating an archer and fighting people,” One of the boys pointed out.

“It makes you feel like you are the absolute god of the side you picked, making decisions and controlling everything. What makes Total War unique is that it is a perfect combination of diplomatic relations, domestic affairs, and war tactics.

Liu Bei has joined forces with Liu Zhang, and Sun Quan is made king.” When asked about why he would choose Cao Cao, one interviewee simply said according to the game’s system, it is easier to win on this side with better personnel resources and diplomatic settings.ĭifferent from the Koei version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms developed by Japanese designers, this strategy game is much more improvised, with more variations and contingencies, and higher demands for the players’ operational capabilities during war. However, five rounds later, Lv Bu was killed as well. “Right now, for my part on Cao Cao’s side, Dong Zhuo has died, and Lv Bu has inherited his legacy. 268 yuan was all it cost for the best strategy game based on the Three Kingdoms story up until now. They had all pre-ordered the title before it was even officially released. You would wonder how you would have organized your armies if you were the army leader.”Īt a cafe, three boys gathered around during lunch break, discussing the details and great fun they had with the game. “Every Chinese boy has a dream of the Three Kingdoms. It’s more or less a complex towards these heroic characters of warring times,” A Chinese fanatic of the newly released Total War: Three Kingdoms, a strategy game developed by British studio Creative Assembly, told me. “ Most boys in China grew up reading or watching content based on the Three Kingdoms.
