Eiyuu Sangokushi

PC Engine CD / TurboGrafx-CD · 1993 · JP

Irem Irem

Publisher: Irem · Developer: Irem

Eiy? Sangokushi is a somewhat light-hearted depiction of the famous Three Kingdoms historical period in China. In its core, it is a turn-based strategy game, similar to the more popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. The player has the choice of playing through 8 different scenarios, starting with Dong Zhuo's rise to power in the late 2nd century, and ending with the last struggle of Cao Cao's sons and the destruction of the three kingdoms. The player can also construct his/her own map, and play it controlling any of the available Three Kingdoms characters from any scenario. The player selects a warlord and his capital city, from which he manages his wars. Compared to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the game is quite simple, with the battles being automatic and the player having by far less strategic options, focusing mostly on comparing statistics and building a line of generals powerful enough to attack the nearest city. Unlike most other historical games, the game has a comical, "super-deformed" graphical style, with famous Chinese warlords presented as typically Japanese big-eyed anime portraits.