As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I have seen the evolution of strategy games from their humble beginnings to the intricate and immersive experiences they are today. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchise has always held a special place in my heart, and its latest remake, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake, is no exception.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchise has been around for some time now, and across over a dozen instalments, it has delivered some of the most engaging strategy games around. And though it’s likely going to continue doing that in the years to come, for now, Koei Tecmo has taken the decision to look back at one of the series’ older entries and bring it back for modern audiences in the form of Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake. Recently releasing for PC, PlayStation, and Switch, the strategy remake attempts to deliver an enhanced and expanded form of a fan-favourite, and ahead of its recent release, we were able to speak with its developers about some of the ways that it does that. Below, you can read our interview with producer Kazuhiro Echigoya.
NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.
Among various games categorized as All Officer Play, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8” stands out distinctly because it includes storylines for each year from the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 to Zhuge Liang’s demise on Wuzhang Plains in 234. For this reason, we selected it as our choice for a remake.
In the realm of strategy games, it’s unusual for developers to opt for remakes; instead, they usually enhance the mechanics in a new installment rather than re-creating an old game completely. What led to the decision to go back to Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8?
At present, there’s a growing preference for game remakes within the market, and considering the triumph of past Koei Tecmo series remakes, we’ve decided to venture into remaking a title from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. This game franchise has two primary categories: “ruler-based games,” where players govern their forces as a ruler, and “officer-based games,” which allow players to assume the role of subordinate officers instead. Our previous release, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14, was a ruler-based title, so we’ve opted to remake one of the officer-based ‘All Officer Play’ titles. Among these All Officer Play entries, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 stands out as it offers scenarios for every year from the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 to Zhuge Liang’s death on Wuzhang Plains in 234. This extensive timeline makes it an ideal choice for our remake project.
How does the Relationship Chart work? What kinds of gameplay benefits will Links Forged have?
Among the standout traits of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8” is its rich diversity of relationships, and we’ve elevated this aspect by incorporating the “Destiny” feature. A key attraction of this game lies in watching your officers forge connections and destinies with others. The development can be monitored using the “Relationship Map”, providing a clear view of how much progress you’ve made in strengthening these bonds.
Officers who have strong bonds will trigger the “Link Established” mechanism, either during domestic situations or combat. In a combat scenario, for instance, “Link Established” could enhance damage, making it crucial to build rapport with fellow officers prior to engaging in battle.
Will Tales function primarily as additional missions within the ongoing campaign, or do they stand independently as complete campaigns?
In this game, “Narratives” provide players with various scenarios resulting from different events, enabling them to decide which ones to proceed or skip. They also have the option to pause or resume an ongoing event at their convenience. This interactive feature lets players focus on their favorite parts inspired by either the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” or “Records of the Three Kingdoms” novels.
How will the debate system work? What are the biggest ways it will change the gameplay experience?
As a die-hard fan, I’d like to shed light on one significant shift in the gaming experience by drawing parallels to the “Duels” from “Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8.” In the previous game, combat was predominantly physical, with officers engaging in brutal duels. However, there were no opportunities for intellectual battles through debates. This setup favored physically stronger officers. But in this new game, both physical duels and intellectual debates are included, catering to characters who excel in either martial prowess or scholarly wisdom, making the experience much more engaging for a wider range of players.
When specific strategic instructions or occurrences lead to a “Debate”, triumphing in this contest enables you to convince your adversary. Developing your debating abilities will be beneficial for progressing within the game.
In this design, we’ve consciously made the arrangement for the evaluation and city screens resemble that found in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8”. This deliberate choice is intended to spark a nostalgic feeling among fans of the eighth edition when they initially see it. Additionally, we utilized 2D graphics from the eighth edition for the animation of the populace on the city screen and the loading screens’ paper cutouts.
In this game, what significant visual improvements can players anticipate? To what extent does the visual style align with the essence of the original game?
In our design, the arrangement of the evaluation and city screens mimics that of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8” deliberately to spark a nostalgic feeling among fans of the eighth version when they initially see it. We’ve incorporated 2D elements from the eighth version for the animations of the city population and loading screen backdrops, as well.
As a gamer, one area where I’ve poured my heart and soul into is the intricate ink wash paintings used as backdrops for battle scenes. The “Art Book” that comes with the Digital Deluxe Edition showcases these original creations, and I can’t wait to feast my eyes on the stunning detail they offer!
On the other hand, the 3D components have been specifically designed for modern gaming systems, thus allowing for visually compelling graphics that can hold their own against what’s currently offered in the gaming industry.
For developers, isn’t it a hurdle to create a game that needs to adapt seamlessly across devices ranging from Nintendo Switch to PlayStation 5?
Each platform requires adjustments, so naturally, the more platforms we support, the more we need to deal with. Especially with differences in graphical performance, we make sure that the core gameplay experience is consistent across all platforms. Please enjoy it on your preferred platform.
Is there any chance of the game eventually launching on Xbox as well?
Currently, there are no plans for releasing it on Xbox.
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2024-10-29 20:12