Reigns: Three Kingdoms Review – Grand Strategy Gets the Roguelike Treatment

The Reigns series lives on with Reigns: Three Kingdoms. It’s the latest from indie developer Nerial, who you might know for making 2022’s addictive Card Shark. The original Reigns games were big hits when they launched way back in 2016. Their simple Tinder-style card mechanics helped transform grand strategy games for a mobile generation.

With Three Kingdoms, Nerial aims to reinvent another classic Chinese epic: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They’ve taken the novel’s rich, larger-than-life stories of 2nd century warlords and rebellion and adapted it for their debut Switch and PC title.

Just like in classic Reigns titles, players make all their big story choices by simply swiping left or right. Whether you’re dishing out justice, launching invasions, or just trying to keep your courtiers happy, every fateful decision comes down to a single swipe. Get too aggressive and risk an uprising. Go too soft and lose the Mandate of Heaven. As usual, walk the line or face the consequences.

With accessible gameplay matched to sophisticated roguelike elements, Reigns: Three Kingdoms promises a fresh take on Chinese history tailored for both newcomers and strategy veterans alike. Expect grand ambitions and grisly deaths in equal measure when it launches across platforms on January 19th.

Swipe to Shape an Empire

The Reigns series puts you in charge, condenses ruling into simple swipes, then punishes you over and over for wrong choices. Thankfully, Three Kingdoms brings back that nail-biting risk/reward cycle we’ve come to love.

This time your citizenry politely queues up to present issues for you to solve. Do you grant that smug merchant favored trading status? Ignore the call to invade nearby Lu Bu? Each problem sits on colorful illustrated cards just begging for a left or right swipe. The outcomes can feel totally random at first. Agree to a marriage proposal and suddenly peasant revolts are everywhere. Fund a library and your court loves it but military funding nosedives.

The key lies in managing four meters tracking military might, public approval, food supply, and virtue. They fill and empty dynamically based on your choices. Let one fall too low or rise too high and the pillars start cracking. Before you know it there’s an assassin slitting your throat or the royals are burning down your estate.

Then Three Kingdoms reveals its roguelite hooks. Your ruler dies but you play on as the next of kin. Maybe now you’re a governor expanding Dong Zhuo’s domain, or perhaps you reincarnate as a monk seeking enlightenment through good deeds. Some progress and events carry over while new story possibilities branch out. So you dive back in, balancing those four meters while nudging closer to your ultimate goal of total unification.

When issues can’t be settled by swiping, it’s time to duel. You and your opponent each control a hand of character cards, rotating them to soak up damage or unleash abilities. It plays out like a simplified Hearthstone arena match. Position tanky bruisers up front then unleash glass cannon mages from the back row. Some cards trigger bonus attacks, others heal. It adds a touch of tactical spice between story encounters. Loot new warrior cards to expand your battle deck options with each campaign.

While duels shine in multiplayer skirmishes, they can disrupt Three Kingdoms’ otherwise brisk pacing. Thankfully, most sessions are defined by the main swipe-based narrative. And here this uniquely Chinese backdrop separates Three Kingdoms from past entries. There are rich dynastic plots to uncover across Luoyang, Nan commanderies, and beyond. Just be ready when the court comes calling with its next divisive issue in need of your wise judgement.

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A Sweeping Saga Through China’s Warring States

Reigns: Three Kingdoms draws heavily from the 14th century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This epic fictionalized account of the Han dynasty’s fall covers turbulent 2nd century China. It’s a saga filled with heroic warlords, political intrigue, and the breakdown of imperial rule.

Nerial could have simply adapted pieces of the novel like Dynasty Warriors. Instead, they get creative by framing the whole experience as a historical simulation. Your character in 2024 signs up to be sent back in time to relive key moments. It lends Three Kingdoms a quirky modern twist even as you reshape the past as various generals and governors.

Guiding you is Lucy, head of the mysterious company running the simulation. She promises to pull you out if things ever get too dangerous. But once you start ping-ponging across China through successive incarnations, her assurances ring hollow.

Most playthroughs open with you commanding part of the failing Han court. Do you pledge loyalty to the emperor or back the mounting rebellion? Either way your decisions branch out into dozens of looping quests and open-ended goals. One campaign I reopened trade routes as a merchant prince. Another saw me defending villages from bandits as a rural governor.

You’ll navigate power struggles, border wars, coups and schemes across Nanzhong, Jingzhou and points beyond. Key figures like warlord Lu Bu and strategist Zhuge Liang will become familiar faces. Some may test your wits in duels or offer you wisdom if you make the right choices. Ultimately every playthrough nudges you closer to reuniting China under one stable rule.

But given Three Kingdoms’ roguelike backbone, don’t expect to stay alive for long. Lucy even jokes about how short your first reign will be. And she couldn’t be more right. Between dagger-wielding usurpers and peasant revolts, each session tends to end in pools of blood. Just be glad the simulation spits you back out to try again!

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Captivating Visuals and Audio

Don’t let Three Kingdoms’ mobile origins fool you. The artistic presentation here stands tall even on PC and Switch. Nerial utilizes a distinctive paper cutout style for both characters and environments. It lends the experience a unique storybook flavor that meshes nicely with the sweeping Romance backdrop.

The provinces you travel through sport their own vibrant color palettes as well. Verdant gardens, gloomy caves, snowcapped mountains – they all shine on whatever platform you play on. These visual touches breathe life into locations referenced in historical texts and myths. It’s a stylish way to showcase the diverse landscapes that make up China itself.

As for audio design, Reigns: Three Kingdoms opts for subtle yet effective tunes to underscore the swashbuckling adventure. The soundtrack sticks to gentle strings and woodwinds to complement without distracting from the palace intrigue at hand. Similarly, the interface audio ticks along crisply whether you’re swiping through high-stakes decisions or rotating the card deck in battle.

In an era where AAA Chinese period dramas push graphical spectacle above all else, the reserved art direction here is a breath of fresh air. Three Kingdoms stands as proof that visual splendor can manifest through elegant minimalist approaches rather than brute technical muscle alone. This softer touch pairs beautifully with the grand themes permeating through the adventure.

Become a Wandering Hero Beyond the Dragon Throne

While Reigns: Three Kingdoms revolves around political machinations, there’s plenty of room to forge your own wandering hero’s journey too. One standout option comes from the multiplayer battles which enable players to test their champion lineups against others. This card-based combat arena stands completely separate from the main campaign.

Multiplayer caters to those looking for high stakes duels without the empire management wrapping. Expanding your deck with legendary warriors then exploiting type advantages and special abilities becomes key here. Some may even recognize famous heroes from the Romance legends like the fierce Lu Bu or ingenious Zhuge Liang. It all unfolds briskly over a few rounds but calls for strategic mastery to prevail.

In the main story mode, Three Kingdoms also lets you explore China beyond just the palace halls. Accept minister positions in distant commanderies or follow up rumors in nearby villages. Along the way you’ll chat with local leaders, unravel side mysteries, and expand your sphere of influence.

Some nobles may invite you on hunting trips to curry favor. Others still like mischievous children will task you with solving cryptic poems. The variety hits a sweet spot between the extreme randomness of mobile Reigns titles and more linear PC counterparts. Keep an eye out for highlighted map markers too which help track regional events.

Best of all, living another day in the Han dynasty court is no longer your only measure of success. Now you might strive for honored titles like Grand Teacher, Emperor’s Advisor, or Supreme Warrior. It again broadens the range of outcomes beyond basic empire unification.

Maybe peaceful enlightenment appeals over conquest and you’ll pursue the life of a wandering monk instead. That route sees you journeying from temple to temple seeking virtue through philosophical debates. Just don’t be surprised when bandits ambush your pilgrimage! Ultimate triumph means balancing martial prowess with inner wisdom.

Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention all the gruesome assassination endings awaiting overly bold adventurers! But such fates all part of the unpredictable fun in store.

The Bitter and the Sweet

Reigns: Three Kingdoms stands out through its seamless fusion of Chinese history into accessible roguelike strategy gaming. The way pivotal events and figures from Romance of the Three Kingdoms slot right into the standard card-swiping formula demonstrates some ingenious adaptation on Nerial’s part. It helps this dramatic era come alive for newcomers and history buffs alike.

That same elegantly simple decision matrix also keeps tension high. You’re never more than a few swipes away from a gruesome death at the hands of an enraged peasant or opportunistic courtier. The threat creates real stakes for each choice while play sessions remain snappy enough for quick mobile sessions.

At the same time, Reigns veterans may find the branching storylines grow repetitive after a few incarnations. There’s a fair amount of content overlap run to run as the game recycles quests and council judgement calls. It makes perfect sense given the premise of reliving an era through countless would-be rulers. But a bit more variability could help ease occasional tedium.

The simplicity that makes Reigns so approachable does have downsides too. Guidance for newcomers proves rather sparse. Core objectives seem vague while the four resource meters offer little context for what actions may impact them. Prepare to die many sudden, confusing deaths before internalizing what goes into balanced statecraft.

Once things do click though, it becomes easier to lose hours tweaking those meter levels via swipes. Tricky risk/reward dilemmas emerge organically from Three Kingdoms’ systems where short-term gains often sow seeds for impending disaster. Few games capture that “just one more try” roguelike compulsion so elegantly.

So while Reigns: Three Kingdoms has flaws, they barely diminish the enjoyment. This exceptionally crafted balance of strategy and history should delight both fans of the series and total newcomers when it arrives on January 19th. Just be ready to swallow a bit of frustration alongside the fun.

Swipe Your Way to Unification and Death

Approaching the end of this Reigns: Three Kingdoms review, I’m left impressed by how Nerial continues to push the series forward. They’ve honored the legacy of beloved Chinese literature while crafting an accessible window into the era for newcomers. The creative historical simulation premise paired with refined gameplay creates a smooth on-ramp even for total beginners.

Core to the fun remains the dangerously addictive swipe-based judgement calls. Balancing peasant needs versus military might means constant tricky trade-offs with failure always one swipe away. It captures ruling’s harsh realities in a breezy mobile-friendly package. Then should the worst happen, you simply restart as the next of kin moments later.

The way strategic depth permeates systems like faction relations, quest branching, and card battles demonstrates masterful economy of design too. Yet there’s still ample room for veterans to chase mastery across repeated campaigns. That combination of pick-up-and-play accessibility mixed with underlying intricacy gives Three Kingdoms an immersive longevity that should delight.

Make no mistake though – this is still a Reigns game at heart. And for some that means repetitive story beats or unclear resource metrics sour enjoyment. I do wish guidance was a bit more thorough for those new to the formula. The dizzying amount of intersecting mechanics at play can overwhelm without sufficient context.

But concerns aside, Reigns: Three Kingdoms stands tall as an engrossing title for anyone craving strategic escapism or a fresh cultural twist. Slicing through the turbulent end days of Han dynasty China by simple card swipes makes for grand intrigue you can take anywhere. Just be prepared to endure a few thousand deaths before finally grasping that Mandate of Heaven!

Between the breakneck pacing and wealth of replayability though, those deaths will fly by. Because when it comes to scheming your way to the imperial throne, reincarnation has never been so engaging. Nerial looks to extend their winning strategy card game formula into 2023 and beyond with Reigns: Three Kingdoms. This portable epic certainly gets the new dynasty cycle off on the right foot!

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