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Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is a good RTS, but there’s plenty to learn that may put off those looking for a shorter and snappier experience.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 Game Cover
66%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
stability, grinding
68% User Score Based on 954 reviews
Critic Score 68%Based on 16 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCPlaystation 5CloudPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxNVIDIA GeForce NOWWindowsPlayStation
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 Game Cover

About

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 is a single player tactical role playing game with warfare and historical themes. It was developed by KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. and was released on January 27, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"The ultimate depiction of the Three Kingdom. A heroic drama of a gathering of Legends." Based on this concept for Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13, we have compiled an experience that will immerse the player deep into the historically turbulent world of the Three Kingdoms, with "human drama," seen through daily interactions both on the battlefield and off between the many heroic characters of the…

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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 954 reviews
gameplay18 positive mentions
stability19 negative mentions

  • Deep and immersive character-driven grand strategy with RPG elements.
  • Extensive customization, ability to play as numerous historical or original officers.
  • Engaging relationship management and diplomacy systems that enhance immersion.
  • Large scale realistic battles with tactical depth and real-time with pause combat.
  • Well-done tutorials and scenarios that ease new players into complex gameplay.
  • Rich historical setting faithfully portraying the Three Kingdoms era.
  • Continual free DLC and active support improved game stability and content over time.
  • High price point and expensive necessary expansions frustrate many players.
  • Initial releases suffered from frequent crashes and technical issues, especially on PC.
  • Interface is dense, clunky, and unintuitive, causing difficulty managing tasks and battles.
  • Combat AI is often criticized as predictable, dumb, or easily exploitable.
  • Limited tactical options in battle, lack of ambushes and outposts, and repetitive battlefields.
  • Late game can feel tedious and repetitive, with endless reinforcements prolonging battles.
  • Key gameplay features are simplified or missing compared to previous highly regarded entries.
  • Language support was initially poor with unavailable English versions and poor translation.
  • Some mechanics feel unreasonable, e.g. inability to transfer troops between cities.
  • Mixed reception due to balancing issues, odd AI behaviors, and pacing complaints.
  • gameplay
    131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII offers a blend of grand strategy, political intrigue, and RPG elements with a greater focus on officer-based roleplaying than some predecessors. While it provides depth, character interaction, and a rich simulation experience praised by many for its strategic challenge, some players find the mechanics oversimplified, awkward, or underdeveloped, and the learning curve steep due to limited tutorials and explanations. Overall, it is a solid but divisive entry that rewards persistence but may frustrate those expecting more refined or traditional gameplay systems.

    • “Developed by Koei Tecmo, this thirteenth entry in the venerable series builds on decades of strategic gameplay tradition, offering a richly detailed simulation that balances grand-scale warfare, political intrigue, and resource management.”
    • “The gameplay here is deeply engaging, combining the strategic depth that defines the series with a more personal, character-focused experience.”
    • “This is the follow up to 10 that 12 should have been, and strides forward, not backwards, from what had come before. It has awesome CG scenes, deep and complex mechanics, and for once, the game doesn't assume you are too stupid to handle complexity and a plethora of commands to remember.”
    • “The gameplay loop is tedious, and many of the logical assumptions about how combat works are just bizarre and nonsensical.”
    • “The game still has some rough edges, like gameplay elements not explained very well, some inconvenient controls, and repetitive generic events.”
    • “Sorry... not worth it... really... I have been a fan of Romance of the Three Kingdoms from 5 till now and this has the worst gameplay. I totally don't know what is going on; I deleted the game after a day. This is how bad it is.”
  • story
    103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is deeply rooted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, offering immersive, historically inspired scenarios and a hero mode that serves as a tutorial and narrative introduction. It allows players to craft and experience their own unique stories through roleplaying, character relationships, and dynamic missions, though some quests can feel repetitive and the pacing slower. While fans of the original tale find the storytelling engaging and rich, newcomers may find elements like diplomacy limited and the narrative delivery somewhat fragmented or slow.

    • “The power to craft your story makes every campaign feel uniquely yours.”
    • “The game's narrative is enriched by historical events and scenarios that reflect key moments, giving players a sense of participating in a dynamic and evolving story.”
    • “It's a day-by-day simulation, not season by season, which allows for a much better storytelling, immersion, and interaction with other characters.”
    • “This game seems to be a bunch of repetitive item delivery quests and basic battles.”
    • “Imagine playing a 4x strategy game where, no matter what you did, everything you accomplished would get completely overwritten and invalidated by a progressing story that was disconnected from what actually happened in the game.”
    • “Finally, the diplomacy system is very limited, which is a particularly glaring shortcoming in a game that invests so much focus on relationships and so much of the story on coalitions and shifting alliances.”
  • graphics
    91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII receive mixed reviews, praised for their polished maps, vibrant character artwork, and thematic Chinese cultural designs, but criticized for lack of modern visual innovation and occasional glitches. While not groundbreaking, the visuals effectively convey the historical setting and maintain clarity, though some battle and 3D elements appear simplistic or outdated. Overall, the graphics are considered decent and functional, with standout artwork balancing the game's modest technical presentation.

    • “Graphically, the game looks vibrant and polished, with beautifully rendered maps, character portraits, and battlefields.”
    • “Passed inspection: very immersive, excellent graphics, beautiful music and visuals, models almost every aspect of Han dynasty military and court life.”
    • “The artwork is very themed towards Chinese culture of the first century AD, and is done beautifully, and now the portraits show the head in menus, but the whole body on character sheets, and the character portrait art has never been better.”
    • “Those who have 2 graphic cards in your PC, this stupid game will choose the lowest graphic card and hang.”
    • “When it wasn't crashing, there were graphical glitches.”
    • “The graphics are horrible and look simple too.”
  • music
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music is widely praised for its traditional Chinese compositions that enhance immersion and create an epic, historical atmosphere. While some note occasional repetitiveness and less oriental flair compared to previous titles, overall the soundtrack is considered excellent, well-implemented, and a standout aspect of the experience.

    • “The soundtrack and sound design complement the experience by adding a traditional and epic ambiance that fits the historical setting.”
    • “Music swells during battles and diplomatic moments, enhancing immersion without becoming repetitive.”
    • “The sound and music are a highlight, with traditional Chinese compositions that enhance the atmosphere.”
    • “The game's soundtrack is broken up into ill defined regional areas.”
    • “- music is not invested enough”
    • “Too bad we don't get the soundtrack released in the states.”
  • stability
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game is highly inconsistent, with many users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and numerous bugs that severely impact gameplay, while some players experience little to no issues. Despite these problems, a few find the game enjoyable and stable on their systems, though overall the buggy nature and glitches remain a major concern.

    • “They used to sell you full games instead of piecemeal DLC sets, and their final products were 95% bug free.”
    • “So far, bug free and an interesting game in general with lots of strategy.”
    • “I'm only 13 hours in at this point, but the duel system in particular looks and runs great.”
    • “Major glitches persist after 2 years of release, stupid AI which can't even attack and occupy a single castle (unless you are talking about some major AIs like Cao Cao or Liu Bei), poor diplomatic commands which are almost non-existent, and overall, boring.”
    • “Alas... it's a bug-ridden game that will crash extremely regularly.”
    • “I really, really wanted to like this game, but under the current, disgracefully buggy state of the English version and its PUK, I just cannot recommend it to anyone.”
  • replayability
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability opinions are mixed but generally positive, with many praising the game's variety of playable roles, RPG elements, and customization options that offer numerous unique playthroughs. While some feel it lacks the depth and lasting appeal of earlier titles, the expansion packs and sandbox features notably enhance replay value. Overall, the game provides substantial replayability through diverse strategies and personal scenario creation, though a few find it somewhat repetitive or easy.

    • “The replayability factor is extremely high due to the number of ways to play - lone officer/ronin, mid-level governor, war minister, ruler, bandit, or even merchant are some examples of the playable archetypes.”
    • “Ability to build a personal fictional scenario (set up ruler factions manually, select starting year) could create untold replayability, being able to customize each game and still follow many of the historical settings (relationships, officer appearance year) while still being an entirely fictional game.”
    • “Has endless replayability and always fun no matter what day of the week.”
    • “While it retains the charm of the era, it struggles to reach the depth and replayability of earlier installments.”
    • “Replayability is middling, with the sandbox structure allowing for different strategies but little variety in subsequent playthroughs.”
    • “In summary, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is a decent entry in the series but fails to deliver the depth and replayability of earlier titles.”
  • grinding
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and repetitive, especially mid to late game, with a strong focus on farming, commerce, and city development that some find overly simplistic or clunky. While task delegation and appointing ministers can help reduce the grind, managing multiple cities and social/stat building remains time-consuming. However, some players appreciate this grind as part of the challenge in developing characters and competing for power.

    • “They have made this game so complicated, grinding and boring.”
    • “The first two thirds of the gaming is redundant farming, building up, etc and hoping that you don't get attacked and ruined before you build up your city.”
    • “The 2 slots is not enough if you have many cities but if you have that many cities, to manage each and every one of them is a tedious job.”
  • optimization
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from poor PC optimization, with frequent bugs and performance issues even on high-end systems. Users criticize the lack of smooth gameplay and note that optimization feels neglected compared to console versions. Overall, the game's technical performance significantly detracts from the experience.

    • “A clone of Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence with controls optimized for the PC and not the PS4.”
    • “Of course there are some issues such as incessant pop-up events, and at times it feels like it is nowhere near optimized for a PC (even on my fully-loaded Lenovo 7i).”
    • “Based on your performance, receive dynamic rewards and merit.”
    • “Worst PC optimization ever.”
    • “Bad optimization.”
    • “No optimization at all with tons of bugs.”
  • character development
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is highlighted as a strong and engaging aspect of the game, offering deep role-playing capabilities and multiple layers of interaction with other characters. Players appreciate the dynamic, living world feel and the ability to influence and evolve various characters, drawing favorable comparisons to games like Crusader Kings 2. This depth adds significant immersion beyond just battles and strategy.

    • “While Total War has overall better battles, building tree and tech tree, this game has powerful character development, a truly living world, and amazing depth when it comes to interacting with other people.”
    • “Some of the character development reminds me of Crusader Kings 2, with the ability to influence and alter a wide range of characters.”
    • “The different options for the officers as far as character development are interesting.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its excellent soundtrack featuring traditional Chinese compositions, which effectively immerse players in the Three Kingdoms era. The sound and music significantly enhance the epic and authentic feel of the game world.

    • “The soundtrack is excellent, helping to create an epic atmosphere.”
    • “The sound and music are a highlight, with traditional Chinese compositions that enhance the atmosphere.”
    • “Not only does Rotk 13 offer a compact strategy game set during the Three Kingdoms era with RPG elements like forming bonds, friendships, even marriage and archenemies, but the great sound and music let you truly feel the Three Kingdoms atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game delivers deep emotional engagement through intense empire management and character-driven drama, often evoking strong feelings even over pixelated characters. Players appreciate the rich depth that goes beyond surface gameplay, enhancing the overall emotional experience.

    • “This isn’t just a game; it’s a full-time career in empire management, character drama, and occasionally, emotional breakdowns over pixelated generals.”
    • “Overall, I feel the game has more depth than I'm touching on here, which I think is a good feeling.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the humor in the game's overwhelming enemy forces and the ease of wiping them out, creating amusing but somewhat ironic situations. However, this comedic aspect is tempered by a sense of diminished strategic challenge.

    • “To the people who complain about being overwhelmed by a ton of forces... I thought it was funny when I was basically wiping out all of Wei's forces in a few battles (they would send all their armies from all cities to one battle but I would decimate them at a choke point), and other scenarios where I would wipe out provinces with the same army.”
    • “Which can be funny at times but kinda sad as well because there is really no strategy here.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users criticize the game's monetization as aggressive and primarily focused on extracting money, expressing disappointment that it feels like a cash grab rather than delivering the promised RPG experience.

    • “This is a rant and review as this game is just a fking cash grab.”
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35h Median play time
53h Average play time
20-100h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 is a tactical role playing game with warfare and historical themes.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 53 hours playing Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 was released on January 27, 2016.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 was developed by KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD..

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 is a single player game.

Similar games include Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14, ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE, Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: Sphere of Influence, Three Kingdoms The Last Warlord and others.