Koei once again takes us into one of the greatest epics of Chinese history with Dynasty Tactics 2. Based on the popular Romance of the Three Kingdom novels by Luo Guanzhong, Dynasty Tactics 2 puts forth a new spin on tactical combat and sets it against the rich backdrop of Chinese history. If you're unfamiliar with the epic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms covers a three hundred year span from the fall of the Hang Dynasty as a result of rebellion all the way to the reunification of China under the Jin Dynasty. Dynasty Tactics 2 is shaping up to be a game that will appeal to all Chinese history buffs and strategy gamers alike.
If you had any experience with the previous Dynasty Tactics then you know what to expect you of this one. Once again you must take up the role of a Chinese general and proceed on your way to total conquest. Making their return from the previous title are Sun Ce, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei. This time around, their joined by General Lu Bu, the "fierce heaven-sent child of a turbulent age" and traitor striving to redeem his reputation. What does that mean folks? You now have 4 different campaigns to fight through and establish your dynasty.
For those of you are unfamiliar with this series, Dynasty Tactics is a combat simulation which requires you to use and create different tactics and strategies involving different kinds of units. All of which, if used correctly, will lead your side victory over your foes and the reunification of China. Represented almost like a giant chess board, players will use a turn based system to position their units across different types of terrain on a grid. Keep in mind that unlike a chess game, different types of terrain will have an affect on how many spaces you may move. It's a lot easier to move a unit across a flat field as opposed to say over a mountain in the grand scheme of combat.
Another aspect players must consider is the morale of your units. Units with the highest morale always go first. So if you don't keep your troops happy, a crushing defeat may be in store for you. Morale can be affected from a number of different factors. Opposing forces may setup spies in your army to take it down from the inside or you can raise your morale by performing certain strategies. It's all relative here so choose your maneuvers wisely and the gods may grace you with a victory.
To aid in your legend, Koei has introduced some new features which should get you strategy buffs going. The first is the Tactical Chain System which allows you to use multiple war strategies to take down your opposing foes. If you meet certain conditions set during battle you will be able to string together up to 10 offensive tactical maneuvers against an opponent. It may sound complicated to you newbies out there, but thankfully Koei has supplied a handy training tutorial which will have even the newest rookie rolling with the best of them. Another addition is the addition of the Tactics Training Camp. Here you can build relationships with other commanders as well as learn techniques to use on the field of battle. Establishing friendships with various commanders will give your units the ability to coordinate allied strategies during the heat of battle and further the chance of victory.
Another new addition is the new range of freedom unmatched by the previous game. You can now go into cities, villages, streets, and even the homes of wizards and hermits. By doing this you can hold conversations with different members of each community for the purpose of earning new items as well as learning about rare tactics.
Koei definitely has a winner with this latest installment in an already great license. Sure the graphics may not be up to par with say Dynasty Warriors 4, but this game is meant to blow you away with large explosions and shiny things. It's meant to get you thinking and make you a more effective battle commander. All you strategy fans out there with an Xbox better keep your eye out for this one in September.
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