Visuals have never been the series’ strong point, but the use of informative menus and easily navigated maps have been the vocal point for years, and fans have embraced it. Obviously the game looks remarkably better than it did in the early 90’s, but the basic outline and lack of CG cut scenes, oddly remain intact today. Not to say I don’t like the additions of shadowing, fog, and other special nuances that make for more visual realism, but I still would like to see a branching story line with cut scenes to break up the monotony every now and again. Even in this installment, the cut scenes are too far and between and almost insignificant in the story telling. I can see that it would be painstaking to produce a quality story in a series that is so non-linear, but maybe if the developers would wait more than 6-8 months to whip out another sequel, they could find the time to include such novel ideas. Fans going into the series know what to expect from the visuals, and this edition is no different than the other two offerings on the PlayStation 2.

Audio has also decided to take the time warp approach and use little of the power of the system it plays upon. Granted, the voice acting is superb. Thankfully in keeping the mood genuine, the dialog has remained in the original Chinese language. Another positive note is the fantastically orchestrated score. You will play for dozens of hours, and never tire of the timeless and pleasant. That is until you hear the poorly done sound effects that almost ruin the whole experience. It’s almost as if the samples were taken from the games of old and reproduced identically. This, to say the least, is a major disappointment. In a day and age, with the major advances in audio technology, we still have visionaries that make great games yet skimp on the details. For the majority, the game sounds wonderful, but those poor quality sound bites brings the mood down a notch.

With the audio and visuals out of the way, we move to the portion of the game that has kept the genre alive for these many years, the game play! Fans of the genre know why they play this series, and have kept playing it. The real time battles are hectic, fast paced, and rewarding. Especially when you take down an army with the force and knowledge you’ve mustered. I can remember the days of forming allies, marrying into money, battling for land, and other fantastic aspects that made the series wonderfully enormous and enthralling to play. For whatever reason some of that magic and depth has gone, yet the only thing that has stayed intact and grown is the battling itself. Sure, the game is a deep as it ever was when playing and engaging in combat; managing your troops, critical decisions, and all the real time battling glory remains, but the sense of real accomplishment is somewhat absent. You go through all the work of ruling with an iron fist only to see a clear screen and stills for your efforts? Bah! Not to say that the game isn’t worth it without the presentation, it just would have been nice to see more reward. Thankfully the game supports up to 8 players to release your frustrations upon. Throw in the ability to use a save file from Dynasty Warriors 4 or Tactics 2 to obtain new officers to add to the splendor and you have a game that will last you for months on end…or until the next installment comes out. Maybe when that time comes, Koei will introduce an online multiplayer mode. Overall, newbies to the series will have a tutorial to help guide them to victory, but fans will easily pick up the game and master their surroundings in a matter of minutes.

The Romance series has always had a love/hate relationship with gamers. This sequel should be no different. I’ve always enjoyed the series’ simple, yet addicting premise, and hopefully you will to. That, my friends, is the only true recommendation I can give. Try it for yourself and see.