Kessen 2

Welcome to China. It's the second century AD, and you're in control of Liu Bei, a wise and much loved governor who only wants to bring peace to his land of Xu. Unsurprisingly, this is a ludicrously optimistic wish, and Xu is now at war with several enemy states, forcing you to defend yourself and your people. This is the background for Kessen II, a real-time strategy game set during the events of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" epic. Kessen II throws you into enormous, sprawling battles involving foot soldiers, cavalry, and some very impressive magicians. These warlock types are a new addition to the Kessen series, and make the action considerably more eye-popping, with massive fireballs, meteor storms and earthquakes tearing the battlefields to shreds at regular intervals. Nonetheless, the gorgeous cut-scenes do little to change Kessen II's hardcore strategy roots - this is a game for thinkers, not doers.