Summary
While they don’t necessarily have crazy action sequences, flashy cutscenes, or epic storylines, grand strategy games can be fun in a brainier way. Aside from the joy of outthinking their opponents by using their military units and resources tactically, players can end up forming their own narratives.
They couldeven rewrite historyif they’re playing a game set in the past, like ending World War 2 earlier or making the Songhai Empire reach as far as Egypt. Still, some places and periods in history get more coverage than others. If anyone’s tired of playing as Romans or American generals, they may prefer these grand strategy games set in Asia.
Oriental Empiresisn’t the strongest game here, as its reception was more polite than warm. Critics weren’t keen on its bland presentation and lack of depth. But they did like its innovative mechanics, like the colored frames that illustrated what kind of troops made up each unit, giving players an idea of which battle formation to go with based on how many cavalrymen they had, etc.
The most intriguing aspect was its setting, as it was all based in ancient China. Players picked one of many factions, be they Chinese, Barbarian, Nomads, or Rebels, then tried to conquer their neighbors until they formed a united China. While the nation had featured in grand strategy games before,Oriental Empireswent right to the country’s early origins during the Bronze Age, concluding with its first imperial dynasty.
Koei, with and without Tecmo, has been a big name in the genre since its early days. Before they made the action festsDynasty WarriorsandSamurai Warriors, they used those games' historical settings for their long-running grand strategy games. But one of their series fell by the wayside before it could get theMusou/Warriorstreatment.
TheGenghis Khangames saw players either play as the Khan and expand the Mongol Empire or play as his rivals to keep him and others at bay. Aside from managing resources and troops, players had tokeep an eye on the seasons, as different crops thrived at different times. The originalGenghis Khanis considered the best. Its sequel,Clan of the Grey Wolf, was okay but ultimately spelled the end of the series in the West due to a lack of sales.
How could a game series called “Europa Universalis” feature Asia? Well, despite the name, the series has gone beyond the Urals sinceEuropa Universalis 2where it included China, Japan, and other Asian nations as playable options. The latest game,Europa Universalis 4, is perhaps the most expansive as it’s received a wealth of DLC since its 2013 release, with the most recent coming out in 2023.
Its “Kingdoms of the East” scenario lets players pick any of the kingdoms from Japan to India and Southeast Asia from 1444 onwards to see which one lasts. The Mandate of Heaven expansion added new missions and mechanics to China and Japan, while Art of War threw in more regions to play in. While the game isn’t strictly about Asia, there are plenty of options for players who opt for the continent.
Creative Assembly’sTotal Warseries is surprisingly one of Sega’s biggest moneymakers. Enough so that the Shogun fromTotal War: Shoguncould race alongside Sonic and co inSonic & All Stars Racing Transformedin 2012. Profits aside, the series was fresh in the memory at the time too, asTotal War: Shogun 2came out the prior year to widespread acclaim.
The series mixed turn-based strategy with real-time as the player split their play between the clan leader and the field general,maintaining their economyat one angle, and then making use of their forces to unify Japan under their rule. The base game is based on the Sengoku era, but theFall of the Samuraiexpansion also covered the Boshin War, where the feudal government fought against the Imperial modernists.
Before Paradox and Creative Assembly did a thing in the grand strategy genre, Koei already made their name with theNobunaga’s Ambitiongames. Starting in 1983, the series saw the player plot their way to unifying Japan under the infamous warlord Oda Nobunaga, or one of the era’s other big players like Takeda Shingen or Kenshin Uesugi among others.
The latest games in the series,AwakeningandTaishi, got fair reviews. But their predecessor,Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence, is generally regarded as the best of the modern games. The combat isn’t quite as polished compared toTW: Shogun 2, but it has wider diplomatic options and features bigger units of soldiers. The game delves deep into the history via its story mode too, making it a must-have for enthusiasts of the era.
Instead of making a direct sequel to the originalNobunaga’s Ambition, Koei switched focus to ancient China withRomance of the Three Kingdoms. Like the classic novel and the lateraction gameDynasty Warriors, players choose either the kingdoms of Shu, Wu, and Wei or other rebelling factions, in the hopes of uniting the country under a single ruler.
The series is still going today, with the latest beingRomance of the Three Kingdoms 14. Though many fans still preferRomance of the Three Kingdoms 11from 2006. Especially when it was combined with the Power-Up Kit, which added customizable options, 50+ abilities for generals, enhanced facilities for building forts and towers, and an extra “Super” difficulty for players who really wanted a challenge.
That said, theROTKgames got a new challenger in 2019 when Creative Assembly madeTotal War: Three Kingdoms. The gameplay is different, but the goal is the same: pick one of twelve factions to eliminate others and unify the country. On top of the usual troop commanding and laying siege to facilities, the game adds more personality to the proceedings.
Generals now have their own needs and wants, which can affect how they act in the campaign. They can even make friends with other key characters, which the player can use to their advantage. They can also choose whether to stick to the history via “Records” mode or go with “Romance” mode where the generals are now capable of doing the super-powered featsfrom the novel, like daring to pursue Lü Bu in a one-on-one duel.
