Publisher Sega announced today that the twelfth playable faction in upcoming strategy title Total War: Three Kingdoms will be led by the tyrant Dong Zhuo.
Greed drives the malevolent Dong Zhuo, and he’ll let nothing stand in his way. Flanked by his adopted son Lü Bu, the greatest warrior in the land, no one can match their might and fury. By spreading fear and intimidation, those who oppose Dong Zhuo will soon bow down. Victory is nearly in his grasp!, the press release reads.
Dong Zhuo will, however, not be available as a playable faction straight away. Players will either have to reach the rank of Emperor in a campaign, or defeat Dong Zhuo’s army in battle (without being required to actually kill him) before they can bring cruelty down upon Ancient China.
Total War: Three Kingdoms is the first historical entry into the main series in a while, and takes inspiration from Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. The title is said to feature two modes: one where hero characters are closer to their novel counterparts, being strong individual fighters with distinct abilities, while the other will have them behaving closer to their counterparts from previous historical Total War titles.
Developer Creative Assembly has previously showcased the way in which Total War: Three Kingdoms will handle diplomacy, as well as espionage. The game takes a different approach to both those system than what we’ve seen in the past.
Total War: Three Kingdoms is set to release on March 7. Check out the Dong Zhuo reveal trailer below and be sure to give our Total War: Three Kingdoms preview a read for our early impressions on the title.
