Three Kingdoms Review: Mindless Grind or Extremely Unique?
By Mohammed Afzal (MageMoa), OnRPG Journalist
A high amount of gamers had been waiting for this game. When the game got released, most of the gamers were disappointed by the graphics of the game. It looked like it was another mindless grinding MMORPG, but was this true? The Three Kingdoms, developed and hosted by the gaming corporation “Uforia”, is based on an Asian novel, better known as: “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms”. The game is mainly about three clans who are constantly fighting against each other. The game is really great and special for the gamers that have read the novel; Not only are they able to see their favorite characters from the novel in the game, they can also talk to them and help them! But what exactly is this game and what can we expect from it?
Gameplay
When starting the game, you will definitely not be impressed; Everything looks like a regular grinding MMO. You will be able to choose between three clans and four classes. After choosing your clan and class, you will be taken into the game. And there you are; Standing in a big world full of monsters, quests and many things to do! At least, that is what you would think. The game doesn’t really start until level 40 and by then you will be sick of the grinding, but even though the graphics are disappointing and the huge amount of grind is just horrible, the game offers us many unique features!
Clans and Classes
There are three clans: Wei, Shu and Wu. These three clans have actually existed many years ago in the Chinese Empire! The clans don’t really have any differences and their status is dependable on their members; They are the ones that have to fight for their clan!
The four main classes of the game are nothing special; You must’ve encountered them in many games. These four classes are: Warrior, Archer, Craftsman and Mystic. The more unique part of the classes are the job advancements. There are three job advancements; One at level 20, 40 and 80. Let me explain the last two for you:
Warrior
When a warrior is level 40, he has to choose between two classes: Defender and Champion. The Defender has more defense and uses a sword and shield to attack. They deal medium damage, but they are the perfect tankers. When a Defender reaches level 80, he can advance to become a Guardian. This will make higher his health and defense and he will be able to keep even more enemies away.
The Champions use two handed weapons to deal damage. Their defense and hit points are lower than the Defender’s, but they can hit incredibly high. When a Champion reaches level 70, he can advance to become a Conqueror. This will basically make him even stronger and his attacking speed will increase.
Archer
When an archer reaches level 40, he can finally advance. He will be able to choose between two classes: Slayer and Ranger. The Slayer can be seen as the thief class of the game. It specializes in throwing weapons and it is faster than the Ranger class. It is a very challenging class, but really difficult to master. When a Slayer hits level 80, he will be advanced into a Warden. This makes him throw even faster and his agility will rise.
The Ranger class is more common. Rangers use bows and crossbows to attack their enemy from a distance. Their accuracy is almost perfect and their quick blows can take out their enemies before they reach them. When a Ranger hits level 80, he will become a Marksman. This will make him move quicker and attack even faster.
Mystic
The weakest offensive beginning class. It is really hard to get your Mystic to level 40 on your own, because of the lack of hit points and defense. When your Mystic reaches level 40, you will be able to pick an advanced class. The two classes you can pick are: Doctor and Tactician.
The Doctor class mainly focuses on healing and supporting their party members. They are not able to fight on their own and it is really a pain to train a Doctor if you don’t have any friends. When a Doctor reaches level 80, it will become a Shaman. A Shaman is capable of doing better damage than a Doctor, but it is still is very weak.
The Tactician class is the strongest class (damage wise). They can deal the highest amount of damage, but they fire slowly and they have a very low amount of health and defense. When a Tactician reaches level 80, he will advance into an Oracle.
Oracles can deal even greater damage, especially with their AoE (Area of Effect) spells. They can’t be missed in a good party!
Craftsman
The Craftsman differs from the other classes; It doesn’t focus on fighting at all. The Craftsman is a class which can play a huge factor in the game, because they are the only class that is capable of making weapons and armor. At level 40, a Craftsman can decide to take the path of an Armorsmith or a Weaponsmith. The names of the classes say enough about their function. At level 80, the Armorsmith will advance into an Artisan Armorsmith and the Weaponsmith will become an Artisan Weaponsmith. They will be able to make even greater equipment after the job advancement.
Features
The features of the game are stunning, especially the PvP. The PvP option of the game is more than just two players fighting each other. There are regular PvP battles, but there are also Castle Sieges. Let me tell you a bit about this unique feature. Castle Sieges are all about GvG (Guild versus Guild) battles. Your guild has to fight guilds from other Kingdoms. If your Kingdom wins more Castles, the amount of gold and experience in your Kingdom will rise!
For more information about this feature, please check The Three Kingdom’s site. The second feature I would like to mention is the Hiring system. You will basically be able to hire someone or something to fight on your side. To hire someone or something, you will have to offer enemies money for the job. The only negative part of this feature is that there is a possibility that the enemies will not accept your offer and attack you!
Personal opinion
I could keep this very short; The game is unique in its own way. The classes were challenging and the PvP was really stunning, but the level requirement for Castle Sieges was a letdown and the cash shop users had a real advantage above the regular players. And even though I am not someone who judges games by their graphics, the graphics of the game have really ruined it for me.
Pros:
– Great PvP options
– Stunning features
– Job advancements
– Great storyline.
Cons:
– Mindless grinding
– Disappointing graphics.
