If you happen to be a Japanese Steam user, you'll be able to sample Koei Tecmo's upcoming Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV. The latest installment in the long-running tactical strategy series, this new demo is being posted to collect feedback from players before the game's early 2020 release date. With the series having been dormant for roughly half a decade, it seems Koei Tecmo isn't rushing into this one.
The demo contains a short look at the combat features that XIV will have. Players will get taste of the different commands and functions they'll have for guiding their armies to victory. Difficulty is said to be on the higher side, as Koei Tecmo is trying to iron out AI bugs. The developer wants to make sure players at the highest level are taken care of before worrying about making adjustments for lower skill levels.
The demo is currently available for all users on Steam, though is only available in Japanese. Koei Tecmo will be taking feedback on the demo until October 31, 2019. Players can submit their thoughts through a questionnaire in the demo's launcher program. All data will be in Japanese, even if the demo is available worldwide.
If you'd like to catch more action of the game, Koei Tecmo has released a few trailers. While only one really shows off any gameplay, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV looks to skew more towards Civilization than Dynasty Warriors. Featuring characters and scenarios straight from the famous Luo Guanzhong novel, a lot of the narrative elements will be familiar to fans of Koei Tecmo's Warriors series.
While I typically don't indulge in strategy titles, I did get a big kick out of Total War: Three Kingdoms. I'll also a really big fan of Dynasty Warriors, despite the ninth main entry being a complete disaster. The setting of ancient China ticks all the right boxes for me, not to mention the character of Lu Bu is just incredible.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV will be landing on PS4 and PC in Japan on January 16, 2020. A North American and European release will soon follow after.
Source: Siliconera