The adventure begins when the beleaguered Chinese empire falls victim to a rebellious plot, and endures over one hundred years of civil war. China's turbulent history is revealed in breathtaking detail as you take the roles of Ancient China's most extraordinary figures including peasant turned emperor Liu Bei, conqueror Cao Cao, the elite warrior Zhao Yun, and brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang.

IMPROVED OFFICER-BASED PLAY!
RTKX reinstates the highly favored officer-based play system, but with a greater focus on character and story. The improved Officer-based system now includes new in-game events taken directly from the eponymous novel. The game's events are viewed and interpreted differently by each officer and affect the personal life of the player's character, adding a greater sense of drama to the game.

FIVE SOCIAL CLASSES TO CHOOSE FROM!
Through the Officer-based play system the player's experience is affected in various ways by social class. The player has a choice of characters from five distinct social classes: Sovereign, Viceroy, Prefect, Vassal, or Free officer.

NEW DEBATES RECREATE THE POLITICS BEHIND THE WAR!
In Western cultures, the Three Kingdoms period is best known for its images of great warriors clashing in violent battles, but the complete history places equal importance on the debates had by civil servants like Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. For the first time in the series, the recreations of these debates allow players to experience the significant political victories of the time.

REGIONAL BATTLES AND LARGE-SCALE CAMPAIGNS!
War in RTKX is carried out through two types of conflicts: regional battles and campaigns. Local battles include field skirmishes, sieges of enemy cities, and urban-based combat. Large-scale campaigns involve all of the cities in a given region, and are waged only by armies of sufficient size. As enormous armies begin to form, the growing threat of campaigns adds a new level of tension that lasts well up until the game's end.

AND MUCH MORE!
* Play as any officer! Includes 650 playable characters. Also create up to 110 new officers.
* Acquire over 40 skills plus an array of new commands. Start a rogue army, fulfill civilian requests, swear an oath of brotherhood, foretell of disaster, and much more.
* Over 200 dramatic events viewed and interpreted differently by each character. Overcome trials of bravery and intelligence to create your own stories.
* Score composed and conducted by Yoshihiro Ike.
* As players progress through history, their game world grows and develops based on achievements, skills, and strategies.
* Detailed tutorials, a help function and convenient command explanations allow for trouble-free play.

NCS Game Notes
* The intro to the game starts with operatic music as a general rides towards a temple while thousands of fiery arrows rain downwards. Cavalry bearing banners, a maiden with flowers in her hair, and scenes of battle fill up the rest of the intro cinema.

* In Story Mode, the first scenario is called "Revolt Awakens Heroic Ambitions" which tells the tale of the decline of the Han Dynasty and the ensuing power struggles in the imperial court which led to dissenting factions across the land. Zhang Jiao of the Yellow Turbans leads the rebellion against the Han. The event would be known as the "Yellow Turban Rebellion" which led to a new generation of heroes to rise up.

* At the outset of the game, a girl named Cai Yan teaches the gamer on the finer points of holding a debate with people who challenge his authority. Logic, Virtua, Profit Motive are some of the debating choices that one may use to persuade someone to see things in a congruent manner.