Romance of the Three Kingdoms VII (Japanese)

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VII is one of the most important turning points in Koei’s classic historical strategy series, because it shifted the focus away from playing only as a ruler and instead let the player step into the life of virtually any officer. Set in the late Han and Three Kingdoms era, the game still revolves around politics, warfare, appointments, diplomacy, and the unification of China, but it presents all of that through a much more personal perspective. Depending on the officer you choose and the rank you hold, your goals, options, and daily experience can be completely different: you may serve loyally within a kingdom, rise through office, build relationships, wander as a free officer, rebel, or try to carve out your own path. Koei’s official history specifically highlights the officer-assignment system as the game’s defining feature, along with dramatic events based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, promotion, rebellion, wandering, and friendship. Because of that, this entry is often remembered less as a pure map-conquest simulator and more as one of the series’ earliest and strongest “officer life” experiences.