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26 of 27 found the following review helpful:
 The Dragon sheds his skin Feb 27, 2004
By E. Kim
"A great man should die as a shattered jewel rather than live as an intact tile"
I've been fan of this series since it first came out on the NES and since then KOEI has produced a great cult classic that has gained popularity over the years. With their lastest edition, they have made vast changes over the last two in the series. I really like the new map structure which is really more different than any of the previous games in the series. It's more realistic and shows movement, plus the ability to add structures outside the existing cities. They went back to their old formula where you can only play Rulers. While I really enjoyed playing all officers in parts VII and VIII, I'm happy to see the old formula back in action. The years have also been expanded, now instead of going month to month, the months are even split into 3 periods. The battle in the game has become more tactical and there are many added features. Though there are different formations and such, I felt that they simplified the war sequences which makes it more practical. All in all, I felt that KOEI really put together a great strategy sequel that is more different than any of the previous games but at the same time maintained the integrity of the series very well. If your a fan of the series, the changes are really refreshing and I'd really recommend picking this up. If you were a casual gamer of previous versions, I'm sure that you would enjoy this installment much more than any of the previous also. But if you're new to the series, I'll just say, it's not for everyone. If you tend to only like action-oriented games and visual eye-candy, then this is definately not your game. If your interested in "turn-based" historical simulations that are heavily strategic, both on the battlefield and domesticly, then this would be something of interest.
17 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Hardcore! Apr 06, 2004
By Bilbo Baggins
"mighty hobbit"
First off, I was surprised this game came out already. It seems like only yesterday that I was getting into Romance of the three kingdoms VIII. I loved Romance VII and VIII for their ability to see the world through the eyes of a specific officer, which enabled you to have many different kinds of game experiences. This game however has chucked all that out the window. It's as if the series is trying to return to it's roots. You can only play as the ruler. Furthermore, if your forces are defeated the game is over. That's a drag. In the previous two games you could still continue to play even if you were defeated,as a ronin or a common officer. There's nothing more annoying than playing with a group of people and getting eliminated early on and then having to watch every one else not suck like you just did. I only mention this because this game is hard and it is easy for your kingdom to come down with a bad case of dead. The computer is far more aggressive in attacking than in previous installments and will attack immediately if they even sense a weakness in your lines. Not only that, but they will actively send reinforcements from other cities. (Defeating Cao Cao in the later scenarios is quite the task indeed.)The most annoying thing about the game however are the barbarian tribes. They add another degree of difficulty to the mix. I could do without them, that's for sure. On the positive side,thestats have been simplified greatly. Instead of having gold and food supplies for each individual city you have a lump sum of gold and food to distribute as you see fit. This is good because you don't have to worry about transporting gold and food constantly throughout the game. The combat is fun as well, if hard and it is satisfying when you actually win a battle. Defeating Gongsun Zan never felt so good! In summary this game is a great game despite its difficulty and hardcore nature but I still prefer 7 and 8. It's the most realistic strategy game out there. I think I'll subtract one half star for the difficulty, another half star for the barbarians. Can't stand 'em! Can't stand 'em!
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Old school & new concepts Mar 11, 2004
RoTK IX breathes life back into the series. Instead of making an upgrade from RoTK VIII, KOEI took a lot of things from the older installments and introduces a new battle system and map.
Keeping role-playing to a bare minimum, RoTK IX is full of action and battle.
City management is made easy and direct, the results can be seen right away, and money and supplies are managed through one source, keeping the amount of time spent on city management to a minimum.
Most of the time will be spent fighting off your enemies, taking new territory and defending against barbarian tribes. With different formations, new tactics, and real-time combat the game is very fast paced and enjoyable.
The game difficulty has gone up considerably. The challenge campgains can be very hard, which is very refreshing for long time fans of the series. For novice players, the game might be too difficult, but for veteran players, this title is an absolute must-have.
It's hard to judge whether or not this is the best in the series, but to me it is certainly the best since RoTK IV, which I played into oblivion.
I would recommend this title for any strategy lover or Three Kingdoms fan. More gratifying and intense than Dynasty Warriors or Dynasty Tactics, this game is truly one of the best in its class.
10 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 Not so great... Jun 16, 2004
By M. A Jenkins
"southerndudeman"
...but I must confess that I can't put much stock into a reviewer who took this back to get "The Suffering". I mean, are there two more different games?
However, I do agree with some of his sentiment. I think that KOEI tinkered with this series, and their changes leave me a bit baffled. Think of this as RTK stripped down. No more can you play as any character appearing in the book "Three Kingdoms"; you are now confined to play as a ruler again, harking back to RTK4 (which, incidentally, I love).
The problem with this game is resource management. The computer takes every opportunity to attack you, no questions asked. There is little diplomacy from their side; they seem indifferent to the fact that you could just as easily win battles as lose them. Any decent player will see through the tactics in a matter of a game or two, and this is bad, in my opinion. RTK VII suffered from a similar malady (in that you could essentially make your army indestructible by waiting until they attack, allowing them to take four supply depots, and finally sweeping behind them and cut their lines, drastically reducing morale). While the pattern is not the same here, it is similarly easy to wipe out the computer with good use of tactics. One perk, though, is there are many bonuses to be had by destroying the computer with a certain flair.
Also, there are some interesting additions. Most notably is the inclusion of "mini-missions" of sorts. I found some of these to be quite challenging. Many are hidden, which means you must fulfill certain requirements to open them. Probably the best change to the ruler scenarios is the real-time in which the armies move. I always found it silly in the RTK series that armies moved across China in one month, no matter how far apart the provinces travelled were. In the new installment, armies take time to move, and the further they move, the longer it takes. This is the one change that injects some realism into the game.
All in all, a pretty enjoyable title, but I doubt it will satisfy the hardcore fans. This isn't as good as RTKVIII and it certainly isn't as good as RTKIV. Have fun!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Koei's dramatic return to it's roots... Jan 25, 2006
By David Seguin
"djzilla"
Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series has always been a staple in my video game collection. Ever since when the first Romance captured the essence of novel for the first time to today Koei has been pumping out a new version about every 2 years. RTK 9 is arguably the greatest version of the game released and here's why.
Since RTK 1-6 Koei has always stuck with the option of playing as the ruler in the game while adding better graphics, battle tactics and maps and various forms of military strategy with the game. When they released RTK 7 Koei decided to allow players the option of play as any character in the game, while an amusing experiment it doesn't work for a variety of reasons. If you choose to play as anyone other than the ruler, you'll find the game never progresses. The AI is not competent enough to use you when going to war or to go to war to begin with. They continued to try this route with RTK 8 and while it made some improvements to battle design and graphics it still suffered for a very slow and uninvolving game.
When RTK 9 was released we were presented with a true return to Koei's routes of ruler playing alone however adding more real time strategy to the battles. Before, with the exception of RTK 6, most battles were turn based. Here you have battles that take a few turns to even get started, your units need time to reach their destination. This gives defenders an opportunity to build up before fielding units and therefore gives the game it's true essence, replayability. No game is the same. Depending on the course of battles and who rises to power (especially mulitplayer) this is a game that can be revisited over and over! Players are also challenged by several foreign tribes in their attempt to conquer the country, a feature not included since RTK 6. Battle tactics and unit formations also enrich the experience with such intriguing designs like tower and elephant units. Tactics like Onslaught, Flying and Arrowstorm can help turn the tide of battle quickly, but it relies heavily on your ability to use your officers effectively. The battles are highly detailed and complex. Again it's all about replayability.
Koei has basically designed the ultimate strategy battle game for the series. Fans of games like Civilization and Starcraft will appreciate the interface and city development. If your looking for a more roleplaying game I suggest either RTK 8 (possibly RTK 10). Overall though neither game has the replayability factor and if your looking for the most bang for the buck in the series, this game is it.
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