To be honest, the current mobile game market is very crowded, with all kinds of skin swapping, card drawing, and automatic battles. It really gets boring after playing too much. As an old gamer like me who came from the Symbian era, I have always had high requirements for the quality of games. There are not many games that I can play seriously. But recently I accidentally discovered a mobile game called "Arcade Three Kingdoms", which really made my eyes light up, and I couldn't help but want to talk to you.
Let's talk about the game itself first. Not to brag, it does restore the feel of "War of the Three Kingdoms" in the arcade back then, with smooth play and smooth skill connection. What attracts me the most is its "general skills matching" system. It does not rigidly bind the lineup, but allows you to combine it freely. For example, Zhang Jiao paired with Guan Yu, or Zhao Yun paired with Huang Yueying, you can create different combo effects, which is a test of strategy. The plot chapters are also carefully crafted, from the Yellow Turban Uprising to the Three Heroes' Battle with Lu Bu, all the way through, it actually allowed an old player like me to regain a little bit of the feeling of squatting in the arcade with my buddies to save coins to pass the level. 🎮
重点说说手游趋势这块。 I found that in the past two years, retro arcade-style mobile games have begun to make a comeback, which is related to the trend of the industry. In the past few years, heavy gameplay such as chicken fighting, MOBA, and open world were the mainstream, but users have become tired of it, especially our old players, who are more interested in fast-paced, operation-heavy, and card-drawing games. Hengyang Kunyou, a developer, can seize this point and use a 0 yuan charging model (I guess it means free downloads and moderate in-app purchases?), which is a smart approach. Nowadays, many major manufacturers are engaged in "lowering liver and reducing krypton". In fact, they are returning to user experience. After all, players are not fools. Who is sincere and who is perfunctory will be known as soon as you play.
In addition, from the perspective of industry trends, starting from the second half of 2024, small and medium-sized manufacturers will be more inclined to develop niche vertical categories, such as pixel style, arcade style, and stand-alone narrative mobile games. On the contrary, their lives will be better than some assembly line products of large manufacturers. This "Arcade Game of the Three Kingdoms" can accurately capture the nostalgic feelings and operational pleasure, which shows that the development team understands the market. Of course, the key is whether subsequent updates, balance, and the social system can keep up. Just relying on emotions will not last long. But at least with this current version, I think it's worth giving it a try.
Finally, let me be honest: There are not many game teams that can focus on making games that are “fun” rather than “profitable”. If you also miss the sound of clicking buttons in the arcade, or if you are looking for a mobile game that does not force you to spend money or make you lose your money, you might as well give this a try. Anyway, I plan to play for a while to see if I can gather the five tiger generals and relive the passion of borrowing arrows from straw boats. 😆