To be honest, when I saw the game "Hardcore Three Kingdoms", I, an old player, felt a little emotional. I'm not going to brag about it, but I'll just put my finger on it. From when I played the Java version of Three Kingdoms on the Symbian system, to now when I hold my mobile phone to play place-and-place cards, I have played all the Three Kingdoms games in the past 20 years or so.
I still remember that time when I was hiding under the covers and playing the text version of Three Kingdoms on a small Nokia screen. I would have fun for a long time every time I captured a city on the battlefield. Later, in the arcade, I rubbed the joystick of "Three Kingdoms War" so hard that my hands were almost calloused, and I even got mad at my classmates in order to grab coins. When it comes to the strategizing of the Glorious Three Kingdoms series, the sense of accomplishment of mobilizing troops and generals is really the most colorful moment in youth.
Now that I see the game "Hardcore Three Kingdoms", it reminds me of those old brothers from back then. The high-looking vertical paintings featured in the game are indeed pleasing to the eye, but what impressed me the most was the sentence "There are no useless generals in the army, and all the members are unparalleled." In the past, when playing games, I always doubted my life just for a powerful card, but now this statement is very suitable for an experienced player like me. After all, if you play it too much, you will understand that as long as you are willing to put in the effort, everyone can be the protagonist. This truth is more comfortable than the cards themselves.
The liver protection mechanism of this game has also been given to me. "Middle-aged gamers" like us in our thirties are busy with work and family, so how can we have time to stay up late and have sex like we did when we were young? Now the design of idle income and daily tasks is quite friendly. In your free time, you can make a date, order a few beauties, and even the development line is made like a harem. It is indescribably relaxing and refreshing.
To be honest, what I value more when playing mobile games now is ease and freedom. The placement gameplay of "Hardcore Three Kingdoms" not only satisfies the desire to collect famous generals, but also eliminates the need to worry about gains and losses while staring at the rankings. Occasionally looking at the lively Legion battle report is like going back to the days when a bunch of brothers were shouting in the arcade.
The game industry has changed a lot over the years, from paid buyouts to free in-app purchases, and from pure operation to lineup matching. But one thing has not changed, and that is our generation's feelings towards the theme of the Three Kingdoms. No matter how the game format is renovated, as long as the square-shaped painted halberd is still shining with cold light and the banner with the word "Shu" is still fluttering in the wind, I can't help but click in and take a look.
Not to brag, but this game really brought me back a little bit of the feeling I had back then. Friends who want to relive the dream of the Three Kingdoms can give it a try. See you in the game. 🎮⚔️