Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII [PS2]

Using a two-dimensional, sprite-based layout mapped over nearly invisible basic polygons, Kingdoms VIII is still fastened to the imagery ideals of two generations ago. Only distinguishable by a richer color palette and examples of activity in cityscapes and battle scenes, the graphical engine that powers the game doesn't even come close to taxing the capabilities of PlayStation 2.

Duels and cinema events fair a little bit better with a 2D quality reminiscent of the early 32-bit versions and a few extra details. The most impressive example of eye candy in the entire game, however, is the introductory cinematic. All too brief and of the same quality of the cut scenes in the Dynasty Warriors series, it's the only segment in the whole experience that can match modern day competition. Either way, fans of the series already know what to expect with the game's visual style, and it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone but newbies.

Sound Surprisingly Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII appears to have even better music than last year's version. Faithfully reproducing (or remixing) some of the tunes found in Part VII, Romance VIII has a distinct Chinese flavor infused into every harmony. Interestingly enough, the newer compositions are extremely reminiscent of the original Record of Lodoss War OVA series, and have an almost mystical quality to them. If you're unfamiliar with that comparison, take comfort in knowing that just about every song is pleasant, soothing, and just as impressive as today's top RPGs

Just a minor step above 16-bit quality, the audio effects aren't quite as satisfying. The clang of swords, trampling of horses, and crackling of fire is clear enough for players to understand what they are, but the decidedly short sampled representations don't do much for the ears. It doesn't help that Romance VIII lacks current-generation surround technology either, and the music and effects will occasionally skip or stop mid-stream while the PS2 accesses the disc. This problem isn't a frequent one, but it does happen and the vocal segments are so sparse that they're barely worth mentioning.

©2003, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved