Alright, so Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 on the Sega Genesis is one of those games that looks intimidating at first—you boot it up, and suddenly you're staring at a map of ancient China with a dozen warlords staring back at you. But give it 10 minutes, and you’ll be elbow-deep in diplomacy, troop movements, and the occasional betrayal (because let’s be real, Cao Cao isn’t to be trusted).

You pick a ruler—Liu Bei if you’re feeling noble, Sun Quan if you like coastal vibes—and then it’s all about balancing gold, food, and loyalty. Recruit officers, send spies, and pray your cavalry doesn’t get wrecked by an ambush. The battles are chess-like, but with way more yelling about honor. And yeah, the menus are dense, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be scheming like Zhuge Liang himself.

It’s not flashy, but there’s something weirdly satisfying about slowly uniting China while your advisors nag you about rice supplies. Just don’t expect mercy from Lu Bu.