Romance of the Three Kingdoms II is one of those old-school strategy gems where you either pick a warlord like Cao Cao or Liu Bei—or go wild and create your own. The Han Dynasty's falling apart, and China's a mess of rival factions, so you're basically trying to outmaneuver everyone else through diplomacy, war, or just straight-up betrayal.

First thing you'll notice? The menus are dense, and the learning curve's a little steep if you're new to the series. But once you get the hang of recruiting officers, managing supplies, and deciding whether to attack or negotiate, it gets addictive. Some officers are way better than others (looking at you, Lu Bu), and if you mess up an alliance, you might find yourself surrounded by enemies real quick.

It's not flashy by today's standards, but there's something satisfying about slowly conquering China one province at a time. Just don't expect mercy from the AI—they play dirty.