User Reviews (1 - 11 of 69)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

A step sideways...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 14, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Koei are most well known for their amazing Romance ofthe Three Kingdoms games. Most people were turned off by the complexities of the games, but those who liked a good strat. game haven't stopped hailing it as the best war sim series ever to hit consoles. This game seems like it's trying to appeal more to the average gamer, as opposed to the sim freak fanbase of the RTK games. What it does, it does well, with beautifully rendered troops and amazing cutscenes. The game is dragged down to 3 stars by the simplicity of it, with little control of the actual battles being given to the user. Not one that will keep you up for a week, but easily the best PS2 game I've played thus far and the cream of the US launch title crop. Don't expect another RTK game, but also expect to have fun. Pick it up if you've got a PS2, this one is a keeper!

Fun, but short

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 19, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I must agree with other reviewers who cite the game as far too easy to beat on the first go-through. Unless you are a hardcore strategy fan, I can't see replaying the game on the higher difficulty levels with the same scenarios. Rent it from Blockbuster and play it over a weekend; 8 hours of solid play and you'll be finished.

good

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I found this game amusing, great graphics, interesting concept. I liked it a lot, I would reccomend this game to anyone who likes stratigy games.

Underrated and misunderstood

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I think this game is underrated. It is actually a great game that suffers a little from misguided expectations. Koei never makes games that are truly mainstream -- this game comes about as close as it does (except Dynasty Warriors, but those aren't designed by Koei).

The game gives people the wrong impression in the beginning, because the initial difficulty, I think, was made too easy. You can beat the game blindfolded if you play the starting game, and since you can't change the difficulty until after you've finished the game, people just think "oh, I finished the game -- no point in playing anymore". The difficulty level 5 (hardest) is actually quite challenging, and wins are no longer guaranteed if you don't play carefully. What they perhaps should've started out is 3, instead of 1. That might scare players away though, so it's a tough call.

There are also more than just five levels for each side. If you intentionally (or unintentionally) lose one of the important battles, you'll be led to a different battle line that can still win you the game. There are a total of three ways of winning the game for each side, so you can actually play 12 different battles for each side (with some overlapping). There's more to the game than what offers you in the superficial glance, but again, I think the initial ease of beating the game turned some people off thinking it's boring.

The movie can be a little annoying, but I think it's balanced with good gameplay that's almost chess like, like someone said. At the higher difficulty, a mistake could cost you the win and battles must be planned out (instead of just attacking like in the easy difficulty).

All in all, a great game that is a bit misunderstood and gives the wrong first impression. At 30 bucks, it's a great buy and I think more worth it than Kessen II.

One of the BEST GAMES EVER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Incredible game! Awesome graphics and great strategy. It does give people the wrong impression in the beginning, with the fairly-boring but nessicary tutorial. But once you get to the battles, be prepared to be blown away!

kessen

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

i thought kessen was cool! the movies are really emotional and you can actually think you are commander of the eastern or western army.i like this game because the war councils and meetings you have.i already beat it and im looking forward to buying kessen2

Rent it

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This was another PS2 game which is very short to run the campaign. Don't get stuck buying the game with out renting it first.

great game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I think Kessen is a great strategic game.It seems annoying to begin with because there is only one track and the controls are fairly difficult. There is no way to know how your armies are going to fair and their is nothing to teach you before you plunge into the campaign. However after you finnish the campaigns the game starts to show its gameplay value. You can choose any of all the battles you fought in the campains to play again. Added to that you get to choose your side and the level of difficulty. As you replay the battles you start to get more comfortable with the game and you start to fidle with the wide variety of options you had but didn't have to take before. You start switching your generals around and changing their troop types and formation. You start making desisions in the war council instead of just skipping over it.

Here are a few comments about the game. The anoying part about the campaign is that between every major battle you have a tiny skirmish which is very uncustamizable. I hate the little skirmishes and i have never played them more than once. The graphics are great. It has a good storyline and its characters are bassed on actual people. When you are beating the enemy down you can sit back and look at your armies fight at the soldier level. You can even see your generals fight enemy generals or fight the enemy troops themselves (they don't just sit back and watch the battle). One of the fun things you can do after you have beaten the campaign is to fight the battle of Osaka again. It is fun to trounce superior numbers with relative ease. In this battle you are outnumbered 3to2 but if you set the difficulty level to 1 you can still beat them fairly easily. And what will make you realy feel proud is that your troops weren't actualy stronger soldier for soldier and you lost less than half of your troops. The feature that makes it not a game where you just send your guys against their guys is special maneuvers. Ranging from a volly to a canonade, this is what makes the game interesting. Its to much to explain right now but special manuevers realy add a lot of strategy to the game. And finaly whatever you do dont buy the strategy guide. I know more about the game than the guys who wrote it (Im not saying I know that much about the game I am saying they dont know squat about it) and it isnt very helpfull.

Fun But Pretty Short When You Think About It

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 13, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is slow but fun in a cinematic way and the game makes victory a wonderful feeling. The only not so stellar thing that I noticed is that the game is rather short when you think about it. One tutorial skirmish and about three battles makes the game feel rather short when you're finished. There are, however, two things that make this aspect of the game not exactly a flaw. One, when you're finished fighting as the East, you can then control the West and see the war through their eyes. Second, THE BATTLES CAN TAKE HOURS! This makes up for the small amount of battles quite effectively. Although the game is easy to master, its still fun while it lasts Dammit!

Very long and boring

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I did not like this game at all. It took for ever to get anywhere. It takes hours to finally win a battle and you can;t understand what you are doing. I suggest you do not buy this game. If anything rent it.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next 

Actions