Destiny Of An Emperor

I'm frequently swarmed with possibilities and kinda caught off guard when someone ever springs up the question "What is your favorite video game?" I can't help but want to side step the question, but where to begin? So many great selections from nearly each console, computer, and arcade generation. Though, on a recent phone interview I was able to respond both clear and intrinsically "Destiny Of An Emperor".  To give a little bit of context - I had never played D&D, had no concept of an RPG, let alone any knowledge of the Chinese Dynasty period drawn by Romance of The Three Kingdoms at age 10. This game hit the U.S. in 1989, before the western release of Final Fantasy and was also my first taste of turn-based, strategic combat.

The game's theme is really driven by its historical resurgence (which it deviates frequently) that makes for some epic story telling components like a cast of memorable abilities, weapons, and characters complete with a suspenseful narrative. Perhaps the best quality was the "accessibility" of the gameplay with an absence of unnecessary complexity, just a very well balanced experience that allowed enjoyment for learning a gamesystem that matches facing new challenges.  You persistently manage five generals that represent an army of soldiers - level up your generals = more soldiers which also requires managing "tacticians" who represent the ability casting element.  Though that game does lack some visual feedback in the form of particles during combat which would have really accented the immersion factor. Luckily that classic CAPCOM signature music picks up the slack for all the lose ends.

So why my favorite game of all time? Like a book Destiny Of An Emperor manages to streamline the imagination towards materializing something lager than life with such minimal presentation. The impression left behind was a grounding foundation for many games in the years to come. Know your roots!