Oriental Empires is an impressive Total War-esque battle strategy game in which players start out as a small tribe from the dawn of Chinese history and build it up into a mighty empire as they build cities, raise armies, develop their culture and fight in massive wars.
Oriental Empires does look fairly similar to the Total War Games in some areas, but it uses a turn based battle system, and culture and diplomacy play a significant role – diplomatic persuasion can be far more important than pure military force. After selecting one of the 16 different factions, players build armies, research technology, expand their culture and religion, set laws and build cities. The battles take place on huge, detailed maps set in China and Mongolia, and are deeply strategic turn based affairs as opposed to Total Wars real time approach – shifting the onus onto planning and strategy rather than sheer volumes of numbers.
It’s an ambitious game with great visuals, deep strategy and massive battles. Please note though, to take part in this Beta you’ll have to sign an NDA, so you won’t be able to release any gameplay footage on YouTube/Twitch etc. The dev has however stated that this may change in the future.
Check out a Gameplay Trailer Here
UPDATE: Beta No Longer Available