Image: Creative Assembly
Looking for games to play over the Chinese New Year break?
Chinese New Year has finally arrived, kicking off the Year of the Snake celebrations with pomp and circumstance. There’s plenty to do for those who are celebrating the holiday, from family reunions to the exchange of ang pows (money packets). If you happen to have some time off however, there are plenty of ways to prolong the festivities on your lonesome. For example, why not play a video game or two themed after Chinese history and culture?
If you’re looking for a few options, here are five games you can play over the Chinese New Year break this year:
Jade Empire
By Timothy Raj Augustin
Game developer BioWare’s action-RPG Jade Empire might be forgotten to time by now, thanks to its original release being limited to the Xbox in 2005, and its financial underperformance causing BioWare to avoid making a sequel. However, it’s safe to say that it deserves much better, being one of BioWare’s more interesting projects released from its heyday as an RPG maker.
Jade Empire is set in a world inspired by Chinese mythology, with players stepping into the shoes of a Spirit Monk on a quest to save their tutor Master Li, and defeat his kidnappers. Don’t expect it to be totally accurate to Chinese mythology and culture, however - it uses wuxia fiction and classic Chinese tales like Romance of the Three Kingdoms as inspiration for its otherwise distinct world.
Total War: Warhammer III - Grand Cathay
By Kurt Lozano
For the longest time, the civilization of Grand Cathay in Warhammer Fantasy merely existed as a couple of pages of vague but admittedly interesting lore about the world's mysterious Eastern realms. But with the release of Total War: Warhammer III in February 2022, developer Creative Assembly worked closely Games Workshop to make Grand Cathay into a fully-fledged race armed and ready to stand against the unending tides of Chaos.
Grand Cathay is fantasy China to a tee. Ruled by the Dragon Emperor, the Moon Empress, and their progeny of Dragon children that shapeshift into human forms, they command vast armies of peasants and professional soldiers that wield spears, swords, halberds, crossbows, and all manner of gunpowder weapons. They are also reinforced by mystical beasts taken from Chinese mythology, including Lion-like constructs of Stone and Jade as well as gigantic Terracotta Sentinels. They make their stand against Chaos on the Great Bastion (i.e. fantasy Great Wall of China) while dealing with both internal threats like raiding bands of Greenskins, Beastmen, Skaven, Dark Elves, and, of course, Cathayan rebels looking to usurp the rule of the Dragon family. And while Grand Cathay in the game right now is properly fleshed out, they are also set to receive more content soon. Monkey King DLC when, Creative Assembly?
But if you're looking for something more historical, why not try Total War: Three Kingdoms? While the game is no longer receiving support from Creative Assembly, it's still plenty of fun for fans of Chinese history. It's also on sale right now on Steam.
The Dynasty Warriors series
By: Tommy Makmur
Every Chinese New Year from now to the end of time is the fruit of past heroes’ hard work, and what better way to feel the spirit of Chinese New Year than recounting or living the life of these heroes, albeit cranked up to the level of high fantasy? A series based loosely on the Romance of The Three Kingdoms historical novel by the revered Luo Guanzhong, Dynasty Warriors serves up pure action by having players fight thousands of men using ancient Chinese heroes like Guan Yu and Lu Bu.
Dynasty Warriors was set in ancient China, mainly from 180 AD to 260 AD, which means that you can play other legendary commanders and leaders of ancient China, from the late Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms era (and, to some extent, the founder of the Jin Dynasty). Some iterations of Dynasty Warriors even let you play as your own custom characters and make your own kingdom. Indeed, the best way to feel the spirit of Chinese New Year is by bringing forth peace and festivities by uniting the land.
Black Myth: Wukong
By Anna Bernardo
Black Myth: Wukong by Game Science is a masterpiece for many reasons. It transforms the essence of Journey to the West, one of the four pillars of Chinese Literature, into a darker and more challenging experience while showcasing stunning visuals and exquisite character design.
You play as the Destined One, a monk(ey) warrior tasked with recovering lost relics. As you journey through six chapters, the game immerses you in a breathtakingly beautiful open world, filled with lush landscapes, and detailed environments. The narrative delves into themes of fate, destiny, remorse, and sacrifice, and the notion that perhaps, both heroes and villains alike have a deep deep longing for redemption or a place to call their own.
Zhu Bajie’s journey is long, tedious, and at times incredibly difficult for the player. But the ending is so satisfying that by the time it finishes, I couldn’t help but applaud the game.
Civilization VI
By Jay Chan
I know Civilization VII is releasing in a few weeks’ time, but if you are itching to traverse through different historical eras as the emperor of Chinese civilisations, Civilization VI still offers you so much bang for your buck. In Civilization VI, you can start the game as any one of the few historical Chinese leaders available: Qin Shi Huang, Yongle, Wu Zetian, and Kublai Khan (you can play the latter as the leader of a Chinese civilisation, just like he did as emperor of the Yuan dynasty in history).
These characters all played an important role in the long and varied history of China, and by extension had an extensive influence on what eventually makes up the Chinese culture today. There is no better way to celebrate the spirit of Chinese New Year than by indulging in some history while making up some fan fiction (I mean, how else is Wu Zetian ever going to meet Abraham Lincoln).
All of the Chinese leaders offer you different benefits, and they are largely in-tune with what the leaders have done historically. For example, if you play as Qin Shi Huang under the Mandate of Heaven persona, you will be highly encouraged to build Ancient and Classical wonders (The Great Wall, anyone?) since builders can offset 15% of the production costs of said wonders with their building charges!
However, if building The Great Wall and eking out a cultural win is not your thing, you can always build trade posts with Kublai Khan, spy on your opponents with Wu Zetian, make huge prosperous cities with Yongle, or just about engage in any other ways to win. The possibilities are endless, and Civilization VI is just a great way to unwind after making endless small talk with your cousins whom you have not met for a year.