Destiny of an Emperor
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| Destiny of an Emperor | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Designer(s) | Tokuro Fujiwara (producer) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Release date | 1989 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | Cartridge |
Destiny of an Emperor (Tenchi o Kurau) is a traditional role-playing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Loosely based upon Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms dramatic novel, it was released in the United States by Capcom in 1989.
Destiny of an Emperor utilises a number of features which made it unique amongst other traditional RPGs of the time. The player's party consists of up to seven members, five of which can actively participate in combat at any single time, one who serves as a replacement for characters killed in combat, and one to serve as both a reinforcement member and party tactician. The tactician provides magic-like effects, which all members involved in combat are able to use. Additionally, the player can capture or recruit around 120 available characters into his/her party over the course of gameplay.
The branching storyline allows the player the option of choosing alternate paths, which generally do not affect the plot in any significant manner. Although the branching paths quickly rejoin at a certain point in gameplay, it presented a unique experience unavailable in similar titles (Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior) of the time.
Destiny of an Emperor is based on Hiroshi Motomiya's manga, Tenchi o Kurau, which follows the story of popular Chinese historical figure Liu Bei and his sworn brothers, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. This story is loosely based upon the events of Luo Guanzhong's dramatic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, itself based on historical events and battles which occurred during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China.
Although the game loosely follows the events portrayed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in many cases, the outcome is altered in Liu Bei's favour against the various other warlords of the period. Most of the deviations occur later in the game, particularly involving the invasions of the other ruling powers, the Kingdom of Sun Wu and the Kingdom of Cao Wei.
The sequel to this title, Destiny of an Emperor II, was released in Japanese text only. However, there is an English language ROM patch which translates the Japanese text into English text for those using the patch.
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[edit] Story
Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu form a small militia to defend their village from Yellow Turban rebels, followers of the sorcerer Zhang Jiao. Liu Bei gathers peasants and farmers from nearby villages and camps, eventually defeating Zhang Jiao and his people. Tao Qian, the governor of the region, falls ill and requests that Liu Bei assume his position. Liu Bei hesitantly agrees, thus beginning the events depicted in the novel, albeit with significant alterations. Upon successfully completing the game, the player successfully unites China under the Shu Han banner.
[edit] Battle system
Destiny of an Emperor has an unusual and unique battle system rarely found in other games. While the player has the choice of using standard attack and tactics options available in most games of the type, the option unique to DoaE's battle system is called "All-Out". When chosen, all living characters, allies and enemies alike, run to the centre of the screen and battle. While the "All-Out" option speeds up combat, it is a dangerous choice when used during difficult battles, as the player is unable to coordinate attacks or employ tactics, while the computer-controlled enemy can.
The amount of hit points each general has is not a representation of their own health, but, instead, the number of men under his command.
[edit] Fan reception
Due to the age of the title, few reviews by fans and critics alike regarding Destiny of an Emperor are available online. MobyGames reviewer rated the game 3/5 stars, stating that: "RPGs really are not Capcom's strong suit."[1] However, the Lord Yuan Shu website states that: "DoaE is truly an RPG ahead of it's [sic] time."[2] The GameFAQs community generally rates the title well, with a majority ranking of 9/10 from all featured reviews.[3]
