Kessen II

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Kessen II (決戦 II, Kessen Tsu) is a strategy game produced by Koei (Creators of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series). It is the sequel to Kessen In Name Only as both Kessen and the later sequel Kessen III are based on events in Japan, while this installment is a story loosely-based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In addition to the fantasized theme, Kessen II departs from its realistic predecessor as it introduces elements of magic, especially with the portrayal of notable strategists such as Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi as sorcerers. In battle, these characters are able to cause earthquakes, summon lightning storms and hurl fireballs.

The gameplay involves playing out major battles as the storyline progresses, with cutscenes between each battle to provide development to the events and major characters. Before battle, players can choose which strategy to take, although they can manually control all units in the battlefield. All units are controlled by the AI unless the player directly intervenes, and battles between forces are carried out in real time. While in control of a unit, players are able to use special skills or magic spells to turn the tables as well as enemy characters.

Tropes used in Kessen II include:

• Action Girl: Mei Sanniang and Sun Li.
• Always Save the Girl: The plot is centered around this.
• A Taste of Power: In Cao Cao's scenario, Xiahou Yuan starts of very powerful, with five useful battle commands. He dies a way into the story.
• Big Damn Heroes: Zhao Yun
• Bratty Half-Pint: Himiko
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: When Himiko's confession of love for Cao Cao is interupted, she rewinds the scene with a remote control.
• Butt Monkey: Yu Jin
• Cain and Abel: Cao Cao and Liu Bei
• Camp Gay: Yu Jin
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Himiko and Xun Yu, who abuses the captive Diao Chan.
• Color-Coded for Your Convenience: As with Dynasty Warriors, the Shu forces mostly dress in Green. Unlike the aformentioned game however, the Wei army wears red and the Wu army wear blue.
• Establishing Character Moment: Sima Yi gets one when, as he appears before Cao Cao, an enraged Himiko launches a fireball towards him, which he deflects by blowing ice on it.
• Freak-Out: Liu Bei has one after hearing that Zhuge Liang and Mei Sanniang have abandoned him, right after Zhao Yun had left after learning his true motivation. Causing him to believe that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would do the same.
• Friendly Enemy: Guan Yu and Zhang Liao
• Gender Flip: Xun Yu has been changed into a female in the game, as has Hu Zui.
• Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: Guan Yu decks Liu Bei during the above Freak-Out.
• Hey, It's That Voice!: Many voice actors from the Dynasty Warriors games appear here either as their well-known characters or as others (I.E. Kirk Thornton as Cao Cao.) Also, Cam Clarke joins the roster as Yu Jin and Zhou Yu.
• Heroic BSOD: Liu Bei when he finds out that he is the cause of the land's disasters. Luckily Zhao Yun snaps him out of it.
• Hopeless Suitor: Mei Sanniang, Sun Shang Xiang Sun Li
• Idiot Hero: Zhang Fei. Observe.
• Impossibly Cool Clothes: Dynasty Warriors may give these characters embellished outfits, but in Kessen II, they're simply outlandish.
• Karma Houdini: Sun Quan, who, after betraying Liu Bei, continues to lead Wu while their lands are under Shu rule. To be fair, his men advised against it. Also Xun Yu for abusing the captive Diao Chan, when Cao Cao slapped Himiko for doing the same.
• Love Makes You Crazy: Himiko
• Magic Knight: Xun Yu, among others.
• Motive Decay: Averted, as Liu Bei's main goal was always to rescue Diao Chan. It's Zhao Yun who believes it was to restore the Han.
• Nice Hat: A lot of the major characters come equipped with these.
• Redemption Equals Death: "Tell him to make a world where a person like me cannot be born."
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Xun Yu in Cao Cao's ending.
• Snow Means Death: Cao Cao in Liu Bei's ending.
• Start of Darkness: The death of Cao Cao's mother drove him to become a cruel tyrant bent on world conquest.
• The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughters: Zhang Fei's daughters Mei Mei, Li Li, and Luo Luo
• Verbal Tic: Yue Ying, "Yeah." It's given a lampshade:

Zhuge Liang: Yue Ying, will you stop with the "yeah?"

• Villainous BSOD: Cao Cao after learning that Liu Bei is his brother.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Guan Yu has a life long fear of frogs