I think by now I can safely say that this is the best Total War game I've ever played.

Pros:
+ Three Kingdoms takes place during 3rd century China, heavily based off the 14th century novel about the time period. It's absolutely beautiful, and ancient china is as unique a setting as you can ask for.
+ The game adapts the "Game of Thrones on steroids" idea of the novel extremely well. The game is very character focused and has similar elements from games such as Crusader Kings 2. Think along the lines of marrying a general's daughter to a faction and then having her show up in a battle against that same general 5 years later.
+ The game's main campaign mode "Romance" allows for your generals to be much more powerful and heroic than they would regularly be, means that they can single handedly take on units of enemies. This allows for an added element of epicness in your battles and feels really fresh and fun in battle.
+ Adding on to the above point, the "duel" system in which your general calls out another to engage in a 1v1 duel is some of the coolest stuff I've ever seen.
+ Diplomacy in 3K is probably the best in the series. While it is a bit janky at times, the amount of options you have for engaging in diplomacy with another faction makes it feel fun and essential to a campaign, rather than being a means to an end.
+ Since the novel is very character-driven, the different factions that you can play as all have their own unique playstyles. While you can play as one of the three main characters, you can also play bandits which can act as mercenaries, traders which incredible manipulations skills, warlords who are unmatched in battle (Lu Bu = Lu Bae) etc.
+ The progression system in the game is fantastic. It's hard to describe, but something about it just feels right. It's very satisfying to work your way up from a small lumber yard to an empire.
+ The entire Total War formula feels very refined in the game. From battles, to factions, to campaigns, it all feels very polished and at the peak of its potential.

Cons:
- Unit variety is limited. There isn't a lot of variety after basic archers, cavalry, and infantry.
- Some mechanics in the game are slightly vague and take a bit of figuring out to understand. For example, you could have people in a city be extremely happy one turn, and extremely angry in the next with the only indication being "population".
- While the customization system is great, you're not given enough things to actually equip to your characters. The chance of finding a weapon or armor that would actually benefit a character are maybe 4 times a playthrough.

Verdict:
Three Kingdoms is the most character driven and personal Total War game to date. The amount of new gameplay possibilities that come with that statement make the Total War formula feel incredibly fresh and fun. It really feels like CA hit the nail on the head with this one as all the Total War mechanics we know and love feel extremely polished and well-done. Not only that, but the new additions fit right into the game. If I had to describe this game in one sentence, it would be "Total War meets Crusader Kings 2 meets ancient china with a sprinkle of Dynasty Warriors."

CAO CAO

The game is rich and layered. Each play through teaches me something new for the next try - I'm probably half way in after 78 hours. Enjoyable at each level. Difficulty is adjustable to my low level