Over two thousand years ago, in the mythical land of ancient China, rose a great struggle between the two heirs of a great dynasty. Does this story seem familiar to you? Probably not. Nevertheless,
Prince of Qin is actually derived from true Chinese history. The plot offers a look at what could have happened if
Fu Su, a Prince of the Qin dynasty, had attempted to battle an order that he commit suicide and allow his brother to heir the throne. Most of the names noted in
Prince of Qin are true historical figures in China's rich yet unpopular history. With this in mind,
Prince of Qin could be enjoyed as a sort of virtual history lesson bringing details of ancient Chinese life and culture. Taking on the role of
Fu Su, your main quest in
Prince of Qin is to uncover the truth about the emperor's (your father) death, and hopefully take your place as the rightful ruler of China. Along the travels, you will encounter a number of different characters, some of which can join your expedition. These accompaniments range in their class and skills. Some such classes are Paladin and Wizard.
Aside from the main objective, many sub-quests exist for Fu Su to tackle if he so chooses. Completing quests help to build attributes that will make Fu Su and his party stronger. Each quest, however, does not have to be completed in order to reach the end goal. Some quests, in fact, could be overlooked entirely, as quests range from simple seek and return objectives to full-scale war.
Along with strategic quests, Prince of Qin is filled with opportunities to battle enemies. Throughout the game, characters acquire special abilities, weapons, and armor to use in battle situations. An interesting aspect to Prince of Qin's weapon and fighting system is the use of the Chinese belief in the 'Five Elements' (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth). Each element may have a positive or negative effect on another element. These elements are infused into the attributes of certain weapons and tools and make interesting effects when used correctly in battle.
Although this highly worked out system for battles and strength progression may suggest a heavy action based plot, Prince of Qin actually delivers the best of both worlds. Dialog between player and nonplayer characters are rich in their story development and really pushes the player to learn more about Fu Su's mission.
If the huge single player game is not enough, Prince of Qin also allows for a huge multiplayer network over a dedicated server. The multiplayer version expands on the historic Chinese culture allowing you to choose any class type and explore a huge world inspired by the Qin dynasty's history.