I really enjoyed ROTK 13.

And I generally like ruler play too.

This game is quite different from ROTK 13, and obviously different from all those ruler play games by default like ROTK 14.

Does that make it bad?

Weeellllll...

I didn't play the original ROTK 8, so maybe that helps. I strongly suspect it's a graphical update because of how there are fewer things to do as an officer, but at the same time the focus is on spending your action points wisely to make the most of your day. In ROTK 13, the days passed by a lot more quickly, sometimes it would take literal months and years to set up meetings, even if the nation/faction isn't even that huge! Meetings after meetings after meetings after meetings after...

ROTK 8 Remake doesn't force you to go through more of those dumb meetings, only having them every few turns where you decide on what to do. Now, if you want to do a bunch of things at your own pace, ROTK 8 remake won't let you be more efficient, play ROTK 13 and probably the ruler play games. So it's slower paced, forces you to be tactical at least with how you spend your days, and therefore is likely less fulfilling for people who want to develop everything quickly.

From here, let's go with Combat. It feels more like ROTK 11's combat, and I guess that can be a good thing. If you enjoy tactical RPGs like Langrisser, Fire Emblem, especially something like Suikoden you'll enjoy this. But honestly, as much as I hated the micromanaging of ROTK 11 at times, ROTK 11's combat is much more robust and thus better. I guess there's a reason why people say 11 is the best of the ROTK games. With that in mind, as someone who enjoyed ROTK 13's Role playing elements, I like ROTK 8 remake so far. Those of you who dislike RTS (where ROTK 13 battles play out in real time with a pause feature) might like ROTK 8 remake's combat better, but note that ROTK 8 remake definitely feels more difficult combat wise than 13.

In the end, I definitely see how people felt Koei half-assed this release in parts, but it might be more enjoyable for people who don't have that sense of nostalgia for the original ROTK 8 to compare it to. All in all, Koei is fleecing us for way too much money and I'm glad I bought this on Fanatical with a coupon. Ended up paying less than I did for ROTK 13 too. I literally spent thousands of hours on 13 and I don't think I will with 8 Remake... But 8 Remake, for all its faults, is still an entertaining enough game. Hopefully my longwinded rambling here might prove a more positive take compared to the sea of justifiably negative reviews!

It's very repetitive, every month you just do the same things. It doesn't have the nostalgia of 8 that I thought it would have. The battle system is confusing and slow, compared to the one in the original. And I don't like how the story/mission system in which you get to control events, that just makes the game too easy as you have full control over the world.

Best RTS they made in the 90s reworked with better graphics. Do not buy this assuming it is groundbreaking. It says remake. Those of us who grew up with this on disc..... Its honestly an amazing experience all over again.