So, i just got done with my first full playthrough of empires 8 playing as Lu-Bu trying to roleplay a bit of what if he betrayed Dong Zhou and tried to take over the land. I tried to overthrow him a few times became a free officer for a year ext. I killed Dong Zhou and started to work my way south. I have to admit i was getting tired of hacking having done several of the same general fights by the time i reached Hubei province, but that's when things changed. I did not at all expect to run into chi-bi in that game. I was thinking "ahhh.. another province to take over, let's just get it over with" and then my jaw dropped. "Whoa!" if you haven't seen the updated map you have to, it's truly beautiful! Like i smacked around by a few officers because i was half fighting half looking around.

I remember chi-bi from 5 and turning into the dynasty warriors version of Gandalf with lui-bei refusing to let anyone pass a bridge leading to Zhuge Liang and how awesome i thought that big battle was. The fire spreading and the battlefield going from a "can you hold your ground" to "go fu** some poor bastards up" and the whole feel of the level changing. Hacking through ship after ship like a man possessed. That battle really stuck with me all the way from that first time and was my favorite battle in the series. It has a certain feeling that other levels can't match. I rode over over to where you defend Zhuge and remembered a much younger me running up it refusing to let a soul past no matter what. Seeing it in bright beautiful color with flags spread around sun in the sky water glowing and statues on the bows of the ships really set my heart afire to use a classic line. I didn't think i could be so happy standing in the middle of a ship, wrecking soldiers and just looking around. I think i got lucky i was unstoppable Lu Bu or i think i'd be killed lol

You can say what you want about 9 and i would agree with you but 8 really did the maps right imo.