Total War: Three Kingdoms expansion has eight princes, but no Purple Rain

Eight Princes - the latest expansion for Total War: Three Kingdoms - has launched, bringing with it eight playable princes with the singular aim of carving their legacy into the sinewy flesh of history. None of them are from Minneapolis though, I've checked.

Taking place in the year 291CE, a generation has passed since the events of the Three Kingdoms period and while power between the kingdoms has been divided into three, civil unrest is coming to a rolling boil. Check out the launch trailer after the jump.

"There is a head to every family," quoth the launch trailer. "But does this give them the right to lead?" Well, it's a nice philosophical question to ruminate over while covered in the blood of your enemies.

The expansion arrives alongside a new patch which includes Dynasty Mode, a wave-based mode announced last week which pits three magic-wielding heroes (out of five possible elemental classes) against hundreds of enemy soldiers. The free patch also introduces a number of updates including a bunch of new elite units and armour types, and the ability to arrange marriages for anyone in your court like a historical Love Island: Royal Cousins Edition.

According to the patch notes, arranged marriages cost 4000 gold each time and can be performed on any court members, whether or not they are family. Likewise, there is now a 50:50 gender for newborn babies which should make it easier to continue family lines and organise marriages in the later game.

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes is available on Steam for £6.99/$8.99/€8.99