Play Knights of Valour Plus - Sangoku Senki Plus Online

Knights of Valour Plus came out in arcades in 2011, developed by IGS. It was part of that late wave of arcade beat 'em ups, the kind you'd find wedged between racing cabinets and fighting games, still drawing crowds with its co-op action and flashy moves.

You pick a hero from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, like Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, and fight through screen after screen of soldiers and officers. Your goal is to clear each stage of enemies, working your way toward the big boss fights. You have a main attack string, a jump, and a special move that costs health, which forces you to weigh risk against clearing space. The game throws a lot of enemies at you, so positioning and timing your attacks matter more than button mashing. It feels solid and deliberate, like your choices in the fight actually change how things play out.