A quarter of a century ago, Dynasty Warriors 3 graced PlayStation 2s everywhere. Though 2 had first introduced the “Musou” gameplay genre, 3 was the one that won the hearts and minds of the people like Liu Bei. That same quarter of a century ago, I was also in primary school and had never even heard of the franchise. With the arrival of Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered, I can at last right a wrong by playing what many consider to be one of the best entries in the long-running series.
My first foray into the 1 vs 1000 hack-and-slash hero fantasy was Dynasty Warriors 6, so being a latecomer to the series means this remaster feels tailor-made for others like myself. So, without further ado, let’s launch ourselves into battle and defeat another officer, shall we?
Sima Fresh Coat of Paint
Starting with the obvious, Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is a significant graphical and presentational overhaul from the 2001 original. This iteration has been brushed up in Unreal Engine 5, so as expected, the colour saturation, lighting and resolution all receive significant upgrades. Character models are much more akin to their modern game counterparts, and some of the overhauled maps are quite beautiful to behold.
It still retains that distinct Dynasty Warriors aura, and the battle animations have that certain stilted feel that we all know and love. Omega Force appears to have struck a nice balance between keeping the original’s flair whilst adding plenty of flowing locks and exciting fire effects. The campaign in Nanman has never looked quite so lush in all of its jungle biomes and rolling shrubbery. The Battle of Hulao Gate compels even more intense feelings of grandeur thanks to the luscious snow dotting about the map.
I wouldn’t say Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is one of the best-looking games on modern hardware, but this series has never been at the cutting edge of technology anyway. Much like Zhang He, the beauty is in the eye of the dude with giant claws extended from his hands. On the visuals front, Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered succeeds in giving the original a fresh and invigorated coat of new paint, without losing the charm the series is known for.
A New Old Warrior of The Three Kingdoms
Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered plays, remarkably, like an older Dynasty Warriors game. Series vets can feel safe in the knowledge that, fundamentally, this is the same Musou-styled “A Warrior Worth a Thousand” experience you remember. However, there are some small but notable inclusions, like evading, counterattacking, power guards and the ability to call your horse.
The power guard, especially, can basically break the game once you become accustomed to it. Enemy officers have a nasty tendency to block nigh-on every assault you attempt, so using this skill negates that problem. Additionally, evading becomes essential thanks to the constant stun-locking combos you can fall victim to. If I’m forced to recount the number of times I had to recover after being rocked off my horse by a random grunt I might scream, too.
The new inclusions smooth out some of the more frustrating elements inherent in the original’s design. Getting constantly flinched or stunned by every enemy in a mob is rather infuriating, as is the ability of crossbowmen to demolish your health while being off-screen. While I appreciate this is a throwback to 25 years ago, I would have liked to see a little more work go into smoothing out the rough edge of this shinier plate of armour.
A Long-Lasting Dynasty
Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered includes the full base game and the Xtreme Legends expansion content too, as well as some added content to boot. New stages and variations are included, giving additional life to established classics. There are over 40 officers in total, each with their own series of 7 mission campaigns in Musou mode. Needless to say, if you want to complete everything, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
Free mode and challenge mode have been brought back and expanded too, alongside the versus mode, where players can compete against each other. Never thought I’d see Dynasty Warriors PvP, but here we are. The challenges are pretty rigorous, while the free mode gives you the reins to go mad with your selected officer on any stage or scenario you feel like. There’s even the option to mess around with openings and cutscenes to insert different officers, which is a neat touch.
Content-wise, Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered fully justifies its lower price tag with a feast of Musou action to get stuck into. There’s the usual endless glut of accessories and items to collect via level challenges, a weapon fusion system that allows upgrading of your stats, character and abilities, and plenty of difficulty modes to master. Is all of it worth seeing now that we’ve had dozens of entries since? Maybe for some, maybe less for others.
Guan, Yu Know You Want To
Dynasty Warriors has, in my opinion, had a pretty unfair label attached to it in the shape of the “monotonous button mashing game” over the years. I’ve always taken umbridge with that, having spent hundreds of hours with DW 6, 8, Xtreme Legends and Origins, not including the Romance series and Empires versions too. However, I did feel some fatigue set in a little too quickly here. The mission designs and setups are, understandably, far less elaborate or dynamic compared to more recent entries.
As such, I found myself lagging in enthusiasm to keep booting up a new Musou mode campaign after doing a handful. Sure, Ziluan of Origins fame is here, presumably to lap up even more adoring fanfare from every character, but he’s relegated to free mode. I like Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered, but I couldn’t say it’s one of my favourites. However, this is likely due to me never having played the original when I was younger, and I suspect returning fans will get much more than me on this front.
One aspect that’s untouched and thoroughly fantastic as a result is the voice acting. Lord almighty, Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered has some of the funniest dialogue I’ve ever heard in a video game. From the “power of my MAGIC” to Cao Cao being “Cow Cow”, I was frequently belly laughing at the audacious and hilarious delivery. If nothing else, Dynasty Warriors 3 delivers on the entertainment through this alone.
Ready to March
I fully expect that returning fans will have an absolute blast reliving their fond memories of Dynasty Warriors 3 through this iteration. I’m excited for them, and fully believe Omega Force has delivered a graphically impressive and gameplay-enhanced version that respects the source material, while modernising the systems just enough to deliver a fresh feeling to an old classic.
Personally, as someone coming into this entry off the back of more modern titles, it just didn’t hit with the same force of a Zhang Fei strike. I think it’s helped me appreciate what I like so much about Origins, while also aiding me in recognising what that game lost in the fun and hilarious spirit that emanates from the dialogue and over the top direction of 3. It’s a strange juxtaposition to find myself in, but I’ve been musing on it non-stop since I booted up Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered for the first time.
If you’re also a fan of the more expanded weapon arsenal and wild armaments characters used to wield, well, rest assured you’ll be more than catered for here. In all, I can safely say Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered isn’t one of my own favourites, but it’s a solid remaster that offers a great balance of new with old. Your experience with the series might dictate your value proposition, but I’m certain that returning vets are going to feel awesome in their shimmering armour, charging into battle once more.
Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is available October 1st on PlayStation 5 (review platform), Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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