Over the years, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force's "Warriors series" has taken on quite a few surprising forms, as they've adapted their famous "one versus one thousand" formula for multiple franchises. From Gundam, Fist of the North Star, and One Piece, to Dragon Quest, The Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, Persona 5, and Fate, the overall series has expanded beyond what most could have ever imagined, reaching a larger audience in the process. With nearly every major platform having at least one "flagship" Warriors title under its belt as well, fans and newcomers alike have always had multiple options, though not all of them were created equal. Omega Force has continued to experiment with each new release, with some games becoming almost unrecognizable as Warriors titles simply due to how drastic the changes are. However, these changes were not just applied to the licensed titles; they also found their way back to the main branch of games—a little series known as Dynasty Warriors.
In 2018, Koei Tecmo released Dynasty Warriors 9 to very mixed reception. Rather than following the standard stage-focused gameplay fans had come to know and love, it brought the series into a full open world instead. With this came multiple changes to the gameplay, including a dynamically shifting territory map as battles raged on in real time. It wasn't the Dynasty Warriors fans knew and loved, to say the least, but in 2025 Omega Force attempted to course-correct with Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Though the title returned to its classic level-based structure, it too took a different route, introducing a single main protagonist with branching plotlines instead. While it was undoubtedly a return to form for the series, it still wasn't quite the "good old-fashioned" Dynasty Warriors many had been waiting for. This now brings us to 2026, and the release of Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered.
Rather than developing a tenth mainline entry, Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered takes players back to the old-school experience by reimagining the classic fan favorite for modern hardware. While it is the same game at its core, gone are the hardware restrictions that held back the original, and new gameplay features and mechanics have been implemented to further refine the experience. With all of the content from Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends included alongside new stories and stages developed specifically for Complete Edition, the title is packed full of content, making it the definitive version of this all-time classic.
Ahead of its release, Koei Tecmo gave us here at Netto's Game Room the opportunity to try out the full release, and to be completely honest, at the time of this review, we were not able to play through "everything" the game has to offer. Dynasty Warriors 3 was already a monster on its own, designed to be a title players can return to off and on for many years to come. With its addictive hack 'n' slash nature and over 40 characters to unlock and level up, the game completely succeeds on this front, making it a perfect choice for those wanting a title that can become a mainstay on their favorite platform, as well as a great option to play co-op with friends. So despite spending dozens of hours with this new version—playing through the story with multiple officers, redoing missions in free play, and playing a large chunk of the content in co-op—we are still only scratching the surface, and that's exactly what we were hoping for before going in.
A Classic Story, Fresh Coat of Paint, but the Same Voice Acting:
The story of Dynasty Warriors 3 is a familiar one. Set in the Three Kingdoms era, the game opens with the fall of the Han dynasty and follows both historical events as well as events from the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Focusing on the states of Shu, Wei, and Wu following the collapse of the Han, the game features a wide variety of characters and allows players to partake in the key battles that would eventually shape the future of China. Of course, liberties are taken, including allowing key officers to survive battles they originally perished in, and female characters are playable as well, despite not participating in battles at this time. This is all done in good fun, though, as Dynasty Warriors isn't a series that sets out to be completely historically accurate. It simply uses the stories as its foundation and creates its own tale along the way.
Despite this same plot being used for basically every single entry in the series, which is why many fans will already know the general outcomes, each title does retread the same ground in new ways. With Dynasty Warriors 3, each character is given roughly seven Musou Mode stages to work through, with cutscenes playing before each battle. Additionally, players can choose to listen to an overview of the upcoming conflict, which provides further context as to why it is even happening. Additional scenes can be seen during the stages themselves, and an ending to each story helps bring the story route to a close. To see the entire plot to its conclusion, every character's story needs to be cleared, and strict conditions must be met to unlock the new content. Depending on the difficulty mode and how many of the objectives you complete in a stage, a single playthrough will typically take an hour at the least, but can be greatly expanded. Those who set out to fully complete each stage can easily expect to spend up to thirty minutes within them, but quick playthroughs can be as short as ten minutes if you know what you are doing. Of course, playing in co-op can speed things up as well.
As for the story itself, Dynasty Warriors 3 was infamously known for its "bad" voice acting, which is something that would go on to become iconic over the years. Fans know the lines by heart, and not hearing the over-the-top reactions in battle just wouldn't feel right. Thankfully, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have chosen not to "fix this" in the slightest. Despite featuring fully new animated cutscenes, they match the originals, and the same voices can be heard. New players might be taken aback by this, but it is something that has become a part of the game's charm, and someday they'll get used to it as well—though you can swap over to the Japanese voice acting if it truly does bother you.
When it comes to the new content, the stories themselves are "what-if" scenarios and are unlocked by meeting strict requirements. This often requires playing on the Hard difficulty option and completing specific goals within the stages themselves. Thankfully, the game does let you know what you need to do, but actually accomplishing this can be easier said than done. Fans will be happy to know that these new scenarios are much more challenging than the previously released content, come complete with new cutscenes, and have multiple ways they can develop.
The Same Classic Gameplay but with New Refinements:
While the stories told in Dynasty Warriors are fun, the main focus of the entire series is none other than its gameplay, and Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered refines it.
The basic goal of each stage is, of course, to win the battle, but with an ever-changing and dynamically updating battlefield, doing so isn't always straightforward. Players are thrown into each stage at a specified starting point, and from there they must monitor the situation and complete different goals to ensure their side comes out on top. This means protecting and backing up CPU-controlled officers, defending your own territory, preventing enemy supply lines from reaching their targets, capturing enemy bases to stop reinforcements, and battling enemy officers who are trying to do the same thing to you. Maps are generally open with multiple paths leading to key areas, but sometimes specific requirements need to be met to open the way forward. Just because the main objective is to take out the head enemy officer doesn't mean a direct path will be open to them, and their army will continue to do whatever it takes to keep you at bay. With a morale system that fluctuates based on your own and your army's successes and failures, there is quite a bit to keep track of. Thankfully, a mini-map and a full detailed map are available to help you manage it all, and a mount that can be summoned with the press of a button can help you reach key locations in the nick of time.
When it comes to controlling your character, Complete Edition Remastered brings back classic abilities while introducing several new mechanics. Each character comes with a standard attack and a heavy attack, with combos created by pressing heavy attack after a set number of normal hits. A bow and arrow can be drawn at any time to shoot enemies from afar—assuming you have arrows—and characters have the ability to jump. Locking onto an enemy and using the guard option is a great way to defend yourself, but a new dodge move has been introduced in this version as well. Those who guard against attacks can use the Power Guard option to knock enemies back, while the new Perfect Power Guard and Perfect Evade options allow players to parry attacks and unleash powerful counters. Both mechanics take practice to master, but once you learn how an enemy telegraphs their moves, you can start parrying and dodging effectively. In addition, the over-the-top Musou Attacks and True Musou Attacks return, which can be unleashed once your Musou Gauge is full. True Musou Attacks require your health to be low, making them a high-risk, high-reward mechanic as well as a lifesaver when a situation becomes dire.
Despite the inclusion of new abilities, fans will be happy to know that the title retains the higher difficulty the original was known for. The Novice option added in Xtreme Legends is included, but Very Hard mode is also present and unlocked by default. Even Novice will provide a challenge for newcomers and can serve as part of the natural progression for those learning the game and upgrading their characters. As in the original, there is no traditional leveling system; instead, enemies drop items that provide permanent stat upgrades, with higher stat boosts becoming more common on harder difficulty settings. In addition to stat upgrades, the game features a new weapon fusion system that allows you to transfer bonus stats and abilities from one weapon to another. Rather than simply acquiring a stronger weapon with weaker bonuses, players can carry forward the specific traits they prefer. Naturally, the game accounts for these upgrades in its scaling and expects players to make full use of them. Additional equipment items can be obtained to upgrade your characters, and a bodyguard mechanic lets you customize additional fighters who follow you in battle. They can help make encounters a little easier, but your own skills will ultimately determine your success. Those who want to push themselves can jump straight into Very Hard mode, but don't expect to walk away unscathed unless you have truly mastered the series. As for everyone else, it is best to return after upgrading your stats.
Combat in Dynasty Warriors 3 functions much like a dynamic dance. The map is filled with standard, unnamed soldiers who can be slaughtered in groups, but even they can pose a challenge if you let your guard down. Named characters on the other hand are a significant threat and forces to be reckoned with. This is where the series' roots as a fighting game truly shine, featuring one-on-one battles that will test your reflexes. To survive these encounters, you must watch for enemy tells, dodge, block, and counter with precise timing—which can trigger button-mashing weapon clashes—and land extensive combos the moment an opening appears. Failing to do so will leave you vulnerable to enemy combos, which can bring a run to a premature end. With large health bars and high defense, these battles are rarely quick, and higher difficulties provide a steep challenge even for upgraded characters. Healing items and temporary buffs scattered across the battlefield can help you recover following a tough fight, but you cannot always rely on finding them when you need them most.
The final major change to gameplay involves what happens when you quit a stage or fail. Rather than resetting your progress entirely, Dynasty Warriors 3 records every moment of a battle, allowing you to resume exactly where you left off. You are free to exit to the main menu at any time and return to the active battle later, while those who fail can choose the specific point in the battle from which they would like to restart. It is a welcome quality-of-life feature that makes managing longer encounters much more flexible.
The Game Modes and Co-op:
Those looking to get more out of Dynasty Warriors 3 will be happy to know there are plenty of game modes, including all of the classics. Musou Mode is the main campaign, but any unlocked stages are added to Free Play as well. In Free Play, players can choose any character they wish to use while continuing to upgrade their stats or farm for new equipment and items.
Challenge Mode, on the other hand, offers a completely unique experience, tasking players with completing various objectives to aim for high scores. Examples include seeing how long you can survive against relentless enemy waves or racing to reach a specific point on the map as quickly as possible. It provides a refreshing change of pace from the standard Dynasty Warriors gameplay and presents a genuine test of skill—especially if you are aiming to set new record high scores across every category.
Alongside these single-player offerings, the title includes two distinct multiplayer options. First, virtually the entire game can be played cooperatively with a friend, which speeds up progression and can make tough battles more manageable. Co-op is an excellent way to level up two characters simultaneously, allowing a stronger player to support a weaker companion who is just starting out. Second, the game features a Versus Mode that pits players against one another in direct combat. This replicates the intense one-on-one officer duels from the main game, but with the added unpredictability of fighting another human player.
At the time of this review, multiplayer is limited to offline local split-screen, but Koei Tecmo has announced that an online multiplayer update will arrive in January 2027. While online functionality could not be tested prior to launch, local multiplayer performed smoothly overall, with only minor frame drops during heavy on-screen action.
Great Visuals and Mostly Smooth Sailing:
The most noticeable upgrade in Dynasty Warriors 3 is its revamped visual presentation. Now running on Unreal Engine 5, the game features completely remade character models, enhanced textures, and modern visual effects. The classic distance fog that limited sightlines in the original release has been removed, allowing players to view expansive battlefields with clear draw distances.
Enemy density on screen has also been significantly increased to match the scale of later entries in the franchise. Performance was generally smooth, maintaining a stable frame rate on the standard PlayStation 5 during testing. Minor performance drops occurred occasionally during local co-op play, primarily in dense areas filled with dozens of active units and complex environmental effects, such as fire and smoke during naval battles. While these frame drops were noticeable, they were infrequent and did not impact general playability.
Should you play it?
Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is a must-have for fans of the original, as well as a great starting point for anyone looking to jump into the mainline series that spawned so many spin-offs and licensed titles. With impressive visuals, dozens of playable characters, a fun co-op mode, and countless hours of content, it provides the classic experience so many fell in love with back in the early 2000s, thoughtfully refined for modern platforms.
That said, the hack-and-slash gameplay loop will not click with everyone, so trying out the free demo before buying is recommended, but for many, it is a title well worth adding to your collection.
Dynasty Warriors is back!
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Review Copy was Provided
Available On: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
Post a Comment