DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered Review

Developed by Koei Tecmo America and published by Koei Tecmo Games, DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered takes the game that laid the foundation for the whole series and drags it through Unreal Engine 5 for a long-overdue glow-up.

                Dynasty Warriors has always been about one hero against a thousand enemies, and Dynasty Warriors 3 is the sweet spot the rest of the series grew out of. But remasters are a gamble. Slapping a fresh coat of paint on the visuals is the easy part; the trouble starts when the rest of the game doesn’t keep up, the mask slips, and a veteran shows every one of its years.

                Luckily, the developers have borrowed heavily from the combat in Dynasty Warriors Origins. You can now dodge, parry, and sidestep those unblockable enemy attacks, which turns a once-rigid fighter into something far more satisfying. Classic mode is still there if you fancy a trip down memory lane, but be warned: it feels properly stiff, and nostalgia only goes so far. Replaying the famous battles with the modern controls is simply way more fun. The original music and voice acting have also survived the upgrade, and they’re every bit as cool and gloriously cheesy as you remember.

                There’s fresh blood on the roster too, headlined by the legendary Lu Bu, although you’ll have to earn him. Unlocking him means racking up a thousand KOs, which feels like exactly the right price of admission for the series’ most fearsome warrior. Every returning officer has been given a facelift and looks great, the maps have been extensively reworked, and a couple of extra game modes keep things interesting.

                Musou mode is the main event. Pick an officer, choose your allegiance (Wei, Shu, or Wu), and fight through the historic battles from that officer’s point of view. Your warrior levels up as you go, and that progress carries over into the other modes. New to the mix is weapon fusion: combine the gear you scoop up on the battlefield into something stronger, which scratches that loot-goblin itch nicely. You can also choose which troops fight alongside you, or swap them out for another officer as your bodyguard.

                The battles themselves are exactly what you’d expect. Hit your objectives, then take down the enemy commander. Unlike the modern entries, there are no extra moves or combo trees to learn. You get your officer’s one combo, and that’s your lot. Over a long session, the combat gets samey and fatigue sets in. Don’t get me wrong, being an unstoppable one-person army and flattening hundreds of soldiers is still a blast. The maps may look prettier these days, but plenty of them feel empty, and without horses to speed up the trek, the pacing would take a real beating.

                Beyond Musou mode, you’ll find a challenge mode and a free mode. Challenge mode throws specific scenarios at you, while free mode lets you play as any officer on any map. Both also level up your warriors, so if you’re stuck on a tough Musou stage, you can head off to free mode, grind your officer into shape, and return to take another crack at it.

                The deluxe edition adds a few perks, including bonus officers like Ziluan, the protagonist of Dynasty Warriors Origins, who’s playable in free mode. You can also unlock the Red Hare saddle, which lets you ride Lu Bu’s legendary horse. On the bigger maps, that’s a must-have rather than a novelty due to the extra boosts it gives.

Conclusion

DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered is exactly what a remaster should be. It modernises the look and feel without losing the spirit and charm of the original, and it reminds everyone why they fell for the series in the first place. Some parts still show their age, namely the shortage of combos, but it never gets in the way of how much fun the game is to play.

This game was tested and reviewed on Xbox Series X/S (via a Game Pass Ultimate subscription). All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version.