By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Reviewing a Dynasty Warriors game comes with the unique issue of trying not to retread the same ground covered in the last Dynasty Warriors review. Which is pretty much what I assume developing a Dynasty Warriors game feels like.
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For those not in the know, Dynasty Warriors is a long-running series of button-mashing action games developed by Koei-Tecmo. They follow the heroes and villains of the Chinese epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, an expansive pseudo-historical story that has been the basis of thousands of movies, TV shows and cartoons over the years.
Dynasty Warriors takes that story of China’s fractious pre-Han Dynasty years and lets gamers step into their favorite characters from the story, commanding an army and cutting through battlefields where you can wrack up superhuman level body counts in pursuit of whatever the goal may be.
The franchise has been known for its ridiculous cutscenes, terrible voice acting and especially its very simple gameplay. But despite some pretty awful iterations over the years, Dynasty Warriors lives on and Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered brings gamers back to when many first got a taste of the series.
Dynasty Warriors 3 was my first time taking control of the Wu faction (my favorite group) two decades ago and getting the chance to see the same menu screens and levels from my childhood definitely gave me a sweet taste of nostalgia.
But then the character’s opened their mouths.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise but hearing the awful American dubbing of the game as an adult was both hilarious and painful. Many of the actors can’t even correctly pronounce the name of their character. Add to that the comical grunts of pain, the very unimposing calls to battle…it all adds up to something that you’ll either relish or find rather annoying.
Gameplay is pretty simple. There’s a light attack and heavy attack button. Build your special attack. Unleash it with that button. Jump on a horse, rinse, repeat. Sometimes battlefields offer terrain or environmental challenges to add more variety but the main gameplay loop is: run to mob, kill mob, move on.
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As you fight you’ll collect new items and weapons to help you grow your character, adding another layer of strategy to how you approach each skirmish. Your kit and bodyguards can be crucial to how you manage each level.
There are a ton of characters to play and as you beat each general’s story even more will open up, meaning there are dozens of hours of gameplay if you vibe with the grind.
But my big problem is that the series has evolved well beyond what is presented here. It’s a nostalgia piece for those who sunk their childhood into this rendition of ancient China. And from the perspective of a remaster, the game hasn’t lost any of its janky PS2 charm while looking modern.
But if you have the option, Dynasty Warriors: Origins has more modern sensibility and is a better introduction for new musou players.
Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is a fun return to my teenage years but other than being a solid release of a game I loved as a kid, it doesn’t offer much more than scratch a nostalgic itch.
Pros: Looks great but maintains the PS2 jank, honors the original bad acting
Cons: Gameplay loop can get repetitive, not a lot to entice players who didn’t grow up with it to give it a shot
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Rating: 6.5/10
Played on PS5.
Koei-Tecmo provided a review code in exchange for an honest review.