A PlayStation 2 Classic Has Returned

Whenever the debate over the best year in gaming comes up, I’m always the first to point to 2001. It was the year Grand Theft Auto III made video games a mainstream staple of entertainment, while many of us scrambled to buy a PlayStation 2 because of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. 2001 was the year Halo, Devil May Cry, Max Payne, Onimusha, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney made their debut. It also delivered bangers like Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, and Tekken 4. Among the 2001 classics that would define the era was Dynasty Warriors 3.

The original Dynasty Warriors 3 was one of those games I seldom played at a friend’s house back in the day. It was fun, and we had good times, but we were also preoccupied with the many other hits that came out that year. Whenever we did play it, we would quickly hop over to Smash or Halo. However, those who played it regularly on PS2 have fond memories of it. Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is a welcome return for longtime fans and those of us who played it sparingly.

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered rebuilds the classic PlayStation 2 game in Unreal Engine 5. Now available on modern consoles and PC, it lets fans replay the classic while those of us who missed out finally get a proper playthrough. At the same time, it gives a new generation of gamers the chance to experience this staple of the sixth-generation era.

The Empire, Long Divided, Must Unite

A hack ‘n’ slash spinoff of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is a fictionalized retelling of China’s Three Kingdoms period, from A.D. 220 to 280. After the fall of the Han Dynasty, China fractured into warring states, with the kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu rising as the dominant powers. Players step into the boots of generals and warlords from this era as they fight for their respective factions. Each character offers a different view of the conflict while hurling players headfirst into over-the-top battles.

This is one of those games where the story takes a back seat to gameplay and combat. All you need to know is that this is the Three Kingdoms period of China. The game opens with a quick summary before tossing you into the action. Just do not treat this as an accurate retelling or a source of historical information. The hammy voice acting and cheesy dialogue drive that point home, and I love that the remaster kept it. If you need a quick summary of this era, then check out this classic by OverSimplified, which does a great job of explaining why Lu Bu is bae.

Path of a Master Swordsman

The core gameplay has you stepping into the role of an officer battling on behalf of your faction. Most levels require you to inflict as much damage as possible on enemy forces and take out as many of their officers as you can before finally defeating the enemy commander. To achieve this, you hack and slash your way across the battlefield, carving through wave after wave of enemy soldiers. Your arsenal includes light attacks, heavy attacks, and the series’ signature Musou attacks, which you can unleash once your Musou gauge fills from dealing and taking damage. When your health drops to a critical level, the gauge refills on its own and your Musou powers up into a True Musou attack. As you defeat enemy forces, your army’s morale gets a boost, allowing your troops to perform better on the battlefield.

Players can choose from a roster of warriors, starting with 15 characters and unlocking more than 40 in total. Each character has a distinct combat style and unique weapon, fighting for one of the game’s factions. Weapons can be upgraded and fused with other weapons using the Weapon Fusion system to create more powerful ones. Characters also grow as they defeat more foes, especially officers and commanders, which in turn boosts their abilities and stats on the battlefield over time.

The game is broken down into four modes. The main story unfolds in Musou Mode, which follows the character you choose and lets you play the conflict from their perspective. Challenge Mode lets fans test their skills, push their limits, and chase their personal best across a series of trials. Versus Mode has you go head to head against a friend. Free Mode lets you experience the game however you like, on whichever stage you prefer.

A New Blade

Right away, I have to compliment how fluid the combat feels. The quickest way a hack ‘n’ slash game can screw up is by making the combat feel sluggish. When I swing my blade, it should slice through my opponent like a hot knife through butter. It should not be a slog or feel like a rusty ax hacking into a rock. Yet too many games either fumble this simple concept or lock it behind a grind. So when a game gets it right from the start, it absolutely earns points from me. I do not want a struggle. I just want to turn off my dumb little brain and carve waves of foes to pieces.

As a remaster, it is a welcome sight to see one of the defining titles of 2001 on modern hardware. As I said earlier, I rarely played this back in the day, and I have not played many of the other games in the series. Most of my experience with the franchise comes from its spinoffs and Musou-style collaborations, like Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, Berserk and the Band of the Hawk, and Persona 5 Strikers. This remaster not only lets me properly experience the classic but also gives newer fans a more accessible way to play one of the series’ most important entries. The core game remains the same, only now it is more polished and performs better on modern hardware. By this I mean most of the technical issues that plagued the original, like the short draw distance and awkward camera angles, have been resolved.

Long United, Must Divide

Complete Edition Remastered is built on Unreal Engine 5, and you know exactly how I feel when developers use it improperly. The bad news is that it is no different here. The good news is that it is not the worst example I have encountered. At first glance, everything performs well, and it looks like a PlayStation 2 game that has undergone a visual upgrade. Take a closer look, however, and you will see the visual jank that comes with a poorly optimized Unreal Engine 5 game.

Then there are the issues that come from the game’s age, since the original launched in 2001. Yes, it is a classic, but its staying power is surprising for a game that nearly scored an 8/10 during a launch window crowded with 9/10 and 10/10 titles that would define a generation. Some aspects that were passable back then now feel dated. The level design and aesthetics feel barren and can grow repetitive. Beyond their cosmetic designs, most characters have little that makes them stand out, and heavy blades are overrepresented across the roster.

Despite these shortcomings, old-school gamers will enjoy returning to this version of the Three Kingdoms, while newcomers should experience this classic for themselves.

Thus it Has Ever Been

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered lets old-school gamers and newcomers alike experience one of the defining titles of the PlayStation 2 on modern hardware. If you grew up playing it, this restored version fixes most of the original’s issues and is now easy to pick up. It has its flaws, but they are forgivable for a remaster of a game from 2001.

Disclaimer: The publisher, through a PR representative, provided the game used for this review.

This review of Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered is the thoughts of one critic. If you want to see how other critics felt, check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent news outlet that provides insightful reviews for Bay Area Gamers.

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered (PC)

8

Excellent

8.0/10

Pros

• A defining PS2 classic from 2001 is now available on modern systems.
• Many of the issues that plagued the original have been fixed.
• Fluid, satisfying hack 'n' slash combat.
• The ham voice acting is still present.

Cons

• Another instance of Unreal Engine 5’s mishandled implementation.
• Issues that come from being a game from 2001.