Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered

Story and setting

The game is set during China’s Three Kingdoms period, with more than 40 officers available across a campaign of large-scale battles. You can fight for the major factions and experience the period through individual officers, while a new playable character, Ziluan from Dynasty Warriors: Origins, expands the remastered version beyond the original roster.

The package includes the full Dynasty Warriors 3 campaign and all content from Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends. That expansion adds stories for seven officers, including Lu Bu, Meng Huo and Yuan Shao, along with bodyguard customisation, new weapons and four challenge modes. The remaster also adds new scenarios that are unlocked by meeting specific conditions, giving the familiar campaign some additional routes and surprises.

How it plays

This is classic one-against-a-thousand musou action. You control a single officer across broad battlefields, cutting through rank-and-file troops, defeating enemy commanders, protecting allied officers and responding to changes in the battle. True Musou Attacks, officer development and the large roster remain central to the experience, with Musou, Free and VS modes available.

The combat is more flexible than in the 2001 original. Evasion lets an officer dodge or briefly retreat from danger, while a perfectly timed dodge triggers Just Evasion and a counterattack. Perfect Power Guard turns a correctly timed guard into a deflection that can stun an opponent. Weapon Fusion lets you sacrifice unwanted weapons to transfer elemental attributes and skills, adding a more modern layer of equipment management without replacing the simple arcade-like rhythm of the original.

Two players can play together or compete locally in split-screen. The co-operative mode is designed for the same-console experience, not online matchmaking.

Platforms, editions and UK price

The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC through Steam. The UK digital list price verified on the PlayStation and Xbox stores is £32.99 for the Standard Edition and £57.99 for the Digital Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe upgrade is £26.99 on PlayStation if you already own the standard game.

The Digital Deluxe Edition contains the game, 42 retro costumes based on the original Dynasty Warriors 3, 42 weapons for fusion, a Wind Scroll, a Tiger Amulet, Six Secret Teachings and an Officer Concept Art Collection. The producer comments in that art collection are in Japanese only. PlayStation lists the game as PS5 Pro Enhanced, while Xbox advertises 4K Ultra HD, HDR10 and 60fps-plus support. The PC version supports mouse and keyboard controls, multiple controller types, ultrawide monitors, 4K, HDR and several upscaling options.

Online play and launch content

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered does not have online multiplayer. Its two-player co-op and VS modes are local split-screen, with one compatible controller required for each player. Nintendo’s Switch 2 listing mentions Nintendo Switch Online for save-data cloud support, but that does not add online battles or online co-op.

The free demo remains available and covers a special version of the Battle of Hulao Gate with Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, Xiahou Dun, Zhen Ji, Zhou Yu and Sun Shangxiang. Demo progress does not transfer to the full game. At launch, the available paid content is the Deluxe material rather than a story expansion. The Retro-Style Red Hare Saddle was a pre-order bonus, and the publisher says it may become available separately later.

Performance and reception

Early reviews are broadly positive about the revival but less consistent about platform performance. Push Square awarded the PS5 Pro version 7/10, praising the visual overhaul, unlocks, new mechanics and soundtrack while noting repetitive combat, long stretches across empty battlefields and troublesome archers. Respec gave the PC version 8/10 and found the modern presentation and optional new mechanics effective.

Platform differences are significant. Respec reported a solid 60fps target on PS5, a cleaner and more detailed image on PS5 Pro, and a workable Steam Deck experience after reducing settings and targeting 30fps. Its Switch 2 testing found lower visual quality, longer loading times and an unstable frame rate rather than a dependable 60fps presentation. The Xbox version is the safer choice for players who want the advertised 4K, HDR and high-frame-rate features, while PS5 Pro offers the strongest console image.