GamesStrategyA remake of strategy classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 has proven divisive among its fanbaseWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesStrategyA remake of strategy classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 has proven divisive among its fanbaseWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

A panoply of historical characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake.

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE - Launch Trailer - YouTubeWatch On

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE - Launch Trailer - YouTube

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE - Launch Trailer - YouTube

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE - Launch Trailer - YouTube

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (RT3K) is a sprawling strategy series that has changed immensely over the four decades of entries Koei, now Koei Tecmo, has released since 1985. For its vast panoply of characters and broad gameplay where you focus on a single person as your own avatar, 2001’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 is particularly fondly remembered not just in the series stronghold of East Asia but in the West because it got a proper release on PlayStation. The recently released remake of RT3K 8, however, is catching fan flak for being less of a remaster that respects the original and more of a remake that tries to bring in elements from the series' more recent releases.

“This is dumbed down version,” readsoneof the top positive Steam reviews. “Perhaps its easier for new players to enter into this genre.”

The game’s AI is also taking a shellacking for being passive. That’s nothing new for strategy gamers, who usually put up with lackluster AI as a genre staple, except when it’s bad at its own game in a revised format players are already calling dumbed down. Players feel like they traded the nuanced complexity of the original for… nada, really, and a passive AI is no good in a game people enjoy roleplaying in as the sandbox throws surprises at them. It’s not a great outlook for future remakes and remasters of a series that has a long history lots of people would probably enjoy digging into and that stands on the precipice of winning more western fans as Steam releases open it up to the greater PC gaming world.

You can find Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake onKoei Tecmo’s websiteand onSteam.

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