ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE

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A masterpiece of historical simulation "ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8" is revived after 20 years. This version includes an improved "All Officers Play" feature, which allows players to play as any officer in the world of the Three Kingdoms. The game is also packed with additional elements that bring the officers to life, such as "Destiny" which can dramatically change the course of events and …

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 182 reviews

story5 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The game successfully focuses on individual stories, providing a rich role-playing experience that fans of the series will appreciate.
The updated graphics and character designs enhance the nostalgic feel of the original game, making it visually appealing.
The new relationship and event systems add depth to gameplay, allowing for more control over character development and interactions.

The AI is often passive and unchallenging, leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of strategic depth.
Many players feel that the game simplifies too many mechanics from the original, resulting in a less engaging experience.
The absence of multiplayer options and the need to manually trigger events detracts from the overall enjoyment and immersion of the game.

gameplay
38 mentions
13 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the remake retains much of the original's structure, focusing on force and city development, character progression, and expansion, but has been criticized for its repetitive nature and poor AI. While some players appreciate the nostalgic mechanics and new relationship systems, others find the changes to gameplay mechanics disappointing and feel that the game lacks the strategic depth of previous installments. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mix of improvements and outdated elements, leading to a divided reception among players.
- “For those who may not have played 8 for a long while, or haven't played it at all, the gameplay could be divided into three parts: development of your forces/cities, development of your character, and expansion.”
- “The game has a lot of the good stuff that the original ROTK 8 had, plus many improvements to graphics, UI, gameplay, and other systems. Information is much more accessible and easy to find, and game concepts are clearer, helping you play properly.”
- “Addictive gameplay.”
- “The AI is trash, the gameplay is incredibly repetitive and boring.”
- “The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, offering little variety or excitement to keep things interesting.”
- “This is the first Romance of the Three Kingdoms series that I wouldn't continue to play after 1-2 hours... not recommended because it is totally outdated from current gameplay, visuals, etc.”
story
24 mentions
21 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's story is rooted in the Three Kingdoms era, offering a mix of role-playing and strategic elements, but many players find the narrative repetitive across different cities and lacking depth after initial playthroughs. While there are opportunities for player influence and character interactions, the main quests and side quests often feel too simplistic, and the storytelling could benefit from more engaging content and variety. Overall, fans of the genre may appreciate the storytelling mechanics, but those seeking a fresh narrative experience might be disappointed.
- “Love the storytelling and role-playing aspects of this game.”
- “If you are a fan of the Three Kingdoms era and enjoy storytelling with strategy elements, this game hits home.”
- “The story scenes (called 'tales' by the game) are more fleshed out, and they make an interesting companion to the Three Kingdoms novel by summarizing the story in gameplay terms.”
- “You will find that the scenes and quests repeat across each city.”
- “This needs way more story and interactions in it; it gets so boring after the first playthrough.”
- “I was expecting to see new and exciting paths for the story, but it is basically the exact same story; now you have to click 'trigger' to start events rather than them happening on their own.”
graphics
10 mentions
70 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received generally positive feedback, with many praising the improved visuals and beautiful character artwork that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted that the dynamic facial expressions can feel unsettling, falling into the uncanny valley. While the graphics are not groundbreaking, they effectively complement the gameplay and maintain a consistent art style with the series.
- “The graphics are pretty cool, but the dynamic facial expressions are quite uncanny.”
- “Beautiful character artwork.”
- “The graphics are of course better and look great with characters moving their bodies, eyes, smiling, and breathing.”
- “The graphics are fine...and in keeping with the series.”
- “The only thing that needed to be done was to upgrade the past game, just control and graphics, and that is all!”
music
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The music in the game features an updated version of the original soundtrack, which many players appreciate, and it also offers the option to switch back to the original music for those who prefer it. While the soundtrack is praised for its polish and homage to the original game, some users feel that there is a lack of variety, particularly in the music associated with identical city views across regions. Overall, the music is considered excellent, but there are calls for more diverse tracks.
- “The music is an updated version of the original, which is pretty nice.”
- “They also give the option for the original music for those who prefer it.”
- “The city view is nice, though it’s the same for a set number of cities in one region; basically, all cities in a region look identical in city view and share the same music.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of polish that went into it, and even the music pays homage to the original game.”
grinding
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often unrewarding, particularly in character progression and dueling systems, which are described as repetitive and lacking depth. While some appreciate the domestic management features and the benefits of building friendships, many express a desire for automation options to alleviate the grind. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant flaw that detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Progressing a character is tedious and unrewarding; it takes too long to gain 1 point in any stat, and the duel and debate systems are terrible with repetitive mechanics.”
- “My biggest complaint is that I wish I could automate my grinding job work when playing as an officer, as it feels like a chore.”
- “The dueling is very tedious and repetitive; the option to skip or auto-resolve duels would be much preferred.”
replayability
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The remake is criticized for its lack of depth and variety, leading to diminished replayability, while the series traditionally offers good replay value. However, the uniformity of officer experiences may hinder long-term engagement, though unpredictable AI can add an unexpected layer of replayability.
- “Also, the ROTK games' replay value has always been there.”
- “This remake feels like it lacks depth and replayability—fun at first, but not enough variety or progression to keep it engaging over time.”
- “I can see replayability being an issue because despite you being able to play as any officer, every officer is sort of a cookie-cutter experience.”
- “The accidental disastrous AI can actually be a blessing for replayability.”
character development
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has evolved significantly, shifting from a reliance on random stat generation in the original version to a more controlled and customizable system in the remake. Players can now strategically choose skills and level up their characters through the wisdom system, allowing for tailored character growth that enhances gameplay experience.
- “Depending on how thorough you want to be with your character development, it could easily be the biggest part of the game, especially since in the original game, your character had to have randomly generated stats, and you had to beat the game to unlock a more generous version of those stats.”
- “Character development is a lot less random with the wisdom system, allowing you to pick and choose which skills you want to learn or level up once you acquire enough wisdom, instead of randomly learning skills from training in different regions.”
- “Now character development is also a huge part of the 8 remake, where you can make your character as weak or strong as you like, for better or worse.”
- “Depending on how thorough you wanted to be with your character development, that could easily be the biggest part of the game, especially since in the original 8, your character had to have randomly generated stats, and you had to beat the game to unlock a more generous version of randomly generated stats.”
- “Character development is a lot less random with the wisdom system, so now you pick and choose what skills you want to learn or level up once you acquire enough wisdom, instead of randomly learning skills from training in different regions.”
- “Now character development is also a huge part of the 8 remake as well, but now you can make your character as weak or strong as you like, for better or worse.”
stability
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game runs well on the Steam Deck, many users have reported it to be buggy and lacking in engaging content, indicating a mixed experience regarding stability.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, ensuring a smooth experience.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
- “It's unfortunate, but somehow Koei took additional time to release a buggy, boring game.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab that exploits players' nostalgia, leading to a negative perception among users.
- “This game is a straight-up cash grab, taking advantage of nostalgia.”
- “This is a straight-up cash grab.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is impacted by the strategic limitations imposed on cities, as their inability to invade one another fosters a sense of tension and conflict, enhancing the player's emotional investment in the game's dynamics.