The remake of the strategy classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 is dividing its fans

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a sprawling series of strategy games that has evolved over the past four decades of releases by Koei (now Koei Tecmo) since 1985. Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 from 2001 is remembered fondly not only in the series' stronghold of East Asia, but also in the West for its wide range of characters and expansive gameplay where you can focus on one person as your avatar. The remake of RT3K 8 is receiving criticism from fans for not being a remaster of the original but rather a remake which tries to incorporate elements of the series' most recent releases.

One of the most positive Steam reviews reads "This is a dumbed-down version." "Perhaps it's easier for new players enter this genre."

This could be just as easily a line from an unfavorable review, couldn't you? Just 48% of the 1,675 Steam user reviews at the time of publication were positive. Fans are more willing to criticize the game's repetitiveness and limitations compared to its original release. One of the most common complaints is the restrictive system that governs the in-game events called Tales. Many fans compare the repetitive second and third plays throughs of a visually novel, a harsh criticism for a series that is known for its variety of replays with different starting scenarios.

The game's AI also gets a slap for being passive. It's not a new thing for strategy gamers who are used to putting up with mediocre AI in the genre, but it's a different story when that AI is bad at its own game, and players are already calling it dumbed down. The players feel they have traded the nuanced sophistication of the original game for... nothing, really. And a passive AI in a roleplaying game is not good as it throws surprises to them. It's not the best outlook for future remakes or remasters, especially when the series has a rich history that many people would enjoy exploring.

This type of controversy is not new to the series. There are certainly die-hard fans for any of its game styles over the past forty years. Look at the reviews of the last two entries. 2016's RT3K 13 was well-received, but 2020’s RT3K 14 was panned by many reviewers, including here on PC Gamer. This led to most comparisons to compare the RT3K 8 re-release to... 13, the previous "good" entry rather than the latest one.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is available on Koei Tecmo’s website as well as on Steam.