Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake Reviews

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10
Nov 16, 2024

If you prefer the story elements of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, then 8 Remake is among the best the franchise has ever produced. This entry doesn't offer the same level of kingdom management that fans might be expecting, but its focus on the drama and your narrative choices make it a bit more accessible for new players. This is a very solid remake that runs well on the Switch and feels like it unlocks the original's full potential.

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5 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake very much feels like a 2000s game, which has been respectfully updated with improved presentation. Unfortunately, its gameplay has not withstood the test of time. Built upon an engaging turn-based gameplay loop, this game quickly becomes repetitive—even tedious—because it plays the same scenes over and over. Compared to the variety of events in modern grand strategy games, it's difficult to recommend this one. However, if you're a history enthusiast or a Dynasty Warriors fan curious about the strategy genre, this game may be for you.

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8 / 10
Oct 23, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake presents the series at its very peak. Despite turning back the clock more than 20 years, the end product feels like an evolution of ROTK's grand strategy format thanks to smart gameplay upgrades and its beautiful presentation.

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7 / 10
Oct 24, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is a great way to test the waters of Koei Tecmo's long-running historical simulation series. It can be initially overwhelming and a little unwieldy at times, but the remake offers a return to a seminal entry in the series and one of the deepest and most intricate strategy games available on PS5 and PS4 to date.

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7.5 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is a faithful re-imagining of the classic game with several new bells and whistles to make it more interesting for modern audiences. The remake might be faithful to a fault as some of the mechanics can feel dated at this point. The AI for battles could also use some improvement. With more than 1,000 playable officers and a plethora of roles for players to assume, however, ROTK 8 Remake boasts plenty of replayability. If you loved the original or are pining for some classic ROTK gameplay, this is one romance that isn’t bad at all.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 is lovingly remade with much-needed convenience features, making this perhaps the best in the entire series. The worst thing about it is the omission of multiplayer. If you don't mind that, you have a meaty strategy game with over 1,000 playable officers and more scenarios than you can possibly ever want.

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Gamersky
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Oct 29, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake captures the essence of its predecessor but ultimately feels hollow. While it incorporates mechanics from other entries in the series and introduces new systems like relationships and historical narratives, these elements are overly simplified, seemingly catering to new players. As a result, the game loses much of its depth and enjoyment, leaving longtime fans wanting more from this classic.

Review in Chinese | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Oct 24, 2024

Into the wide waters of Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake will not sail. However, I don't know if this production needs it. Loyal fans will be happy with how the remake turned out.

Review in Polish | Read full review

80 / 100
Oct 28, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is a good strategy game with very functional and intuitive systems, accessible for newcomers and rich for veterans, as well as an excellent use of its setting. The title lives up not only to the original game, but further elevates the entire legacy of the historic franchise to which it belongs.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Oct 23, 2024

Nevertheless, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 has a lot going for it. Thanks to the “Tales” feature it’s possibly the most accessible RoTK game to date, easing players in by giving them a clear set of targets to prioritise. Once you’re comfortable with that the depth of strategy and a staggering array of ways to play make for a deep experience with dozens upon dozens of historical play. I still find it odd that Koei Tecmo decided to remake this game, but ultimately I’m glad that it happened.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2024

With a more personal touch, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is a strategy game that needs to be seen in a different way than others in the genre. Being a much slower experience and with multiple opportunities for those who like to create their own story, it is difficult to recommend the game to those looking for a more traditional strategy experience.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake marks the return of one of the best strategic simulation games ever made, with a successful mix of strategy, simulation and role-playing elements.

Review in German | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2024

An epic of longtime investment, I was pleased to see that I could pick up and play a handful of turns at a time, blow through an hour or so, and then put down the game to come back to the saga another day. It’s engrossing but not consuming, and it weaves a long, exciting tale like the source material. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

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6 / 10.0
Nov 6, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is undeniably a labor of love, rich with features that make the story of ancient China’s political turbulence feel personal and dynamic. For those who adore the era’s history and don’t mind a slightly theatrical spin, the game’s “infinite drama” will be an immersive experience. But while the remake is packed with enhancements, it doesn’t entirely transcend its original. The gameplay and story, while deep and engaging, may not fully justify a remake for a game that wasn’t heavily demanded by fans. Instead, it stands as a tribute to a beloved entry – one that celebrates the theater of war and the complex drama of its officers but might have left fans wondering if a truly new Romance of the Three Kingdoms experience would have been the better gift.

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75 / 100
Oct 25, 2024

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE feels more like a newer, better Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 rather than a remake of Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII. It is still playable and pretty fun, but with all its shortcomings, it's hardly recommended unless you're a fan or someone who's looking for an RPG with a bit more to it.

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Oct 23, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is a solid strategy game that feels like it may have needed some more modern enhancements. The team clearly wanted to stay faithful to the original, and I think that's awesome, but it ended up making the game feel a bit slow and repetitive. The mechanics do take a little bit of time to get into, but once you do, it gets a lot more enjoyable, and I had a blast trying to take over the map and use my own custom officers to try to take down Lu Bu and Yuan Shao. It runs pretty decently on the Steam Deck, with most of the text being very readable and having great controller support. It does drain the battery more than I expected, but it's very playable, and I found this the best way to enjoy it, thanks to being able to suspend/resume the game whenever. It's a solid choice for strategy fans, and it will be awesome for those who loved the original, but it may be hard to digest for newer fans.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 30, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 returns to the contemporary video game landscape with an unexpected remake that aims to be both a gift to fans of the series as well as a potential entry point for everyone else. The content offerings are generous, as is the care taken in the packaging of the product and the traditional depth of the strategic experience, which has been appropriately modernized thanks to some forward-thinking updates. Some features of the historic KOEI TECMO series, however, could make the experience far too tiring, especially for those who are not insanely fond of the genre. A commendable operation but one that ends up appealing mainly to a narrow circle of aficionados.

Review in Italian | Read full review

60 / 100
Oct 24, 2024

A lot of time has passed since the original debut of Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake, and the weight of these two decades is felt as soon as you dive into the game mechanics. Despite its massive content offering, pure gameplay interaction is really minimal if you look beyond statistics and endless lines of text. While very detailed and at times unnecessarily complex and verbose, the experience recreated by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force is unlikely to captivate newcomers to this unique franchise. This operation is undoubtedly aimed at the most incurable nostalgics, honest at its core, but decidedly ill-suited for the current market.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is an excellent addition to the series, bringing innovations that are sure to please veterans, while also standing out as one of the most accessible titles for newcomers. However, while the focus is more on individual character development than on managing an empire, the game still has a complexity of systems that will require a considerable investment of time for everything to start making sense.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Oct 23, 2024

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is a great modernization of the classic title, with a solid platformer for both new and returning players. History fans are in for a treat with rich historical lore to discover. Additionally, the soundtrack was a real highlight.

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