Romance Of The Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII with Power Up Kit, complete with both the “All Officers Play” and “All Periods Scenarios” features, as well as a host of new content. In addition, the game boasts all-new graphical and game system upgrades to help reawaken the title as the newest addition to KOEI TECMO’s long revered franchise.

Among the new additions, the number of officers has been increased from approximately 600 to 1,000! With the newly added officers and forces that were not in the original game, players can enjoy new events and relationships between the officers for an even more authentic experience. The “All Periods Scenarios” feature has also been updated to offer more than 55 scenarios, including fictional scenarios – most in series history! From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the final age of the Three Kingdoms period, players can choose any officer and period they’d like to play, creating numerous combinations for an ideal playthrough.

To enhance the Romance of the Three Kingdoms experience, new visuals and voices have been added. Combining 2D and 3D graphics, it retains the atmosphere of the original title while being renewed with rich graphical expression. The number of voices has also been increased, with officers displayed in beautifully rendered graphics speaking to players in a variety of situations, with animated movies featuring full voices being used for important events*.

The battlefield map has also been reworked, from a single 2D picture to a mix of 2D and 3D. Battlefields are created using the latest 3D technology, while distant landscapes are rendered as ink paintings to help create both powerful battles and an immersive experience!

KOEI TECMO America and developer Kou Shibusawa revealed a slew of advanced battle techniques to Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 REMAKE.

The tactical simulation is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII with Power Up Kit, complete with both the “All Officers Play” and “All Periods Scenarios” features, as well as a host of new content to deliver the most complete Romance of the Three Kingdoms experience to date.

Utilizing the transformed battles of Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 REMAKE, players will lean heavily, not only on their invading armies, but on human relationships. In “Parliament”, when selecting “March” to invade enemy cities, players will “Adjust” units participating in battle. Players will have decisions to make on leaders and their deputies along with other factors including: “Troop Type” such as infantry and heavy cavalry, “Siege Weapons” like rams and breaching towers, and “Ships” for crossing water. The battlefield includes various terrains such as plains, mountains, and rivers, so advantageously organizing units will be the key to winning strategy, as the selection of officers affects both the unit’s abilities as well as the possible tactics and the difficulty of coordination with other units. By considering the relationships among officers, players can form a more powerful army.

Additionally, players will find that “Conscript” impacts both domestic affairs and strategies. Throughout the game, soldiers will gradually increase each season based on the draft population, which is relative to the city’s population. If players wish to recruit soldier’s more quickly, they can select “Conscript” during parliament, but this will also lower the city’s public order. If the public order falls below a certain level, it may lead to unrest or rebellion, including penalties like being unable to “Conscript”. Besides the decision between military strength and city stability, this feature also adds depth in gameplay as player can apply new strategies like using schemes to lower the public order in an enemy city to block their conscription.  

In addition, players will be able to setup traps for incoming armies, utilize ambushes by placing armies out of the line of sight in areas such as forests or rocky terrains, and use defensive buildings such as “Watchtower”, “Gate”, and “Signal Tower”, each with unique effects on the defensive side of the battlefield. “Tactics” from Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII with Power Up Kit will also be significantly upgraded as categories will increase from 15 to over 40, while the effects of tactics will be revamped and the overall balance adjusted.

Battles also feature elements such as “Stratagem”, which have a wide-ranging impact, and “Link Forged” where friendly officers lead their units cooperatively. By combining these with features like “Troop Types” and “Tactics”, players can fight enemy armies more effectively. Particularly, officers with unique battle traits, like Guan Yu, can create dramatic scenarios where they wipe out tens of thousands of enemy troops by skillfully coming these elements, even allowing for legendary comebacks akin to the “Battle of Chibi”!

Combat in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake remains turn-based, just like the original title, but the system has been fundamentally restructured, the result of Kou Shibusawa’s 20 years of know-how since the launch of Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8. While the remake retains the key features of RTK8 -- simple rules that make it easy for beginners, a map that combines field and siege battles, and the use of terrain – the tempo and balance of the game have been greatly improved. With the addition of new features such as “Link Forged”, players will discover an easy-to-play yet highly tactical combat experience.

The events that color the drama between characters can be found in the new “Tales” feature. This feature will allow players to check the conditions, outcomes, and branching of different events, so they know how to trigger the ones they want or how to avoid other events altogether. Historical events as well as general events are displayed, so that even beginners can check the conditions when they are not sure what to do, helping guide them in their play.

In addition to events involving different officers, they will be linked through “Destiny” – the fate that connects two officers. There are two types of “Destiny”: “Symbiotic” and “Antagonistic”. “Symbiotic” makes it easier to have a good relationship with an officer, while “Antagonistic” makes it more likely to have a bad relationship. Depending on how players choose to progress, non-historically related characters can by linked by “Destiny”, and as relationships deepen, “Linked Forged” will occur in battles and missions, providing significant benefits.

To help players easily keep track of the relationships and “Destiny” of the officer they play, a new “Relationship Chart” feature has been added. With this feature, players will be able to keep tabs on rivals, good friends, or anyone deeply involved in their lives. By interacting and working with characters they are close to, players will obtain greater achievements and this will also contribute to the protagonist’s growth. As relationships deepen, it will lead to events that will become turning points in the officer’s life, such as sworn siblings, marriage, and child rearing. Relationships depicted in the chart are not only historical, but players will see them change dynamically depending on how the gameplay unfolds!

Romance Of The Three Kingdoms 8 Remake is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC (Steam) on October 24, 2024.