This River City Saga Three Kingdoms Next review is played and tested on the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version is available for €/$ 29,99. The game is also available for PS4/PS5, and PC.
Three years after River City Saga: Three Kingdoms, Arc Systems has released a sequel to their Kunio-kun reenactment of the cultural and historical period-drama set in third-century China. This was when three kingdoms collectively ended the reign of the Han dynasty in what is now Eastern China. The sequel, titled River City Saga: Three Kingdoms NEXT, has a fittingly unassuming name that might feel a little on the nose for fans of the first game. Especially as iI might think that fans of the first probably were hoping for a Evolved or Improved monicker, instead.
The Kunio-kun series
If you’re not familiar with the Kunio-kun series, here’s a quick history lesson. The series began with Renegade (or Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun in Japan), a brawler that laid the foundation for dozens of games sharing a consistent visual style and quirky sense of humor. Even as consoles grew more advanced, the Kunio-kun games retained their pixelated charm, making them instantly recognizable.
Some entries made it to the West, such as the cult classic River City Ransom. However, the series truly flourished in Japan, spawning countless spin-offs. Whether it was dodgeball, soccer, or other sports, the games always featured Kunio, the tough but good-hearted protagonist, and his frenemy-turned-ally Rikki.
About a decade ago, Arc Systems acquired the rights to the Kunio-kun IP. Since then, they’ve released numerous remakes and re-releases, with results ranging from nostalgic hits to forgettable misses. River City Saga: Three Kingdoms, released three years ago, brought the series into a new setting—the 14th-century Chinese literary epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
A Return to ancient China
Both the original River City Saga and its sequel use the Kunio-kun cast to reenact Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This novel dramatizes the power struggle in third-century China as the Han dynasty fell, and factions like Wei, Shu, and Wu rose to prominence. The games loosely adapt the novel’s events, mirroring what the 1990 classic Downtown Special: Kunio-kun’s Historical Period Drama!, did with the Japanese Edo period, with the same Kunio-kun trademark gameplay.
Once again, Kunio steps into the role of Guan Yu, a righteous general in Liu Bei’s army. Familiar characters from the Kunio-kun universe appear as well, including Misako and Kyoko from River City Girls. They, along with many others, take on roles within the story, adding a quirky twist to the historical proceedings.
Beat-’em-up meets RPG
At its core, River City Saga: Three Kingdoms NEXT is an open-world beat-‘em-up with light RPG elements. Much like the original River City Ransom. The gameplay alternates between 2.5D combat and overworld exploration, where interacting with characters advances the plot. Key figures like Liu Bei, the benevolent ruler, and Zhuge Liang, the brilliant strategist, guide Guan Yu through battles and missions and through history.
Combat includes a mix of skirmishes with bandits (useful for grinding XP) and larger-scale battles inspired by historical events. After liberating a region or city, you can interact with NPCs, purchase food and power-ups, and level up your character. With each level, you earn points to power up your moves, such as grapples, flying kicks, and all other basic attacks. The upgrade system offers a moderate skill tree for each of these button-assigned moves, which is quite impressive.
Weapons are scattered across the battlefield and can be used for melee combat or thrown for ranged attacks. The combat itself is solid but doesn’t stray in any way from the formula established in the first game, which is a missed chance, in my opinion.
A story-heavy experience
Progression is bases on character interaction, initially revolving around the courthall of Lui Bei’s Castle where Zaghe Liang orders you around like a lap dog, throwing you into battle after battle. Much to Guan Yu’s dismay. Funny enough, Zaghe Liang’s character is portrait by Misako, Kunio’s girlfriend. This is a testament to River City Saga, both the first game, as well as this one, taking a light hearted take on the subject of this particular war and weaves as much of the trademark humor into the dialog as possible.
Don’t expect a deep dive into Chinese history. as said, the game’s storytelling is lighthearted and focuses on directing you from one battle to the next. While it sprinkles in some intrigue from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the sheer volume of dialogue can be overwhelming. If you’re not already familiar with the historical figures or places, the abundance of Chinese names might leave you feeling lost.
The pacing improves about halfway through the game, once most characters and locations have been introduced. However, as this is a direct sequel, NEXT assumes you’ve played the first game, which will definitely leave newcomers struggling to keep up.
What’s new in NEXT?
Disappointingly, NEXT does little to innovate beyond the first game. The most notable addition is the Red Hare bike, a tank-like ability in battles that feels wildly out of place in the historical setting. The engine, character models, and backdrops remain largely unchanged, with many assets reused from the original. Even the upgrade system offers few surprises, retaining overpowered abilities like the Mach Punch, which lets you clear entire screens early in the game.
That said, there are minor quality-of-life improvements. For example, fast travel is now free, making navigation less of a hassle.
Visuals and music: A mixed Bag
The game’s visuals are a blend of charming 2.5D cityscapes and less inspiring rural environments. Cities, particularly wealthier regions in the northwest, are depicted with grandeur, featuring lavish buildings that set them apart from other areas. Character portraits in dialogue sequences are beautifully drawn in the Kunio-kun anime style, capturing a range of emotions with flair.
The music, on the other hand, is hit-or-miss. The chiptune tracks, while energetic and appropriately Chinese-themed, suffer from repetition. Long play sessions can become grating, especially if you’re sharing the room with others. Don’t be surprised if someone asks, “Can you turn that noise down, please?”
While the first game covered events up to the Battle of the Red Cliffs, River City Saga: Three Kingdoms NEXT picks up where it left off, offering a near-identical experience. The combat and RPG mechanics are solid, but the game struggles to balance action and storytelling. With minimal innovation and an overreliance on dialogue, NEXT feels more like a continuation than a true evolution. Fans of the series will find plenty to enjoy, but newcomers might feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed—depending on their expectations.
The good
- Solid 'Kunio-kun'-style 2.5D Beat'em up action
- Nice semi-historical accurate story progression
The bad
- Too much dialogue between the action
- Not much innovation and evolvement from the first game
- power-ups still unbalanced
