Kessen III

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Koei
  • Release Date: Feb 22, 2005
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
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  1. Liut7gU.
    Jan 3, 2005
    10
    It's the best game i have played yet.
  2. Wahyu
    Mar 12, 2005
    7
    This is good for dynasty/samurai warriors fan.
  3. MitchellD.
    Mar 5, 2005
    8
    It's not what I expected, but it's good in a different way.
  4. BrentE.
    Apr 7, 2005
    10
    This game is like crack.
  5. Flamers1500
    Nov 18, 2005
    10
    A brilliant game the best in its class.
  6. AngryApplePie
    Oct 4, 2020
    9
    I dont even know why this game is so fun to me. If you watch any playthroughs it really doesnt seem like anything that special but for some reason playing it is just so much fun.
  7. Zegram
    Jun 20, 2014
    9
    Kessen III is a must buy for every RTS fan.

    Pros: Interesting story set in Feudal Japan based on historical facts with a couple of twists. Wide variety of entertaining and memorable characters. Fun and solid gameplay. Combat is engaging and the difficulty ramps up perfectly as you progress. Lots of character customization. New game + that's actually worth playing. Solid graphics.    Kessen III is a must buy for every RTS fan.

    Pros:
    Interesting story set in Feudal Japan based on historical facts with a couple of twists.
    Wide variety of entertaining and memorable characters.
    Fun and solid gameplay. Combat is engaging and the difficulty ramps up perfectly as you progress.
    Lots of character customization.
    New game + that's actually worth playing.
    Solid graphics.
    Great soundtrack and voice acting.
    Provides actual historical information about pretty much everyone you see on screen.

    Cons:
    Combat might get repetitive after awhile. This due to the more action oriented approach in comparison to the previous, more tactical Kessen games.
    Optional recruitable officers tend to look similar to each other.    … Expand
  8. MrDavidBen
    Sep 13, 2014
    8
    Koei have a tendancy to bring out some rather impressive games and Kessen III is one of them, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the game and have done a number of times trying out different generals and combinations as well as replaying to find the generals who you need to go out of your way to find and recruit to your cause.

    The game has an actiony-rts kind of feel to it forsaking the usual    Koei have a tendancy to bring out some rather impressive games and Kessen III is one of them, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the game and have done a number of times trying out different generals and combinations as well as replaying to find the generals who you need to go out of your way to find and recruit to your cause.

    The game has an actiony-rts kind of feel to it forsaking the usual aerial view and mouse controls for more action orientated commands made for a controller. With the ability to control your units and attach support units such as stone-throwers and archers to co-ordinate attacks with.

    It lacks the military strategy depth of games like Total War but in that it makes the game very accessible.

    The plot is an interesting adaptation of the tale of Nobunaga Oda, refreshingly painting him as a heroic character as opposed to the Demon King most fan are used to. The story follows his rise in an attempt to unify Japan along with his good friends and generals. The game includes notable battles for the Sengoku Era which you must overcome to advance in the story.

    A wealth of interesting characters both allied and enemies make scenes and encounters varied, the gameplay at times can feel a bit repetitive but the experience and variety of landscapes and findable items/treasures can make up for that.

    A very good game from Koei and in my opinion it is probably the best entry in the Kessen series for the experience and atmosphere alone.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Best PS2 Game of 2005
53
#53 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Siliconera
    85
    The good mix of action, planning and jaw dropping visuals in Kessen 3 will please the majority of gamers out there. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    80
    The strategy and the action mix well together and manage to make a cohesive whole. That's not easy to do and for that Kessen III is very successful.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    78
    This series is close to breaking through, it only needs to tighten up and refine its core elements (as well as expand its linear strucure) to stand out. [March 2005, p.130]
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