Raiders of Valhalla
Raiders of Valhalla
Game
Game2022
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms
Developer Arc System Works
Kunio, the beloved hot-blooded renegade, is back to wreak havoc in the world of the Three Kingdoms! The characters take on the roles of famous generals for a game packed with wild action. From the Steam store page
66 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 24, 2026 · last updated Oct 24, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
81
LovedLoved
34 positive · 8 negative
95% range 67–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 34 | 8 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Positive
36 of 45 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
81% recommend · 35 yes, 8 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 43 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (205 of 286 positive).
Players praise the game as a charming and fun beat-em-up that blends classic River City gameplay with the Three Kingdoms story. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game has a slow start, repetitive early gameplay, and requires grinding. [4][5][6] A few players report controller issues, especially with keyboard and mouse or gamepad compatibility. [7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [15]
Pretty big disappointment. A lot of yapping, very little punching. Seriously, 1 playable character in story mode...? At least in 1989 you could get a guy with a different colored shirt. Pretty much just a re-skin of RC Rival Showdown...which was also not a great game. They're doing sequels and reboots the wrong way around; to be successful at that, you change the appearance, not the formula. They've been keeping the …
- [1]
Absolutely love it - the retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story with Kunio characters is adorable and hilarious, controls are great, there's tons of moves, and it's a pretty sizable game. Runs great on steam deck!
- [16]
The best Kunio game that's come out in a long time (not a high bar). It's Basically a modernized and more story-based take on Downtown Special, but lacking a lot of what you might expect if you'd played that. There's no fun interactions like riding on carts or other players. Local co-op is pretty weak as player 2 is just a clone of player 1 in terms of stats and moves, and can never switch characters... not sure if …
- [3]
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is a vibrant and engaging beat-’em-up that blends the classic River City franchise’s charm with the epic narrative and characters of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The game successfully captures the nostalgic side-scrolling brawler gameplay that longtime fans adore while infusing it with fresh elements that help it stand out in a crowded genre. With its colorful pixel …
- [2]
I've loved river city ransom and games like it since I was a kid. I've also loved dynasty warriors. It strikes a nice balance between the two and I really enjoy it. If you know nothing about what to expect, its a side scroller beat-em up heavily focused on character customization where you can spend money to buy food power ups and level up to specialize in various fighting styles.(punch, kick, throwing, and …
Summarised from 34 of the 67 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms sits at 81% positive across 42 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 66 · most liked first📢OUR STEAM AUTUMN SALE IS LIVE! 🍂 Act now and get a ton of our titles at a massive discount! Includes: - GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Base Game 50% off✅ - BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle - 75% off✅ - River City Saga: Three Kingdoms - 50% off✅ AND MORE! Sale Page Here⬇️ store.steampowered.com/publisher/ar...
neutral · AI labelView post →Get ready for the first #RiverCity Roguelite Action Game! 🔥 "River City Saga: Journey to the West" releases June 4th on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Steam! 💪
neutral · AI labelView post →Absolutely love it - the retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story with Kunio characters is adorable and hilarious, controls are great, there's tons of moves, and it's a pretty sizable game. Runs great on steam deck!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PSA: Controller problems? enable steam controller global override and they go away. there's really something weird about long-time Japanese developers slowly forgetting how to make their own flagship title as programmers retire and new blood get less done with every iteration. Aesthetically, and as a spiritual successor to the Downtown Nekketsu games that involved period piece parody, this Three Kingdoms game is cute and on-point. The retro look is amped up by simple 3D landscapes and the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"River City Saga: Journey to the West" has officially released!🎉 Experience a fast-paced, comedic and action-packed roguelite game where all of the playable characters are Kunio! 👊 Master your techniques, try out different skills and power-up with each run! 💪
neutral · AI labelView post →I've loved river city ransom and games like it since I was a kid. I've also loved dynasty warriors. It strikes a nice balance between the two and I really enjoy it. If you know nothing about what to expect, its a side scroller beat-em up heavily focused on character customization where you can spend money to buy food power ups and level up to specialize in various fighting styles.(punch, kick, throwing, and weapons). You also get scrolls to give yourself tons of special moves for every…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bland and boring compared to the rest of the Kunio I've played.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty big disappointment. A lot of yapping, very little punching. Seriously, 1 playable character in story mode...? At least in 1989 you could get a guy with a different colored shirt. Pretty much just a re-skin of RC Rival Showdown...which was also not a great game. They're doing sequels and reboots the wrong way around; to be successful at that, you change the appearance, not the formula. They've been keeping the aesthetic, but sucking everything out of it that made the original great.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you liked Rival Showdown on the 3DS, this one plays very similarly to that alongside the other historical games in the series
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →playthrough with all routes here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAFtZ4pMPIc6fj0564LK_v8HPLwUaT4P9 I haven't played River City Ransom in over 20 years, but I see Three Kingdoms and I buy this was a legit nostalgia trip and so far it's a blast. It seems like they fixed the controller too because I didn't change anything from what i tried before and it works now so glad they're working on the game. I love the special moves so far as well the tactic cut scenes are siiiiiiiiiiick. Some cut…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →River City Saga: Journey to the West launches June 4. Roguelite action game River City Saga: Journey to the West will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam on June 4 for $19.99 / 2,970 yen, publisher Arc System Works and developer UnitePlus announced.
neutral · AI labelView post →The best Kunio game that's come out in a long time (not a high bar). It's Basically a modernized and more story-based take on Downtown Special, but lacking a lot of what you might expect if you'd played that. There's no fun interactions like riding on carts or other players. Local co-op is pretty weak as player 2 is just a clone of player 1 in terms of stats and moves, and can never switch characters... not sure if Online is different. The general gameplay could have felt snappier and more…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros - All characters from Nekketsu series - Best girls are also in the game, Misuzu, Hasebe, Mami, Misako, Kyoko, and Madoka sensei. - Good stories. Funny characters. - Map system is good. Can travel across ancient China on foot. A lot of exploration and challenging side quests. - Beautiful graphics. Very colorful. - The music is really good here. Hopefully Arc System Works will use them in future Kunio games. - Feels like reading/watching Wuxia series. Cons - Very big game. Sometimes its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →River City Saga: Journey to the West was interesting enough. I don't really like how the roguelike gameplay loop interacts with beatemups as a genre, but what do you do? Well, what you do is find a 2 upgrade interaction that completely breaks the game.
neutral · AI labelView post →As fellow Technōs Japan Corporation enjoyer and a fan, this game was a must-have must-play on my list since it was released. Bought at full price, do not regret. Had solid 50 hours of fun, in nostalgia sauce as well as some modern tweak. Once again, You take the role of Kunio (Alex/Crash, whatever weirdos) and in case of second player Sonokawa, who respectively play role of Guan Yu (God of War) and Zhou Cang. During 6 chapters, You will follow a story in a period between Yellow Turban…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →worst thing ever if you have a keyboard and mouse . no explanation of the controls or what buttons to push . incredibly annoying . not recommended even for river city ransom fans.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great, fun and addictive. This one starts out kinda slow and the overall gameplay is grindy. However, once you start unlocking the special moves the fun really intensifies. NB: This game is more like the classic NES RCR games and not like River City Girls, so the combat is a little more simplistic but the level designs on this one are amazing, and more complex than the ones on RCG. It's a beautiful game that uses 3d assets and 2d sprites, and the world is very big. Modern combat mechanics…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next 'Game Introduction' trailer www.gematsu.com/2024/07/rive...
neutral · AI labelView post →First gameplay trailer of River City Saga: Journey to the West. As [reported by Gematsu](https://www.gematsu.com/2026/01/river-city-saga-journey-to-the-west-announced-for-ps5-switch-and-pc): Arc System Works has confirmed to Gematsu the official English title is River City Saga: Journey to the West as initially guessed.
neutral · AI labelView post →Last week I said I missed couch multiplayer of Mario Kart. Well, I had the chance to play **Mario Kart World** with 2 other people that weekend. It's so much fun! It's a whole different experience and I wish I could do it more often. We also played some **Marvel: Cosmic Invasion**, something less competitive to make up for all the shells and other items in Mario Kart. I keep playing **Star Fox**, already done all the routes I think. I've definitely been to all the stages. I also played some…
neutral · AI labelView post →River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is a vibrant and engaging beat-’em-up that blends the classic River City franchise’s charm with the epic narrative and characters of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The game successfully captures the nostalgic side-scrolling brawler gameplay that longtime fans adore while infusing it with fresh elements that help it stand out in a crowded genre. With its colorful pixel art, energetic combat, and a surprisingly deep storyline, it manages to appeal…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →wheres my sauna
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the great things about Dynasty Warriors is that each chapter led up to a climactic battle. Would that game have been nearly as fun if all the major fights happened off-screen? Of course not. That's what drags this game down. It's all jobber fights and fetch quests with barely any payoff. There are some boss fights but they're in weird spots and not that different from all the other battles. Get River City Girls instead. That game has much better pacing and the boss fights are…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The River City Saga: Three Kingdoms game is getting a sequel titled River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next on November 7.
neutral · AI labelView post →Gamepads dont work on this game Conroller no go, not even in big pic mode, not by turning on or off the various gamepad suport in options. bummer. refumd pending, head scratcher because this is a switch game, they had to code controller into game but steam version nope.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So a buddy of mine got me this game to try out for myself as I just finished this in Let's Play format. I have to say for a series that has underwent so many regional changes in the span of 35 years, it has kept its charm from back in the Famicom days when it under the Technos banner. Story-wise, it's a Kunio version of the retelling of the Sangokushi era or what we know it better as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It spans across 6 chapters and goes all around the map as in classic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A blast from the past! Overall, a charming 2D beat-em-up with great music and cool references to past titles and other beat-em-up series like Double Dragon. Early on, the gameplay is a bit repetitive and a lot of grinding is required... but leveling up your character with new moves and combos becomes fun and even addicting. The "Bonus Mode" (China Heroes) is a nice diversion from the main game and lets you select a bunch of different characters, including the heroes from River City Girls and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't had much time to play recently. But since last time I posted, I finished **River City Saga: Three Kingdoms**. I got the sequel, "Next", but I'm saving it to play later. I played and finished **Earthworm Jim 2** on Nintendo Online SNES. This game has amazing style, graphics and silly funny stuff. But the game play is sometimes not great and it becomes pretty hard. I wouldn't had had the patience to finish it without the rewind and save states on Nintendo Online I think. The puppy…
positive · AI labelView post →I kept playing **River City Saga: Three Kingdoms**. I finished a couple of chapters and got some really cool powerups. I hope to finish the main story before I get the sequel. Seeing [the sad news about Kazuo Sawa](https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/02/kunio-kun-and-river-city-ransom-composer-kazuo-sawa-has-passed-away) made me nostalgic for the classic Kunio-Kun games. The music in these games is amazing and some of these tunes are burned into my memory. I booted up **Double Dragon &…
positive · AI labelView post →I recently played **Donkey Kong Country Returns HD** on the Switch 2 to check out the latest updates. I almost instantly remembered why I abandoned it 🤣 I was on the last world (I think), and it just feels unfairly difficult, and I never really clicked with the feel of the controller. So I don't know if I'll come back to it with more patience at some point or what. Never made it that far in Tropical Freeze. Today is the 35th anniversary of the first introduction of **Street Fighter II** to…
neutral · AI labelView post →This game was a blast! I had a lot of fun with it lol! A pure combo party. My recommendations: Pick moves that are fun to yourself. Pick your moves that are like the play style you would enjoy in 2D fighting games. I chose moves that allow fun combos and juggling seamlessly for example. There are a lot of ways to build out your character to play in a way you enjoy. Trial and error. Read those descriptions for the moves before you buy them early on. Skip most of the story!!! Seriously, it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was shocked to see Arc Systems rerelease of the classic NES game Crash and the Boys, which is part of the River City Saga. You have Aero the Acro-Bat and Cyber Citizen Shockman titles there too, all the Jallecole rereleases. It seems like you are targeting indie and classic games.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'd recommend starting with **River City: Rival Showdown**. It came out originally on 3DS and remastered for the Switch. I haven't played it on the Switch, but it's probably the closest to the original, but being new-ish. In case you want to try it out, the original **River City Ransom** is on Nintendo Online NES (and can also be bought on the eshop 🙈) and if I recall correctly it can be finished in a couple of hours. **River City Girls** is in the same universe and has some of the same RPG…
neutral · AI labelView post →I like the game, but I am absolutely sick and tired of the same'ol Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I wish they'd visit other historical periods with the same concept.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a great game. Fun action and stupid funny. A must for River City Ransom fans and Three Kingdoms fans.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite fun romp with stat customization and lots of special moves to play with. The combat isn't the most elegantly designed but it's still a good time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved it. Please give us more Kunio games!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes! I've always been a big fan of the Kunio/River City/Downtown Nekketsu series, ever since the NES days. Back in the SNES era, it bothered me how none of those games were ported to the US. Finally, after a long time, the series is getting western releases. I've played all the ones released on 3DS and Steam (even underground, which has nothing to do with the original Japanese plot) so far and I hope they continue to get released. Also played many of the ones we missed in the west for famicom,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classic RCR gameplay with updated backgrounds and area maps. Delightful.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of beat em ups or the River City games in general. It has great gameplay, great story, the bonus ChinaBattle mode is really fun, the graphics look great, it has great online co-op, and it has a ton of replay value to it! The only negative I'll give the game is that the platforming sections are kind of jank and slightly annoying. other than that its a great game and it has my seal of approval!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Roguelite action game River City Saga: Journey to the West will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam on June 4 for $19.99 / 2,970 yen, publisher Arc System Works and developer UnitePl…
neutral · AI labelView post →Great River City game. Fun combat.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so bad I refunded it without even completing chapter 1.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎮 Ever wondered what happens when River City characters clash in the Three Kingdoms era? 🌟 Get ready for a wild game introduction like never before! Vtuber trailer reaction to River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next - Game Introduction #Vtubers #VtuberEn #rivercity
neutral · AI labelView post →Decent game with a trash save system. lost 3 hrs of progress by exiting early. Refund requested.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How did you get yourself here? What are you looking at? What am I doing with my life? This is a NES era Action RPG Beat Em Up. It's part of River City Ransom that is a video game genre all on its own IMO. It's GREAT. Let's you play the game the way you want with stat customizing, loot, items, and special moves. Why is a $10 looking game $30? Because it has a lot of content, not just the length of the game but the variety of stuff you can do. Worth the time and money.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The new Kunio game, River City Saga Journey to the West has chargeable death farts... Welcome back Boogerman
neutral · AI labelView post →New import Video Game pre-orders at VGP https://buff.ly/BC7zwge #ad - River City Saga: Journey to the West - eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT 2026 - CRYMELIGHT - Kugayama Shiori's Death Diary - HYKE: Northern Light(s) $75+ free shipping
neutral · AI labelView post →Arc System Works has confirmed that #RiverCitySaga: Journey to the West launches June 4, 2026 on #Nintendo Switch for $19.99. https://www.nineinchsandwich.com/2026/04/28/river-city-saga-journey-to-the-west-has-a-release-date-june-4-on-switch/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social
neutral · AI labelView post →📰 **River City Saga: Journey to the West launches June 4** Roguelite action game River City Saga: Journey to the West will launch for PlayStation 5, … Source 📰 Source: Gematsu 🔗 Link: https://www.gematsu.com/2026/04/river-city-saga-journey-to-the-west-launches-june-4
neutral · AI labelView post →Rumbling to the red cliff! Ever heard of the River City franchise? No? Well, neither have I. But it turned out to be a long-lived beat-em-up adventure franchise that even branched out to a Saga spin-off and has two titles retell the Chinese novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". RCS: Three Kingdoms tells the first part of the novel (from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Battle of Red Cliff). The Kunio characters play the roles of the historical people and add their own flair to the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got to play the game once. Then loaded it a second time and got stuck at a "New galleries unlocked" screen that I could not get past. I love the River City games from NES. But if I cant play it due to a prompt at the beginning of the game, then why even get it? Controller usage is very clunky. I'm 44 and raised with Keyboard and mouse supremacy, but its painful on these types of games. The configuration screen might as well be from the NES game as its outdated and useless to fix screen…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're a fan of the River City Ransom series you'll like this game. Plenty of action and quests to do.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like both River city and three kingdoms this is a game absolutely made for you, otherwise don't bother. It's pretty niche.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great time and fun for ppl who know what River City is bout
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pulling myself away from “River City Saga Three Kingdoms Next” to check the Double Dragon DLC for River City Girls 2? I’m super excited to jump into this! The Game Grumps being the voices is icing on the cake @wayforward.bsky.social #rivercitygirls #gamegrumps #doubledragon
positive · AI labelView post →River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next "Game Introduction" Trailer: https://gonintendo.com/contents/40515-river-city-saga-three-kingdoms-next-game-introduction-trailer The beginnings of barf
neutral · AI labelView post →Anjel Plays #RiverCitySaga: Three Kingdoms For Fun and Profit - https://youtu.be/ahVDdDzc0Kc
neutral · AI labelView post →Random Game from the Collection #541 River City Saga: Three Kingdoms for Switch I've developed an interest in the entire Kunio Kun series, and especially love the beat 'em ups. I haven't played this one yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Anyone played this?
neutral · AI labelView post →can you guys do Sengoku era RCR? imagine Kobayashi as Oda Nobunaga. Yamada as Ishida Mitsunari Kunio as Tadakatsu Honda, Riki as Hanzo, Gouda as Tokugawa omg just thinking about this is making me want this game. but yeah I had fun playing this. and the new RCR that came out, rival showdown.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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