To change difficulty in Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered, go back to the main menu and open System, where Koei Tecmo says you “change the in-game settings, including difficulty and controls.” Pick the level you want, then start your next stage in Musou Mode or Free Mode: the new setting applies from that battle on, and your officer, items and weapons are untouched.
There are four levels: Easy, Normal, Hard and Chaos. Chaos is the remaster’s name for the old Xtreme Legends top tier, and below we cover what each one changes, which rewards are locked behind the harder settings, and the mix-up between Normal difficulty and “Normal Settings” that catches a lot of players. Every other guide for DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered is on our Dynasty Warriors hub.
Step-by-Step: How to Change Difficulty
- Finish your current battle. Set difficulty between stages. The game autosaves at the results screen, so you lose nothing by stopping after a win.
- Open System from the main menu. It sits with the other modes (Musou, Free, Challenge, VS and Camp). Koei Tecmo describes it as the place for settings “including difficulty and controls.”
- Change the difficulty setting to Easy, Normal, Hard or Chaos and back out to save it.
- Start your next stage. In Musou Mode, continue your officer’s story as normal; the next stage runs on the new setting. In Free Mode, the stage you pick uses it.
Musou Mode remembers your progress stage by stage, so you can drop to Easy for one stubborn battle and raise it again afterward. The Steam store page says difficulty can be changed in the free demo too.
Difficulty vs Normal Settings and Classic Settings
The System menu also holds a switch between Normal Settings and Classic Settings. That switch is not difficulty. Koei Tecmo says Classic Settings turns the remaster’s new features off in one step to play “closer to the original Dynasty Warriors 3,” while Normal Settings is the recommended default with the new features on. Our guide to what changed from the original lists those features.
In practice, Classic Settings plays harder at the same difficulty, because it removes tools like Evasion and Perfect Power Guard.
What Each Difficulty Level Changes
| Difficulty | Who it suits | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | New officers, story unlocks, first Musou runs | The gentlest setting and the quickest way through a story, since unlocks count on any difficulty |
| Normal | A fresh officer once you know the controls | The standard setting; growth items and weapons from Free Mode carry over, so a few Free Mode runs make Musou stories easier |
| Hard | Built-up officers, ideally with their fourth weapon | Fourth weapons drop only on Hard or higher, and the Guardian Deity achievement counts wins here |
| Chaos | Maxed officers chasing fifth weapons | Fifth weapons drop only here, and six hidden achievements need it |
The difficulty names Hard and Chaos come straight from the game’s own achievement list. Koei Tecmo has not published the exact numbers behind each level, so the table sticks to what each setting unlocks.
Which Rewards Need a Harder Difficulty
Most of the game does not care what difficulty you play on:
- Character unlocks work on any difficulty. That was true in the 2001 original and still holds in the remaster, so Easy is the fastest way through the roster. Our character unlock guide has the full list, and our Lu Bu guide covers the most popular one.
- Unique red items worked on any difficulty in the original, and Koei Tecmo has not announced a difficulty requirement for them in the remaster. Our item guide lists them.
A few things do need the higher settings:
- Fourth weapons: Hard or higher, and you have to be playing the officer whose weapon it is.
- Fifth weapons: Chaos only, again played as the officer who owns the weapon, and they are the main reason to play Chaos at all.
- Achievements: on Steam, “Guardian Deity” asks you to win 10 times on Hard or higher with all comrades still alive, and six hidden achievements need Chaos, including defeating Lu Bu at Hulao Gate on Chaos. Since fifth weapons only drop on Chaos, “Weapon Enthusiast” (obtain all weapons) needs it as well.
Tips Before You Raise the Difficulty
- Build the officer first. Raise Life, Musou, Attack and Defense with stat pickups, equip a fourth weapon, then try Chaos.
- Raise Defense. Stat pickups raise it, and high Defense is our pick before any Chaos run.
- Pick the right element. Our elements guide explains what each element does and how Weapon Fusion moves one onto the weapon you use most.
- Bring a second player. Koei Tecmo confirms offline split screen in Musou and Free Mode, and a second officer is our pick for Chaos. Our co-op guide covers how it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you change difficulty in Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered? Open System from the main menu and change the difficulty setting there, then start your next stage. Koei Tecmo lists difficulty among the System settings.
Can you change difficulty in the middle of Musou Mode? Between stages, yes. Musou Mode keeps your progress after each battle, so you can switch in System and continue the story on the new setting.
What is the hardest difficulty? Chaos. It replaces the old Xtreme Legends top level, and it is the only setting where fifth weapons drop.
Does difficulty affect character unlocks? No. Officers unlock on any difficulty, so Easy is the fastest way to work through the roster.
Is Normal Settings the same as Normal difficulty? No. Normal Settings and Classic Settings switch the remaster’s new features on or off. Difficulty is a separate option.
What difficulty do you need for fourth and fifth weapons? Fourth weapons need Hard or higher and fifth weapons need Chaos, played as the officer who owns the weapon.