There are many enhancements and new features. First, RtK 3 places a much stronger emphasis on tactical battles. The game debuts the attractive isometric view of the battlefield, which makes commanding your army more exciting. It also introduces new units such as crossbow, strong crossbow, and cavalry. The size of castles is more realistic in the isometric view, and you can actually position the units inside of them if you are defending against an invasion. Capital Cities such as Luoyang and Xu Chang have bigger castles compared to other towns, spanning almost the entire screen. This makes it more difficult to capture these cities. There are also several new tactics, such as ambushing and pitholes if an advisor is present in the battle.

On the downside, the game is much easier than RTK if you have intelligent advisors (with 95 or above intelligence score). This is because their tips are so accurate that you have a good chance of winning if you just blindly do what they say. Still, longer and more involved tactical battles help lengthen the game, especially in late stages when you are trying to break down the last strongholds.

Overall, RTK 3 is a fine sequel to a great series. Attractive VGA graphics and great soundtrack help bring medieval China to life. To prevent the game from ending too soon, though, play as a custom character instead and don't ask for advice from your advisors. Thumbs up!