River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next Release Date Set for Beat ’Em Up

Publisher Arc System Works revealed River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next’s release date with a trailer on Thursday. A sequel to the 2022 game, the side-scrolling beat ‘em up lets players brawl their way across ancient China this fall.

When is the River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next’s release date?

River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next releases on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch on November 7. The new game picks up where its predecessor left off, with protagonist Kunio wandering feudal China as the historical Guan Yu. However, unlike Arc System Works’ other games set in ancient China, River City Saga is more comedic than serious. This is perfectly showcased by a moment from the trailer where Kunio jumps on a motorcycle to plow through enemy soldiers.

River City is a long-running series of side-scrolling beat ‘em ups, not all of which were released in the US. The franchise spawned multiple spin-off series, including River City Saga: Three Kingdoms and River City Girls.

In the Three Kingdoms games, Kunio and other River City characters play the roles of figures from third-century China. Kunio’s Guan Yu, for example, was a general who served the Han Dynasty during and after the empire’s breakup. River City Girls protagonist, Misako, appears as a gender-flipped version of the historical statesman and general Zhuge Liang. Meanwhile, recurring River City antagonist Yamada steps into the armor of the warlord Cao Cao.