The series's staple of providing a cinematic experience in Musou Mode began with this game; it is a severe contrast to the simple beat-em-up presentation from the previous title. Characters must now fight in stages vaguely synonymous to their Romance of the Three Kingdoms counterparts when they are selected within this mode. Most characters fight seven battles; Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian have ten stages. Pre-rendered cutscenes and filler battles are now included to fill in missing gaps between major stages.