CPU officers will now actively guard against a larger majority of attacks, as well as against incoming arrows launched by the player while in bow mode or any other projectile attacks if they have their aggro attracted (as opposed to strafing diagonally towards their target like in the original Dynasty Warriors 4).
CPU playable officers can now occasionally use taunts to guard break.
Improved and tweaked enemy AI for higher difficulties, mainly for playable officers as opposed to generics on both the allied and enemy side:.
Ability reset is added back in, along with weapon reset being available, allowing the player to reset weapon levels and obtain unique ones all over again.
Duels will occur continuously while the AI becomes more adaptive and difficult each time.
One new challenge mode stage is added Arena Mode, where it takes place on a special sealed-off plateau built within Ru Nan Castle's central section.
The main goal in this mode is to survive as long as possible and conquer the other provinces.
Xtreme Mode, a mercenary-like adventure where anything goes, is introduced.
The same also applies to Level 10 weapons being obtainable in the same fashion. Sometimes, these are easier to achieve than the original requirements. Previous rare items can also be obtained by playing through specific Legend Modes.
Total weapon experience earned in a stage now appears in the results screen.
Elemental activation can also apply to True Musou attacks, but only for any non-physical portions such as quake stomps, beams and various other shockwaves.
Both Level 10 and Level 11 weapons can now be carried over into challenge mode as well as natural stat boosts from battlefield pickups, and can now activate elements without a full Musou bar for any non-physical attacks such as energy blasts, quakes and shockwaves.
Each one offers the maximum base power of 60 while having 4 items already attached to them, acting as the prior bonus attributes from the previous installment's weapon system.
Characters can now acquire Level 11 weapons by perfecting their own legend stage under the said Expert difficulty setting with specific requirements.
Expert setting causes all playable CPU officers to use their Level 10 weapons in battle by default, akin to the prior Xtreme Legends installment making all CPU officers wield 4th weapons by default in the same way.
Two new difficulty settings (Novice and Expert) are included in this game.
This trend continues with alterations in the following Xtreme Legends expansion.
The game introduces a new feature called Legend Mode.
Players can import previous versions of their characters in this game if they have an original Dynasty Warriors 4 disc. "True Three Kingdoms Unmatched 3: Fierce General Legends") is a spin-off of Dynasty Warriors 4. Dynasty Warriors 4 Xtreme Legends (真・三國無双3 猛将伝, Shin Sangoku Musou 3: Moushouden lit.