Now, Dynasty Warriors has real special place in my heart! Since I bought a second-hand copy of Dynasty Warriors 3 for PS2 I think I have had every iteration since! The games have been in existence since the year 2000 and rumour has it we are looking at a new version coming in 2020; Dynasty Warriors 10, or so I am guessing based on the fact Dynasty Warriors 9 was the last one. It was stumbling across the article here on Gematsu, that prompted this post today.
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I took a while to start this paragraph, as I struggled to decide how to introduce Dynasty Warriors in a way that gives it the credit I feel it so rightly deserves. Dynasty Warriors has a fantasy epic vibe to it, set in Ancient China, you fight for a chosen kingdom depending on the warrior you select. The game itself is a bit of a hack and slash, you could almost say button basher too, but I feel the balance is just right that your frantic button presses match some form of tactic and combo that keeps it on the right side of frantic combat. Frantic combat is what you get with Dynasty Warriors, expect to build up huge combos and kill counts as you fight your way through vast battlefields opting whether to play to strategy or eradicate the entire enemy force for victory.
Take a look at the screenshot below from Dynasty Warriors 9, the K.O count is over 2,000 here, with a chain of 149 K.Os in a row by the looks of it. The pure enjoyment of this kind of gaming battles in unreal. Take a look at the game quality as well here, the number of soldiers on screen, information it is detailing and scenery in the background. All of this one one screen really is something spectacular. I can honestly say, none of it feels like an overload, distraction or unnecessary. Sure, it feels somewhat over the top as you look at the sparks flying on the screen grab below, but seriously what a game it is to behold.
There are many version of the game available online, the latest iteration, Dynasty Warriors 9 moved to an open world style game, where you travel and seek adventure between battles. It is a fresh approach to the game, but does make for a time consuming experience while wanting to get to the good stuff (battles). Honestly, I would recommend looking at going back a version in the franchise and getting Dynasty Warriors 8, it is the last in the current releases that uses the format that is tried and tested over the many versions that have come before it.
There are a few versions of each number of Dynasty Warriors.
- Dynasty Warriors – Might as well call this the classic version of the game
- Dynasty Warriors Xtreme Legends – Offers more of a challenge to the games and further stories of legends (warriors)
- Dynasty Warriors Empires – A tactical and strategic branch of the game
I call this a lesser know game, but upon reading up on this game, the series has sold more than 21 million copies across the globe. So maybe it is more well-known than I thought!?
I should really give a shout out for the developers of these games Omega Force, and the publishers Koei Tecmo. As they are definitely reading this, honestly everyone, you’ve made an outstanding series of games! There is a website for the 20th anniversary of the game series if you want to read more as either a new intro to the games, or a seasoned fan! Find the site here.
Board & Video Games 