Dynasty Warriors 6 (PS3)

The Dynasty Warriors series has been around for years. This latest instalment in the series is the first to be taken to a "next-gen" console. Unfortunately, the game itself is not so "next-gen". But let's not write it off there. I don't think anybody was expecting a truly spectacular game; people who have played previous games will know that the series is not renowned for its great graphics and polished looks. Despite this, the ...
...a wide range of characters, Dynasty Warriors gets a 10\10 replay value. All the characters can be used in 2-player or in Free mode, so don't think that you'll be missing out.

Each characters musou has 6 levels, chosen accordingly from a set of about 15. These levels can also be played from both of the fighting armies, providing more variation. The video cut-scenes have been made a lot better this time, and are fun to watch. They explain ... more

The Dynasty Warriors series has been around for years. This latest instalment in the series is the first to be taken to a "next-gen" console. Unfortunately, the game itself is not so "next-gen". But let's not write it off there. I don't think anybody was expecting a truly spectacular game; people who have played previous games will know that the series is not renowned for its great graphics and polished looks. Despite this, the game is definitely an improvement on the others and in my opinion, great fun.

Game play

Yes, fun. That's what the game is all about. Never mind the horribly bland environments and the repetitive game play; it is still somehow fun. Who knew that slaughtering hundreds of enemies could provide such enjoyment?

The controls are the same as ever. Bash square for your light attack, triangle for your heavy attack, and circle for your special (musou) attack. They've removed the bow and arrows from the last game, which won't be sorely missed. There has been some building on the last games. You can now swim and climb ladders. It's nothing to create new aspects of the game, but a nice attempt at it. Swimming is largely pointless, as there are so few places to get out of the water. The ability to climb ladders is slightly more effective; now castle and town gates can be sieged, but it's still no big move form the other games.

The new Renbu combat system, although one of the biggest alterations seems to make no difference either. An on-screen number counts your combo count. The bigger it is the stronger your attacks and more button combinations are unlocked. It makes things only slightly more interesting. Grapple moves, used by holding L2 and then pressing square or triangle, are cool to watch, and every character has unique ones. i, e: Zhang Fei pummelling his enemies on the head to the ground with his spear.

The ability to make your own characters has been removed; no big loss in my opinion, but now you can choose "skill points". Every time you level you can select one in your character's skill tree. They improve your stats and unlock new Renbu ranks...etc. It's an interesting concept, but it doesn't offer any character customisation. You unlock different weapons for your character, each with different abilities and upgrades (e.g., increased special attack damage) and the same goes for horses. You can now call your horse to you by pressing down on the control pad. It makes traversing the map a lot easier and quicker.

Asides from this, it's largely the same. You kill lots of enemies and officers and then move onto the enemy general. Each level has 3 targets, which range from taking a certain base or killing X number of units in X minutes. They offer experience points and weapons to your characters, but they aren't compulsory.

The enemy models have been improved. They actually attack you in this game, not like in the previous games where they just stood next to you, and the officers can sometimes prove a challenge to defeat. There is even some variation between the basic models, but you don't really notice when you are battering hundreds of enemies. Oh, and did I mention that packs of wild wolfs and tigers will also attack you?

Single player (Musou Mode)

There are 9 starting characters, each with a unique musou story. They are split up into the three dynasties, Wei, Shu and Wu. Completing musou modes or certain targets within levels will unlock more characters. About 40 characters are available to unlock, but only 18 are playable in musou mode. This is one of the games best features; with such a wide range of characters, Dynasty Warriors gets a 10\10 replay value. All the characters can be used in 2-player or in Free mode, so don't think that you'll be missing out.

Each characters musou has 6 levels, chosen accordingly from a set of about 15. These levels can also be played from both of the fighting armies, providing more variation. The video cut-scenes have been made a lot better this time, and are fun to watch. They explain the each characters story and motives. The game is based on the book, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and is based on factual Chinese history. So a good plot is there, but they don't portray it as …romantically as one might hope.

Graphics

The environments are as bland and basic as ever, but the character models do look quite nice in their 720p HD. The most annoying thing, and the game's biggest flaw, is that men will only appear when you are close to them. This can result in walking into a seemingly un-inhabited area, only to suddenly be swamped in an enemy platoon. It's unproffesional and annoying, but don't let it put you off.

Multiplayer and Online

Playing with a friend brings out the best in Dynasty Warriors. Trying to outdo your mate in the K.O department and racing to kill the enemy general is great. It also helps massivly on some of the more challenging levels. You can also combine your special attacks to create the super-duper special attack.

They game does feature online, but only for uploading and comparing score obtained on one of the 5 mini-games. They include killing as many enemies as you can in 8 minutes, and retrieving objects as fast as you can. The novelty wears out after the first couple of goes, and is worth staying clear of.

What I'm trying to say is...

I know that I've babbled a bit on this review, but only because I love the game. It's the same old, same old. My advice is that if you like the series, you would love this game. However if you have never liked Dynasty Warriors, this will not entice you. This game is not going to bring in newcomers, but will satisfy the current fan base.

Thanks for reading. 

...less