Game: Dynasty Warriors 7
Publisher: Koei
Developer: Omega Force
Genre: Action/Hack and Slash
Price: $59.99
Verdict: A repetitive and bland game set in an interesting and dynamic world
Pros: Interesting setting. 60+ playable characters from 4 unique kingdoms. Panda Mounts (Yes, Panda Mounts).
Cons: Awful writing and voice acting make it hard to find the great story underneath. Repetitive combat.

Acquired via Publisher

If success was gauged by the the number of sequels a franchise gets, Dynasty Warriors would be up there with the best. There are seven core games, five expansions, and a free-to-play MMO. That doesn’t include the portable games or the Samurai, Gundam, and Legends of Troy spinoff series. For a series that hasn’t enjoyed much critical acclaim, there is certainly someone out there buying up these games.

Dynasty Warriors 7 is the latest iteration of the long running hack and slash series that takes place in China after the fall of the Han. This is known as the Three Kingdoms period because of the three major kingdoms which battled for control of China: Wei, Shu, and Wu. As in past games, players will control heroes from these kingdoms and battle their way through many famous battles that occurred.

In addition, Dynasty Warriors 7 includes the kingdom of Jin, a series first. This is significant because Jin is the Kingdom that eventually muscles out the other three and takes control of China. Past games ended at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains, which occurred before Jin’s formation. Various “other” heroes that didn’t belong in one of the major kingdoms are also in the game, but are not playable in the story mode.

Unlike past games, the Story Mode does not follow the story of an individual character. Instead, the story follows a kingdom. Each battle may feature a different character and sometimes a given battle will switch out the character you are playing after a certain event occurs. This takes some getting used to, as each character has their own unique weapons, combos, and skill trees. Every time you switch characters, you must check to make sure your best weapon is equipped and all your skill points have been allocated. Thankfully, skill points are given to every character in the kingdom in story mode, so you don’t start from scratch with every character change.

While jumping around between characters is a little awkward, it makes the four full campaigns in the story mode far more substantial. Between each battle there is a narrated cut-scene that details what is happening politically between the various factions. These have a very “History Channel” feel and are an effective way of telling the fascinating story of the time while the next stage is loading.

Once a stage has loaded, however, Dynasty Warrior 7‘s story telling abilities plummet. Most stages begin with your character standing in camp. You can wander around talking with NPCs, buy some weapons, and then talk to the designated person to start the stage. Talking with people is pointless, for the most part. There is some story to be told here, but the writing is terrible and the voice acting is worse. This is also true of the in battle messages you get from other officers. Seventy-five percent of the dialogue refers to your honor, bravery, or is the exact same one-liner your character spouts every time they defeat an enemy officer. You’ll quickly get sick of hearing, “Your bravery has a positive effect on our troops!”

Love it or hate it, combat is pretty much the same as its always been in a Dynasty Warriors game. You have normal attacks, strong attacks, and your charged Musou Attack. Combos are generated by tacking on a strong attack after several normal attacks and are pretty simple to pull off. Enemy infantry are easily dispatched of and serve more as a way to charge up your Musou gauge then to present a real threat. Named officers are the real enemy, and most of combat involves you seeking out and defeating them. This is where your Musou attack comes in handy, making you momentarily invulnerable as you cause a devastating attack to your foes.

This is pretty repetitive, but being a super warrior who cuts down hundreds of enemies in a battle can still be satisfying. If a simple hack and slash is what you want, then there is a lot of game to be had here. The four story modes are quite lengthy, and if that isn’t enough, Dynasty Warriors 7 also features a conquest mode that will take you a while to complete.

Conquest Mode will let you conquer China in a grid based system. Each node is a new battle and you can conquer any node adjacent to a node you already control. There is a story here, too, although it is more like encountering characters in a Civilization game instead of the Three Kingdoms story. You can build relationships with other officers so that they will assist you in battle. Of course, once you conquer a node, no one will try to take it back from you, so this isn’t a strategy sim.

While in Conquest Mode, you can pick any character you want as long as you have already unlocked them. You can use that character in most battles, but some nodes are character specific. These “legendary battles” will serve as side stories and are a fast track to building relationships with other officers. Other nodes will allow you to unlock rare character specific weapons or guardian animals. Conquest Mode also allows for bringing along a friend, either split screen or online.

Dynasty Warriors 7 is a simple game set in a complex and interesting world. If you are a gamer that enjoys complex gameplay, then this probably isn’t for you. If you can forgive the unimaginative gameplay and find yourself drawn in to the world that Dynasty Warriors 7 exists in then you will be much more satisfied. Koei seems to understand this and includes an encyclopedia in every Dynasty Warriors game.

The encyclopedia includes time lines as well as entries for every officer and battle, whether they are playable in the game or not. While not appealing to many gamers, I have found myself browsing it from time to time. While a given officer may quickly fall before you in-game, it is neat to look them up after the battle and learn a bit more about their role in history. Of course, that is also extremely nerdy and not for most people.

Dynasty Warriors 7 certainly has a more limited appeal. The game is set in an exciting and dynamic time in China’s history, but it has a hard time telling that story outside of the cut scenes between battles. The combat system is easy to master, but it becomes repetitive and stale after a while. Fans of the series with find this worthwhile, but if you haven’t enjoyed past games, then it won’t change your mind. If you are at all interested in the series, then I would recommend trying it, although perhaps not at its initial $60 price tag.

GrE Grade: C

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