The Dynasty Warriors franchise has been one of the most productive and well received in the hack and slash genre. The latest addition, Dynasty Warriors 7 adds a few notable differences; however does it finally make the proper leap to this generation? Or is it just another mediocre experience? Hit the break for our verdict.
It’s been a while since I’ve dived deep into a Dynasty Warriors title and frankly nothing much has changed. The graphics are unfortunately not up to par, though on the bright side the game runs remarkable well. While the character models and environments are nice and clean, they frankly don’t have enough polygons to look and feel organic. Robotic, is a term that most accurately describes Dynasty Warriors 7’s presentation. For a title that has a heavy focus on narrative the lack of polish in this area is problematic.
The audio also detracts from the overall presentation. The voice acting is laughably bad, but veterans of the series are already aware of this flaw. Tecmo KOEI was kind enough to make the Japanese voice acting available via downloadable content. There are some notable improvements to the presentation which include a more seamless transition between gameplay and cutscenes, however with the heavy emphasis on presentation this is a no-brainer. Those who forked out the cash for a 3D television will be pleased to know that Dynasty Warriors 7 features full stereoscopic 3D.
The Dynasty Warriors franchise has been wildly popular due in part to its combat system. While I’ve managed to find some enjoyment from the series, I can’t deny that it’s incredibly repetitive and really hasn’t evolved much in the last few years. Granted, Dynasty Warriors 7 does have some good improvements and initially there is some depth, however by and large you will be committing the same types of attacks. New to Dynasty Warriors 7 is the all-new dual weapon battle system. This system essentially allows players to combine any two weapons during battle. This addition adds a little more depth to a combat system that desperately needs it, but overall doesn’t pack a big enough punch to make much of a difference.
Dynasty Warriors 7 features an unbelievable amount of content. Fans of the series will no doubt be pleased. Personally my favorite addition to this iteration is the ‘Conquer the Nation’ game-mode. This mode allows players to take control of an officer as you clear occupied cities. After certain battles you can actually enter the city and create weapons, trade with merchants, or even request assistance from other warriors for future battles. This mode is relatively successful in part because the player actually feels like they are working for something, besides the typical progression in story. Online co-op has been included; however it’s poorly implemented, featuring lots of lag. This is a shame because it would have made the repetition a bit more bearable if you could at least adequately play with a friend.
Not a whole lot has changed over the years when it comes to the Dynasty Warriors franchise. It’s still a reliable journey even if it has been bogged down by repetition over the last several years. For fans of the series it’s an easy recommendation, however for those craving a journey a little bit more substantial it’s hard to recommend.
Score: 5.8/10
