Dynasty Warriors 7 Review

Dynasty Warriors 7 Review
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Dynasty Warriors 7

Dynasty Warriors has been a hack and slash tactical game that had gained many fans due to its unique environment and for being based on the old Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It started out as a simple one on one fighting game before becoming a one player action game. Is Dynasty Warriors 7 just as fun as the previous titles?

Story (4 out of 5)

The story of Dynasty Warriors 7 involves the true history of the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. You can control over 30 characters each being from the regions Shu, Wei, Wu, and Jin, which were all involved in the battle. The story itself is an exact copy of what happened during these events when the Shu and Wei were fighting in 234, and was the last battle during the Northern Expeditions. Since there is no focal main character, you can choose between the enemy states and see their sides of the story.

Game Play (5 out of 5)

Dynasty Warriors 7 game play

This is the first game with the Jin kingdom added, making the character roster higher. The game plays just like the previous titles, where you must fight your way through hordes of enemies using your character weapon, which is usually a spear, sword, nun chucks, or a fan. The familiar Renbu system does not appear in this game, but a charging mode has been added which allows characters to give off a powerful attack when their charge is at max. They can also carry more weapons on the battlefield and change between different ones. Weapon and level development can now be done right in the heat of battle and not only at the mission complete screen.

There are even animals that you can have as helpers such as bears, horses, pandas, tigers, and falcons. Dynasty Warriors 7 definitely is more integrated than the 6th installment.

Controls (3 out of 5)

The controls are a breeze for anyone who has played one of these games or something similar. You can go two different routes, button mashing or carefully planning. The animation staggers here and there, but if you are not new to Koei games this is much expected. This game is a true hack and slash, so button mashing is a must, much like Koei’s Playstation 2 game Crimson Sea, where the levels all have one basic purpose; kill everything you see on the screen to advance. There are no tough control schemes so your fingers can relax, although you may want to take a break every now and then due to having to press buttons so much, it can be draining, especially since the game focuses so much on attacking.

Multiplayer (4 out of 5)

Dynasty Warriors 7 multiplayer

This game includes online multiplayer game play and co op which adds more fun to the table. The Conquest mode in which you can free roam China and create your own story works wonderfully when playing with other people. You can even join other players stories and fight your way through the levels they have made. Co op can make things easier, especially when you are having a tough time through the game’s story, you can work as a team of two and hack your way through imperial soldiers, even adding some strategy to your game play. For example while both of you are riding horses, one can go to the left and the other to the right, to keep the enemies at bay.

Graphics (4 out of 5)

Dynasty Warriors 7 graphics upclose

Dynasty Warriors has never been known for the best graphics, but this game still retains the bright and beautiful colors of the characters Three Kingdom style clothing and the backgrounds are also vivid with lots of space made for you to wander in. There are no dull color palettes and it is easily noticeable that they beefed up their graphics this time around. There could have been more cut scenes to show the story which would allow players to see the new updated graphics as a close up range. The only issue with this game is that the animation is a bit stiff and the frame rate is low.

Sound (4 out of 5)

Dynasty Warriors 7 game play

Dynasty Warriors 7 has an epic musical soundtrack to it. With some ancient Chinese sounds underlying it, there is also the loud banging of drums when you are in an intense battle. The music is definitely a focal point with this game, and the sound effects are realistic as well. Dynasty Warriors does however need some improvement with the voice acting, as it does take you away from the historical Chinese setting with some laughable dialog and speaking. It is not just because the accents are very American, but also because the tones are flat and they sound as if they have no interest as to what is going on.

Overall (4 out of 5)

Dynasty Warriors 7 is an action packed adventure game that brings some new elements into the series that does it some good. This game is for anyone who loves the series or someone who is curious about it. Dynasty Warriors seems to be getting better and better with each new game that comes out and this game is the cream of the crop with its exciting new Conquest mode and a variety of new moves to use against the vast amounts of enemies you will encounter.