| The "Dynasty Warriors" series is perhaps unique in | | | | or two while you start to level up your character, |
| continuing to release new games while getting, if | | | | and after you've won those, unifying the entirety |
| anything, worse with each sequel. The series was | | | | of China quickly becomes tedious. Once your |
| never especially brilliant, simply a satisfying | | | | character has been leveled up to a reasonable |
| beat-em-up with an interesting and expansive | | | | degree, every battle becomes a simple charge |
| storyline plucked from Chinese literature. Yet as | | | | through a couple of bases and the main camp. |
| time has gone on, the series has not added really | | | | Enemy kingdoms slowly gain more officers and |
| anything into the mix, and even the graphics | | | | troops, but not nearly at the rate the player |
| haven't noticeably improved to the level you'd | | | | does, and the player's character becomes nearly |
| expect. But does "Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires" | | | | invincible after some development. |
| buck that trend? | | | | Trying out all the different characters is |
| "Dynasty Warriors" is based off of the famous (in | | | | somewhat interesting, but the amount of tedium |
| China, anyway) historical novel, "Romance of the | | | | it takes to conquer China discourages this. You |
| Three Kingdoms," set in second and third century | | | | spend so long finishing one game, that trying out |
| China, as the Han Dynasty collapses. Three | | | | different rulers really isn't worth it. There's not |
| kingdoms, Wu, Wei, and Shu, eventually came to | | | | much flavor to the different officers, either, you |
| split the land, in a rather long stalemate. The | | | | really just do the same thing over and over. |
| novel, 2000 pages long in its unabridged English | | | | The "Dynasty Warriors" series has only gotten |
| form, eventually ends as China is unified again | | | | worse over the years, and yet people continue to |
| under a new dynasty, which unfortunately is well | | | | play it. The character design is significantly lamer, |
| after the video games stop taking any interest in | | | | the voice actors are pathetic, and the list of |
| the outcome. Players control their character, using | | | | playable characters has actually contracted! Fans |
| swordplay and quasi-magical powers to wipe out | | | | of Da Qiao, Zhu Rong, Zuo Ci, Xing Cai, Pang De, |
| enemy armies, taking individual bases until | | | | and Jiang Wei will all find that "Dynasty Warriors 6: |
| eventually defeating the enemy commander. The | | | | Empires" has taken out their characters! Given |
| basic gameplay is extremely repetitive, and yet | | | | that for a long time, this was the only way each |
| oddly compelling, at its best. | | | | game was clearly better than the last, it's a |
| The "Empires" series of "Dynasty Warriors" | | | | confusing move to make. |
| games are spinoffs that add in a thin layer of | | | | So, what keeps people coming back? The story |
| grand strategy on top of the beat-em-up | | | | behind it all is so beloved by those who are fans |
| gameplay. Rather than playing through the familiar | | | | of the series, that some of them will keep coming |
| storylines, you can pick a ruler or officer and | | | | back for the same punishingly tedious gameplay. |
| choose which territories to attack, with the | | | | "Empires" doesn't change that. If you don't love |
| eventual goal being to unite China under one | | | | the story by now, you probably won't find the |
| banner. Special cards tied to either a random draw | | | | game enjoyable. There aren't many interesting |
| or the officers a ruler controls give you some | | | | choices to make, and you'll find yourself repeating |
| vaguely interesting choices, attempting to | | | | the exact same motions again and again. But |
| maximize the number of troops you can bring | | | | Three Kingdoms fans, myself included, are forced |
| into your next battle. | | | | to keep hoping, playing each game in turn thinking |
| The major problem with this formula is the | | | | this one will finally turn the series around. "Dynasty |
| excessively static difficulty level. You start off | | | | Warriors 6: Empires" is not that game. |
| every campaign you attempt with a tough battle | | | | |