Overview
Like its predecessors, Dynasty Warriors' are welcomed like kings in the land of the rising sun. Some will evoke the fact that this beat 'em all enjoys an irreproachable achievement in all areas. In contrast, others will more specifically produce an incredible historical immersion and a somewhat sustained battle rhythm. It is undoubtedly this second reason which can still explain the success of Koei's game, as the realization of this Dynasty Warriors 5 is far, very far, from being free of defects. But before we delve into this area, many other elements must be analyzed.
Dynasty Warriors 5 offers you once again to take part in the Three Kingdoms' War right in the middle of medieval China in the third century. What else can be said except that you will have to win all the battles to save your own and impose your strength in the face of hordes of enemies. If we go into a little more detail, this represents a good fifty characters and about twenty different missions, which can be replayed with each character differently.
Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires, therefore, offers a considerable lifespan. Thus, the Musou mode has given way to the Empires mode where the player can choose to chain scripted missions or create his own empire by the sword's force.
Gameplay
It all starts with creating your character, with many customizable options that will allow you to make the hero of your dreams. After the character's physical creation, you can choose your fighting style and embark on the adventure. The concept of Empires is much more complicated than the simple hack & slash of Musou mode. Here, you have to create your empire, develop it and manage it. So you start by ruling a small province that will grow by the force of the sword. In addition to fighting, you will have to enlist recruits with the money earned in battles, train your soldiers by buying new fighting techniques, manage political relations with neighbouring kingdoms, create alliances, calm the people, plan your assaults, etc. As you progress, your kingdom will grow, and you will face more and more battles and management phases. Overall, you will have to attack the enemy and defend its territories simultaneously. Of course, a defenceless territory will be very vulnerable, so it is essential to cover its rear by leaving men behind.
The battle patterns are markedly different from those of Dynasty Warriors 5. In DW 5, all you had to do was to go out there and hit as many enemies as possible very hard. Here, you have to place your troops on the map, improve your generals, and arrange them so that the battle turns to your advantage.
In addition to these new features, Empires also offers a simple orders system that will allow you to cover several fronts at once. And to turn the balance a little more in your favour, you'll be able to use special attacks coupled with natural disasters that will ravage the enemy ranks.
Therefore, there are many new features compared to the original version of the game, which of course keeps all its fun and simplicity. As said at the beginning of this review, you have to face thousands of enemies, which is still very enjoyable. It's a lot of fun to chain combos and kill 5 or even 10 enemies in one decisive move. The game's pleasure is even more present when you realize that you evolve in levels with a very satisfying depth of field.
Graphics & Sound
Despite a real pleasure of play and many improvements in terms of possibilities, Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires keeps the series's many recurring flaws. Starting with the game's soundtrack, composed of English only voices and traditional music alternating with crazy electronic music.
The same thing for the game's visual aspect has changed very little since the PS2 version. Yes, the graphics are in HD, yes the characters are better modelled and the scenery more alive, but we don't feel like we're on the Xbox 360! And it's all the more true since the animations are still as catastrophic as on Xbox, the bugs are numerous, and the fog of war has only moved a few meters away.
Conclusion
An umpteenth episode of a mythical saga should continue to please fans who will once again turn a blind eye to shortcomings preventing Dynasty Warriors from imposing itself as a master of beat 'em up. Nevertheless, Koei's effort to offer new gameplay, much more management-oriented in Dynasty Warriors 5, is worthy of note. A title that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the genre, as long as you don't expect too much from the technical aspect.
