Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires brings more tactical Musou action, but fails to innovate – Review
The Dynasty Warriors franchise seems unstoppable, bringing more heroes and gameplay mechanics to each mainline entry. Even so, the spin-off Empires serial doesn't always seem to get the same level of attention. While Dynasty Warriors nine: Empires is a fantastic reason to return and squeeze fifty-fifty more heroic gainsay experiences out of ancient Red china, it isn't quite as impressive equally y'all might expect.
Brand your own story
Musou games empower players by putting them in the shoes of legendary heroes and pitting them against thousands of enemies. Yous slash your fashion through lesser soldiers like overgrowth in a jungle expedition to find legendary warriors from opposing kingdoms that offer something close to a fair fight. Overcoming insurmountable odds and emerging victorious feels incredible, merely it's lessened past the repetitive nature of the battles yous fight confronting what feels similar the same one-time enemies.
In Dynasty Warriors nine: Empires, players can choice from several scenarios that form the basis for their campaign. These scenarios are based on famous events and determine which territories certain kingdoms get-go with. There'southward besides a free-for-all campaign that'south accented chaos, but the selection on offer provides plenty variety that you can go on things interesting even on your tenth playthrough.
Once you've picked a scenario, you demand to pick a ruler, the hero you lot'll be playing as throughout your entrada. You tin can too create a custom hero and upload them so you can use them in subsequent playthroughs. The depth of the customization is fantastic and in that location's enough infinite to save dozens of creations.
Outside of the scenario and hero you lot option, there's little story to speak of. You select the regions to invade, the allies you lot want, define how battles play out, and more than. While you lot will see a few cutscenes for specific interactions, the game largely leaves you to build your own story. Y'all might invade a region because it'south close, or because you don't similar the leader and their reputation. This isn't a deal-breaker at all and fits the Empires formula well.
Siege later on siege
Battles in Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires play out very differently from what about Musou fans await. They revolve around castle sieges rather than large-scale battles across cute countryside. When defending, you lot need to capture siege towers and prevent the enemy from killing you or capturing your castle. When attacking, you lot must use siege towers and rams to destroy a castle's defense, defeat the territory'due south leader, and gain a new region for yourself.
You tin meet the odds of victory before you enter a battle. Fifty-fifty if they're stacked against you, secret plans and abilities tin assist you turn the tide if you're smart. The planning phase before each boxing allows y'all to select generals and tell them where to position themselves.
You gain secret plans through all your actions, whether diplomatic, peaceful, or hostile. A plan may exist something every bit unproblematic as gaining some much-needed reinforcements in battle, but to pull information technology off, you need to run into a specific goal. These aren't by and large too difficult, tasking you with capturing sure areas or defending messengers within a time limit, but they play a big office in deciding whether you win or lose. More troops mean more fodder to go on the enemy at bay while yous destroy their siege towers.
The layout of castles and where enemies and allies form strongholds or bases heighten the Musou fashion combat. Seeing your hero hop into a base or siege tower stronghold and annihilating every soldier standing never gets onetime. Signature moves and special abilities are all still part of the game, but they play a lesser role compared to strategies or surreptitious plans that summon current of air and lightning to assistance you.
Manage every element of your campaign
The main difference between the mainline Dynasty Warrior series and the Empires spin-offs is the tactical element the latter brings to the table. After choosing your scenario, you lot're left to manage your kingdom and conquer Cathay as yous see fit. You pick which territories to invade, assign generals, and even go out for a lilliputian stroll with your allies now so. It's not all state of war talk though.
A key part of running your kingdom is managing your assets. Yous demand to determine what you're going to focus on each month based on your kingdom's needs. For example, you lot could train more than soldiers, cultivate agronomics to gain more than rations, heighten funds for a future battle, and even pillage and burn territories to go the most out of them.
This is the bulk of what you'll be doing betwixt battles, but don't call up combat takes a backseat. Instead, this kingdom management element makes the game feel more than alike to Full War: Shogun, requiring you to make smart decisions based on your resources. If you conquer territory without thinking about the ground forces on the other side, for example, you might end up losing a fight when you demand to defend a new region.
In that location's a remainder to be found betwixt steadily conquering more than of the map and managing the territories you have. Forging alliances and interacting with generals on the open up world map might experience similar a chore, but the breathing infinite is a welcome change after an intense siege. Your actions outside of battle will too influence who comes to you to forge an alliance. While it might not last long, showing y'all can work with others helps in the long run.
Stuck to its roots
At the core of every Dynasty Warriors game is hardcore Musou action. Pitting you confronting thousands of enemies and seeing your lone hero come up out on top is what this serial is known for, and that element is still nowadays in battles. Unfortunately, Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires restricts battles to castle sieges, meaning that the but time you go a glimpse of that fractic Musou gainsay is at the centre of a stronghold. When you rush ahead to take down the enemy'southward leader lone against thousands of their soldiers, the screen fills with bodies as you slash your mode through anybody in your fashion. Simply this moment always comes at the cease of a siege, meaning you never quite go a full dose of that Musou activity as you lot would in most battles of the mainline Dynasty Warriors series.
The soundtrack for Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is understandably epic. A combination of classical music, metal, and rock anthems blare away in the groundwork during battle. Everything is far more subtle and reminiscent of aboriginal China while you're in your war room or chatting with generals though. This doesn't differ much from by games but however manages to hammer habitation the calibration of your actions. Yous could likewise stick on a podcast and be condom in the knowledge that you're non missing anything.
The visuals are what let this game downward. Nosotros're non certain if information technology's considering it'south based on Dynasty Warriors 9, which was released in 2022, or that at that place'south simply and then much content that the graphics couldn't be pushed any further. We didn't lose any frames on PS5 but the environment e'er looked blocky, as did the lesser soldiers. Generals and named characters each have a distinct wait, but the quality of their graphic symbol models dropped considerably exterior out the moments they're revealed in the rut of battle or a cutscene.
Verdict
While Dynasty Warriors ix: Empires didn't blow us away by doing something fresh with the franchise, that's never been the point with Musou titles. The game gives you more than of what you want: jumbo battles in which you regularly rack up thousands of kills and see epic rivalries between nifty leaders emerge and die before your eyes. If you've ever enjoyed a Dynasty Warriors game, then this will definitely be for y'all, but whatever fans of historical strategy games will also find it incredibly easy to get into.
| + | Amazing Musou activeness |
| + | Tactical and strategic elements provide a overnice change of pace |
| + | You create your ain story |
| – | Additional scenarios would increase the game'due south longevity by a long way |
| – | Visuals don't stand up against other games released today |
Source: https://www.gamepur.com/reviews/dynasty-warriors-9-empires-review
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