System: PS3*, Xbox 360
Dev: Koei, Omega Force
Pub: Koei
Release: March 20, 2012
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

Luckily, the game isn't all button mashing. The town system from Dynasty Warriors 7 returns, making the time between battles feel more like an RPG. Here you can purchase items from shops, increase your bonds by talking with characters, and even change the direction of the story by experiencing different events. Since your character total grows as you progress through the game, you'll find yourself spending a lot of time in town fusing weapons for each one. These segments skillfully break up the otherwise repetitive gameplay, allowing you to play the game just a little bit longer.

As fun as the gameplay is, I have to say that Warriors Orochi 3 is truly lacking in the graphical department. Many character models and stages are re-used from previous Warriors games—i.e. they are a generation behind. This makes character models seem bland and flat, and textures seem fuzzy and grainy. Environments have sparse backgrounds that sometimes make you feel as if you are fighting in the middle of a void, and your surroundings feel almost painted on most of the time. The game engine is unfortunately showing its age at this point. Normally, graphics don't hamper my enjoyment of a game, but in this case, the game is just downright ugly.

Perhaps the coolest new feature in Warriors Orochi 3 is the new Musou Battlefield option. Essentially, this allows you to create your own battlefields and stages, and then upload them to the Internet for other players to try out. You gain new customization options as you progress through the game, and when you unlock enough you actually have a decent degree of editing control. You can change the officers in each level, what they say, the music, and more. You can even add your own comments, LittleBigPlanet style. However, this mode isn't enough to give the game extra replay value. Even when you change up a level to be almost completely unrecognizable from its original incarnation, you still play it the same way: kill peons by mashing buttons until the final boss is dead.

Top 10 War Games Of This Generation

Everything We Know About The Xbox One

Xbox One The Reveal - Trailers

Avoiding the Video Game Feminism Trap

10 Lies Gamers Tell

Is Nintendo Abandoning The Console Business?

Hype Is Killing Game Expectations

Why Do We Care About "Fake Girl Gamers?"

Microsoft’s Next Console Is Called Infinity?

10 Characters That Need To Die

Wolfenstein: The New Order Is Already Ruined?

The PS4 Does PC Gaming A Big Favor

More Special Features...

Warriors Orochi is certainly not a bad game; it's just a stale game. It's a gameplay formula that we have seen before on an engine that is incredibly outdated. Anyone who has sunk hours of their life into a Dynasty Warriors game in the past will have a ton of fun with this game, especially when they unlock characters like Ryu Hayabusa. However, if you've slowly been getting bored with the Dynasty Warriors line, this game won't do much to reinvigorate your interest. It's an interesting diversion, and one that I don't regret spending money on, but after all is said and done, it's just the same old thing.

By Angelo M. D'Argenio Contributing Writer Date: March 26, 2012