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Dynasty Warriors 5: Is It Worth It?

Picture from Dynasty Warriors 6 featuring the player character swinging a giant spiked club at a group of enemies.

Dynasty Warriors 5: Is It Worth It?

It seems like just yesterday that Koei and Omega Force released Dynasty Warriors 4 (though it was actually two years ago). If it doesn’t feel that way, players may want to pick up a copy of 2005’s Dynasty Warriors 5 and see how much the rehashed gameplay appeals to them. However, if players do feel that way, this game may not reinvent the series enough to be a worthwhile investment. However, it’s up to the players to be the judge of that.

Dynasty Warriors’ Greatest Hits

Dynasty Warriors 5 has been released with only a few significant upgrades from earlier games in the series, none of them major. It seems that perhaps the developers were stuck for new ideas or the series had run its course. While this is undoubtedly the most polished version yet, it’s far from original, being built on the foundation of past games and coming across as more of a “best of” than a true sequel.

A picture from Dynasty Warriors 5, featuring the player character dressed in a blue robe and confronting a large group of enemies clad in green.
One player might have the power to fend off dozens of enemies.

Plenty of Action… Not Much Else

Hack and slash fans will be treated to a very long game. It’s mostly pretty mindless but does require some planning at the beginning of the various stages. There is some strategy and exploration, but fighting will consume most of the game time. This may be enough to satisfy hardcore action fans, at least for a while, but could wear thin by the halfway point. Even though players acquire new weapons and abilities, the gameplay is relentlessly repetitive. Players begin by fighting tens of soldiers, which soon become hundreds and then thousands.

Picture from Dynasty Warriors 5, featuring the player character diving forward in between two lines of the opposing army.
The repetitive battles are just that.

New Additions Improve Gameplay

The improvements include better graphics, more playable characters, a steady framerate, a longer viewing distance as the fog of war is pushed back, and only one bodyguard instead of a group. This one-bodyguard system eliminates some of the confusion during heavy melee conflicts, allowing players increased flexibility to pull off combos. This lone bodyguard is much more intelligent and dynamic than in past iterations– not only will he protect players much more effectively, but players can use him much like a second player in a co-op mode. A special attack called the Musou Attack can be triggered when both player meters are full. Lightning will strike and devastate all the enemies within range. Players can also substitute animals such as tigers for bodyguards.

Not only are players required to take on hundreds of enemies before boss battles, but players will also have to find more powerful weapons and upgrade skills. Some weapons will be left behind by fallen enemies, but most of them players will find scattered throughout the map. The map is huge and provides plenty of opportunities for exploration. Weapons come in two classes: light and heavy. The light weapons are faster and allow for increased agility, while the heavy weapons are capable of more damage but leave players vulnerable for longer periods.

Strongholds, first introduced in the last game, are fortresses that give the occupying force a few advantages. They can act as supply bases, spawn areas, and shields of a sort. Overtaking a stronghold reduces the enemy’s advantage and boosts the army’s morale.

This ancient Chinese saga seems to be running out of steam. While there are more than 50 characters, each with their own story, these stories primarily relate to their backgrounds without giving much insight into how they fit into the overall story of the warring factions. The voiceovers are as bad as ever, and the slightly cheesy metal riff rock that obscures the sound effects could be best used to orchestrate a more realistic-sounding soundtrack – though realism doesn’t seem to be what the developer is going for here.

More Fun for Hardcore Fans or Newcomers.

Dynasty Warriors fans know that once you’ve played one you’ve basically played them all. Only hardcore fans will be able to spot the subtle things that differentiate Dynasty Warriors 5 from previous games in the series. If you haven’t played any of the previous games, then this is the one to get. If not, you might be better served by buying later related games such as Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, Dragon Quest Heroes, or Hyrule Warriors, all of which provide enhanced gameplay and familiar characters that players may feel more attachment to.

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