Preview

Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: KOEI Corporation
Previewed by Elias Gonzalez on 2004-06-26

What's that old saying? "You can't have too much of a good thing". I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this is Koei's mission statement after witnessing the barrage of Dynasty Warriors games released on the PS2 in it's still short life. Who can blame them though? The titles always sell well enough to merit a sequel.

However, while sequels are nice, each one was remarkably similar to the last, making it harder and harder for fans to justify spending another $50 for the latest version of the game. In the hopes of breathing some life into their cash cow and keep it from getting stale, Koei is releasing Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires later this year, and much to the joy of DW fans everywhere, it looks like they are succeeding in what they set out to do.

While the basic premise of the game is still very much centered around taking on a ridiculous number of enemies at once, while using flashy manuevers to achieve your goal, Koei has added a dash of strategy to the mix. You start Empires main gameplay mode by choosing a kingdom to represent or creating your own. Then, much like a game of Risk, there is a grid with 24 zones, each one representing an area you need to conquer in order to beat the game. You can only attempt to take over one zone at a time, and each attempt will bring heavy resistance from that particular zone's residents. You also have to defend from enemy attacks, which can greatly effect your strategy.

Prior to stepping into battle you choose which General you want to control (pre-existing or player created), and you will be given basic information such as that particular General's stats, how many troops he or she has under their command, and the ability to equip various items or switch weapons. You will also be able to choose a "campaign" to undertake. You will be given one ìrecommendationî from each General, and they will range from one General being able to supply you with a group of warriors who specialize in magic, to another General being able to supply basic reinforcements to each of his counterparts. Generals will even complain if you consistently overlook their suggestions, and this in turn seems to affect his or her troops morale.

Once on the battlefield, Empires is very much a Dynasty Warriors game. You control only your General, and your goal is to capture a strategic point in the enemy zone by defeating all the troops guarding it.

Of course, being that your ultimate goal is to take over the entire 24-zone map, you can't just plunge headlong into battle and forget about everyone else. You will occasionally find yourself running to the aid of another General in your army, fighting off the enemy to keep them from thinning your ranks. You need those men for the next battle after all, as your troop count is carried over from one skirmish to the next, and a weakened army won't do much for your plans to take over the world.

Empires still suffers from somewhat repetitive gameplay, and while the number of enemies on screen at one time is impressive, the gameís graphic engine does have its limits. It is not that uncommon to experience a little slowdown, especially once you find yourself inside the enemy's main camp and are fighting what could be a good 30-50 enemies at once.

Omega Force still has several months to work on the game, so we can probably expect the frame rate issues to improve, but in the end, does it really matter? Unleashing a Mosou attack while surrounded by dozens of enemies and sending them flying is one of the things that make this series so good. Couple that with the new, and slightly addicting, conquer the World type gameplay that actually brings, gasp!, strategy into the mix, and this is shaping up to be the best Dynasty Warriors game yet!

Boxart

Media