Review
Release Date: 09.25.2002
Platform:
XboxDeveloper:
KOEI Co., Ltd.Publisher:
KOEI CorporationReviewed by
Wade Monnig on 4.28.2003
Certain points in history hold have an unexplainable appeal to them. For Romance of the Three Kingdoms fans, it is 3rd century China. Now, Dynasty Warriors 3 is opening up this legendary era to Xbox owners.
First, I would like to address the mutli-console owners out there who are fans of the Dynasty Warriors series. You are probably wondering, if you already own the PS2 version of Dynasty Warriors 3, is it worth your effort to pick up the Xbox version? The short answer is no, but not due to any lack of effort by Koei but rather due to their dedication to the series on the PS2. The ability to pick up and import characters into the budget priced Dynasty Warriors Xtreme Legends and the ultra fast localization of Dynasty Warriors 4 means Koei really has you covered. Its hard to justify building up characters on the Xbox version knowing you won’t be able to use them for the sequels on the PS2.
That isn’t to say that Dynasty Warriors 3 on the Xbox is a simple port. The character models have a much cleaner overall look using the raw power of the Xbox. It allows the player to choose from two different color variations of each character's costume, an increased number of game saves, and added difficulty levels. The new “Very Hard” difficulty isn’t something you will want to test out when you first play the game but once you have maxed out your character and secured his/her level 4 weapon, it assures that you will still find a challenge in the Musou and Free Modes. The best addition in my eyes is being able to select the appearance of your bodyguards. It may seem like a small change but it radically improves your ability to pick them out during a battle and run to their aid or to move closer to them when you require their assistance. I personally choose the Amazon warrior guards, which makes them not only easier to pick out but also easier on the eyes. The Xbox version also adds true Dolby Surround sound and virtually eliminates load times.
If you do not own a PS2, Dynasty Warriors 3 for the Xbox is a great introduction into the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era with its mixture of action and strategy. The three kingdoms: Wu, Wei, and Shu each have their own generals, storyline and levels. This essentially gives you three games in one, with each kingdom having enough variation and unlockables to warrant a playthrough.
The gameplay appears deceptively simple. The X button is normal attack, which is quick swipe with your weapon. Each character has different combos that can be executed by simply tapping the X button. The Y button does a charge attack that takes longer to “power-up” but delivers a powerful blow to your enemies. This attack can be mixed in with the normal attack combo to stun opponents or send them flying into their own troops causing collateral damage. The Left Trigger both blocks and centers the camera. The Right trigger drops you into first person view so that you can use your bow which also features various levels of power, allowing you to fire quickly or charge a shot and stun an opponent. The B button executes your most powerful and visually impressive attack, the Musou attack. Once your bottom meter is full, which is done by knocking out opponents, taking damage or securing a Musou refill item, you can unleash your wrath upon the unsuspecting hordes. The Musou attack is usually an extremely powerful combo that can hit multiple enemies at once. However, each characters Musou attack is unique and has its own quirks and strengths. With over 40(!) playable characters, there is a huge level of diversity. The A button is used for both jumping and mounting either a horse or, the latest addition to the DW series, elephants.
The biggest knock I have heard lobbed at the Dynasty Warriors series is that it can get repetitive. While this may be true, it never gets boring. The amount of strategy required is impressive, with improper planning leading to your character being overwhelmed by enemies or, worse, your sovereign leader being killed because you and your troops are out of position. Proper management of time and the elimination of enemy reinforcement areas are requirements if you hope to succeed. By starting out the game on easy, you can “beat” one path of the game in a few hours. But replayabilty is not a problem. There are so many different things you can do; Dynasty Warriors 3 will keep you playing for months. Your first objective will be to beat the game, then to beat it with a character from each Kingdom, then to unlock all the hidden characters, then to beat the game with all the characters. You also have the challenge of trying to find the awesome 4th weapons for each character. These ultra-powerful weapons can only be secured if you meet certain requirements on various levels…while playing on the Hard Difficulty level! The Co-Op/Split Screen Mode allows two players to battle on the field at once. One of the highlights of this mode is that it isn’t required to have both players present to keep leveling your character up. So, if you want to quest for a weapon alone, you can but you can also use this newly improved character the next time your friend comes over. The Challenge Mode pits you versus the rest of the world. You compete in various level challenges, get a password, enter it on Koei's website, and see how you rank against the rest of the DW3 players.
One slightly quirky element of Dynasty Warriors 3 is the save system. Levels can be huge in this release and take well over an hour to complete. DW3 doesn’t have a simple “Save” button you can click to save your progress. What it does have is the quit option. Once you quit a level, you are prompted to save your progress. While this system appears to be akin to the “save and continue” system seen in some RPGs (one where you can save mid-level but when you continue, it “erases” that save), it is an actual save that does not get erased unless you overwrite it. So, if you are going up against a powerful general you can save right before the battle, give it your best shot and if you fail, load this “continue” save and try again. I assume the quit/save system was put in place to deter players from doing what I just described above but if you don’t mind doing the “quit/continue” dance with your Xbox, you can pull it off.
Dynasty Warriors 3 mixture of classic beat em up gameplay and a healthy dose of strategy is an excellent combo plate. This is one order of Chinese that will keep you satisfied for months.
