Review
Release Date: 09.03.2003
Platform:
XboxDeveloper:
KOEI Co., Ltd.Publisher:
KOEI CorporationReviewed by
Wade Monnig on 9.10.2003
“Cao Cao was pleased with the solution. Then he ordered the messenger to come in with the box, which was opened, and he looked upon the face of the dead. The features had not changed; the face bore the same appearance as of old. Cao Cao smiled.” - Romance of Three Kingdoms - Luo Guanzhong - Chapter 77 Paragraph 65
Of course, it is quite obvious from this actual quote from Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms that Cao Cao was an Xbox owner. A few scant months after the PlayStation 2 release he was able to lay his hands on the Xbox version of Dynasty Warriors 4. Sure, the features had not changed but the addition of Dolby Digital 5.1 support to an already stellar game was more than enough to bring a smile to his face.
Dynasty Warriors 4 is the second in the series to appear on the Xbox. It once again puts players in the middle of the 3rd century where the Kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu struggle to unite a divided China. The gameplay/controller set-up remains essentially the same as it always has. The X button is a normal attack that chains into combos simply by repeatedly tapping it. The Y button does a charge attack that takes longer to “power-up” but delivers a powerful blow. This attack can be mixed with the X button to create different combos that vary in length and results (juggling, knocking an opponent down) depending on your weapons current level and what items you currently have equipped. 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. The B button executes your Musou attack, which is a powerful attack that is unique to each character and features different idiosyncrasies and power. The A button is used for both jumping and boarding any of the various mounts found in the game. One of the changes to the control set-up is that the White Button is now used to give commands to your bodyguards (Attack, Guard, Wait). This is a change from the DW3 set-up and, truthfully, I don’t care for it. I much preferred having the enemy health meter display set to this button (which has been moved to the pause menu). However, this is probably an old dog/new trick problem for a veteran of the series like myself and shouldn’t negatively affect newcomers to the series.
The polygon crunching ability of the Xbox is put to good use in with the improved character models and backgrounds in DW4. The graphics looks both cleaner and more refined than those found in its PS2 brother, which is to be expected. What is surprising is that you will find even more instances of slowdown in the Xbox version than in the PS2 incarnation. When dozens of warriors flood the newly detailed battlefields, you will get those unintentional Matrix moments. It looks like Koei went a little too far in boosting the detail of the characters and it negatively affects the game by adding more slowdown. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of this release, since I was hoping the Xbox version would provide a more satisfying 2-player co-op experience.
It is a common misconception of game players who haven’t given the Dynasty Warriors series more than a curtsey glance that it is a simple hack and slash or beat ‘em up.
Delving into the Musou Mode turns up a variety of advanced gameplay elements akin to those found in RPGs and strategy titles. For instance, instead of simply finding new weapons, you “power up” your weapon by defeating high-level enemies on the battlefield. Other items also carry levels but, unlike the weapons system, they are secured by finding them hidden on the battlefield. The new one-on-one duels also help it stand apart from most other B.E.U.s. These duels put you mano-a-mano versus an enemy general with both your life and the morale of your troops on the line. These battles highlight the combo, blocking and Musou system. In a normal battle, intelligent usage of the combo system isn’t a requirement to stay alive but if you hope to defeat a high level boss, you’ll need to air juggle and stun/dizzy your opponent. Strategy also plays a key part in your success in DW4. It won’t matter if you killed hundreds of enemies if you commanding officer is struck down while you should have been defending him. Smart players can reduce the flood of enemies swarming them by eliminating troop reinforcement areas (usually gates that are guarded by higher-than-normal level enemy guards called Gate Commanders) or assisting allied generals who are in need, thus improving your army’s morale.
If you are a fan of the Dynasty Warrior series, you are might be wondering if you should pick up the Xbox version or the PS2 release. If you don’t already own the PS2 version, it is a difficult decision. The Xbox version is cleaner looking but at the expense of noticeably more slowdown. Meanwhile, the PS2 version will be compatible with the recently announced Dynasty Warriors 3 Xtreme Legends add-on/expansion. I would personally go with the PS2 version for the expansion compatibility.
The ultimate attack in Dynasty Warriors 4 is called the “Musou,” which roughly translates to “Unrivaled.” And that is what this title is when it comes to action/strategy titles.
