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Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei
Genre: Action
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 28 Mar 06
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- Koei's previously PS2-exclusive strategic brawler makes the jump onto the 360, but sadly doesn't feature any significant next-gen enhancements for the series.
Overview
There are many different series out there, and judging by how many games have been in the Dynasty Warriors series, you would think the series had been around forever. But the series is not as old as the number would have you believe, as Koei has been churning out an average of two titles a year. Today we are checking out the sequel to Dynasty Warriors 5, which tries to take the series to the next level on the Xbox 360. So how does Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires fair? Read our full review to find out!
Gameplay
For those who don't follow gaming all that close, there is a huge following for the Dynasty Warriors series and Koei Games in general. The Dynasty Warriors series has been known for really mindless action, which requires a whole lot of button mashing and a lot of killing. Some people are really turned off by this mindless killing, but there obviously is a huge market for this sort of gaming considering the fact that the series has had so many games. So with all of this being said, we are here today to check out Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires for the Xbox 360.
Similar to other games in the DW series, Empire has only two modes to choose from, which includes the Empire mode and then a free mode. The free mode we will discuss first because it is really free of any thrills. The free mode is basically there if you have some serious aggression to take out on a video game, that is the mode to do it in. There is really zero strategy to the action, so you can just aimlessly kill the enemies till your fingers bleed or the roosters come home.
I have always been a fan of Koei trying to take the series further than what it is, and the Empires mode is a good attempt at just that. Basically combining the aimless killing you will have a sense of strategy, where you pick one of the Chinese warriors as your own and it is your job to defend your homeland and expand as much as possible. There is some added strategy in this mode that really helps the progression of the game, but at the same time I just felt that the strategy seemed paper thin. You do get to order your generals and troops where to go, but the actual battle system just seems a little too simplistic.
Besides the fact that there is some added strategy in this Empire mode, the game is still Dynasty Warriors, and that means a whole lot of action. And in DW5: Empires you get the same sort of action sequences that we have all been accustomed to for quite sometime. The gameplay in Empires feels identical to what we found in the original version, which is good and bad. For those expecting something new, you may be a bit disappointed. In the end, DW5: Empires is a good action game that lacks any sort of depth. I liked the workings of the Empires mode, but there really needed to be more to the game to keep it interesting for a longer period of time.
Graphics
Visually you would expect that the Xbox 360 version of Empires would be a great looking game, but unfortunately there just wasn't a whole lot of work put into making this game to the next level. There are some obvious upgrades to the character models, but unless you are using a HD set, you really aren't going to see any real difference. And even with the HD set you will only see some minor upgrades in detail and maybe some flashier effects. Outside of that, this game really never looks next gen.
Fun Factor
I am not totally against mindless gaming per se, but I do have a problem when there's absolutely no depth to the gameplay. In Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires you get a game that goes with the same sort of formula that the original Dynasty Warriors game had, and yet there are still thousands of people out there that love this. As much as I like the idea of the empires mode, I just have to say they could have done more in terms of strategy. To me there are certain tendencies that always seemed to work, and none of which were overly satisfying.
Overall
While it is good to see that Koei has a lot of faith in their Dynasty Warriors series, I just wish there had been more to Empires that what was on offer. In this day and age, no matter what the price tag is, you can't ship a game with two modes as simple as in this game. You basically have one mode that won't last people more than half a rental, and after that you are left with not a whole lot to do. If you are one of the many fans of the series, then I think you will be better off renting this game before purchasing it.
- Gameplay
6.0 - Graphics
6.0 - Fun Factor
6.0 - Overall
6.0
