Dynasty Warriors 2

"Have you ever wanted to experience the joy of hurling thirty people into the air with a simple four button combination? Now you can, thanks to Koei"

This game is an excellent War simulation. You play a general of one of three great clans vying for power over China. Your characters are one of nine (after running through the game and getting some unlockable characters, this number rises to 28) generals on one side of a huge (very huge) fight. You hack your way through literally thousands of troops and minor officers with a sprinkling of generals to the enemy commander. The stage ends when this commander is killed. Of course, there's a lot more to worry about then that...

Gameplay - 10/10

By the end of a round, where your Kill count (KO count) is reaching into the 500's, it's a marvel that the game is engineered so that it's not dull and utterly repetitive. The controls are very simple and easy to use, as you'll use five buttons and the d-pad the entire time. Levels will typically take 30 to 50 minutes to complete, so be prepared to sit for a while. There's enough variety in the characters that your not bored with them, another plus. You can unlock certain characters and even gain some secret portions of the game by playing through it.

Graphics - 9/10

The graphics are a marvel in itself. The game manages to look beautiful, yet there is absolutely no slowdown when your preforming a 'musou' (special charge attack that wipes out 30-50 enemys in a blow). The CG cinemas look lifelike, and the game is filled with nice vibrant colors which also help to separate the armies so you know who your attacking. The only problem is that the game limits the amount of on screen people to a number around 30. If there are more then that, the game simply doesn't draw them, and when you kill some, others will pop up right in front of you!

Sound - 9/10

Rock music doesn't seem to fit in with Ancient Chinese war, but it still is invigorating nontheless, and better then what you would hear anyway. Collision, fighting, dying, ambient noise (war sounds, mostly), shattering, attacking, all these things have excellent sound bytes recorded for them. They fit in and the death cries don't get repetitive.

Story - 7/10

There is actually a story here, where you play one of the three generals of three great clans fighting against each other. Simple, really. Not much changes throughout this, although rivalys differ depending on who your general is affiliated with, which is nice.

Replayability - 9/10

Very replayable, as there are secret generals and modes that can be unlocked to be seen. And, defying all odds, hacking through 500+ soldiers isn't as repetitive as it would seem...

Pluses

+ Watching the Musou attacks send so many people flying is beyond cool
+ Story differs depending on the clan your playing as
+ Attacks vary depending on general, and there are combo attacks

Minuses

- There are only 8 stages, but considering their size, it's minor
- Game is ADDICTIVE
- Enemy Generals have annoying tendency to heal themselves when they are knocked down

All in All, this game is highly recommended, and it's one of the few good launch titles out there.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/00, Updated 12/29/00