Dynasty Warriors 2

"A great game, but possibly not for everyone."

At its heart, Dynasty Warriors 2 is Final Fight, but it is certainly a huge leap forward for the beat'em up genre. Huge levels filled with a variety of enemies, lots of different characters that improve with combat experience, and time-tested, captivating subject matter make this game a winner in this reviewer's opinion.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics are excellent. Character models are beautiful and intricately detailed, video sequences are even more so. You will impressed and delighted, but probably not blown away.

Sound 6/10

Nice. They get the job done. Some of the voices are a little cartoony- I might have preferred the original japanese voices with subtitles. The combat sounds are good. Subtract 50 from this score if you don't like cheesy, predictable, anime-metal soundtracks.

Gameplay 7/10

I can see how many people will find the gameplay repetitive. Because it is. But I love it. It's simple enough so that any moron can do well enough on their very first level, but complex enough that mastering it takes a while and allows you to do great and wonderful things.

You run around and beat up people, basically. But there's so many ways to do it! Several different combos per character, a bow, horses, etc.

It's also worth noting that there is a certain amount of strategy and tactics involved in playing the game, although this is not the main focus. This is a welcome change from the more brainless style of action and adds to the game's depth.

Replayability 7/10

The replay value depends on how you feel about the gameplay. If you hate beat'em up games, you won't like this. Change this score to a 4/10. If you love them, you're in heaven, because this is the best. Change this score to a 10/10.

The story mode is different for different characters- there are three different kingdoms at war, and therefore three different stories to be told. There are lots of different playable characters, including many ''secret'' unlockable characters, and all of them increase their stats (life, attack, defense) by defeating enemy generals. Each character also has a rank that increases, and personal bodyguards that increase in number and strength as you gain points.

There are three different difficulty levels and the difficulty level has a dramatic impact on how the game plays, and there are lots of different ways to approach each level- different strategies, different goals you can set for yourself, etc.

Story/Content 7/10

The story that this is based on gets a 10/10 (Romance of Three Kingdoms, the ancient Chinese version of the Iliad), but you can't really get into alot of story and character details and still keep the game fast and furious. Still, just using the names and locations from the book was enough to get me interested in it. Once you have read the work, your appreciation and affection for this game increase significantly.

Reviewer's Tilt 10/10

Just in case you have confused my objectivity with an indifference towards this game, let me set you straight right here. I love this game. The gameplay must be considered repetitive, the voice acting is average at best, and the game would not have played much differently if it were based on other subject matter. But there is just something about this game.

Dynasty Warriors 2 was one of the main reasons why I bought a Playstation 2, and it is still the only game I own for the system (although I've rented many others). It's wonderful. I've beaten the game with members of all three kingdoms (and therefore unlocked lots of new characters and side-switching feature) and I can't wait to beat it with every character, get every delicious secret, and set weird and difficult goals for my favorite maxed-out character on various missions.

The game has also introduced me to a wonderful work of Chinese History/Fiction called Romance of Three Kingdoms. This alone is worth fifty bucks.

Overall 7.7/10

Even if you think you might not like this game, I suggest renting it or playing it at a friend's house. Whether or not you can stop thinking about it afterwards will determine whether or not you should buy it.

I love this game, and it has a special magic quality which my numerical evaluation does not reflect. It will continue to entertain me for a long time to come.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/01, Updated 06/06/01