Dynasty Warriors 3

"Much better than DW2, but..."

Here comes Dynasty Warriors 3! And it's much better than Dynasty Warriors 2. DW2 was a great game, but with so little replayability. DW hits the PS2 again with much better results.

Graphics: 8/10
The character models have been improved despite the fact that more characters can be on screen at the same time. The textures, too, have been improved. The armor of the generals look much nicer and much more realistic. However, they still look rather unpolished and grainy. There are also, occasionally, some graphical glitches. However, these are forgivable since the graphics are rather great considering the workload of the PS2.

Sound: 9/10
The music is great! There is a large variety of music and the music changes according to the situation. the sound effects are great too. When your allies' units have been destroyed or are in trouble, a short sound comes to alert you. It's hard to get bored of the music; it somehow suits the game despite the setting of it.

Voice Acting: 2/10
The voice acting is simply atrocious! The voices of most people sound too dramatic and at times, sissy. These, can be overlooked, since it's already a great addition. What gets me irritated is the horrid pronunciation! I'm Chinese, so I definitely know the correct pronunciations of all he names. For example, Cao Cao should be pronounced as Chao Chao and not Cow Cow. Can't Koei just go get someone who knows Chinese to supervise the voice acting and stuff?

Gameplay: 8/10
The gameplay is just too addictive! The controls are so easy to learn that you could become an expert in just minutes! There are much more units to bash up using you cool arsenal of weapons (with an unlimited number of enemies rushing out from entry points). The game no longer bores you with stupid enemies. The AI has been improved and the game is much more balanced. The enemy generals don't just suddenly recover their life, but instead, have to charge. There are also a few great challenges in the game, where you have to defeat extremely hard generals (especially Lu Bu). The game also calls for much more battle tactics. The mission objectives are more varied, instead of just ''Defeat the Commander''. And at times, you will be seriously outnumbered, and you would have to think of ways to kill all the enemies. However, the game slows down a lot, especially in 2 player mode and in some particular stages, and the enemies always appear all of a sudden. These affect the enjoyment of the game, especially in exciting parts of the it.

Value: 10/10
With so many characters to unlock, so many items, and much more deadly weapons, who can ask for more? There are, in total, 23 stages, 15 more than the original, and since the mission objectives are more varied, it's even harder to get bored of it. All the character unlocking, item and weapon finding, could get you into the game for months, while the 2 player mode can give you and your friends many hours of fun!

Story: 7/10
I've read the book before, so I know most of the things that are going on. The major events are rather accurate. However, some of the important details in the battle are neglected. I'm not going to spoil the story, so I'll not pull out any examples. Some generals are actually fighting in battles that are supposed to be after their death (in actual history)! These, however, can be overlooked, since the story is still quite accurate.

Overall, DW3 is a great game worth playing for months. If not for the lousy voice acting and some minor gameplay problems, this game would have deserved a 9 or 10.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/02, Updated 01/02/02