Dynasty Warriors 4

"Another excellent installment to the Dynasty Warriors series"

The “Dynasty Warriors” series is the best gaming series I’ve ever played. There, I said it. Disagree if you will, hate me if you must, but no other series has kept me on my couch longer than “Dynasty Warriors”. The series won me over easily when “Dynasty Warriors 2” was released for the Playstation 2 in 2000, and its sequel stands as one of the finest games I’ve ever played. With the possible exception of “Phantasy Star Online”, I have never played a game as addictive as “Dynasty Warriors 3”. Now that the fourth installment is available on Xbox, does Koei continue its winning streak? Of course, as if you expected anything less

“Dynasty Warriors” once again centers around the “Romance of the Three Kingdom” era in ancient China. Players once again assume the role of one of the soldiers of the three empires and fights through the endless waves of foes in epic battles for unification of China. The core gameplay is the same as “Dynasty Warriors 3”. Koei is sticking with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” method, and that’s perfect since that’s exactly what die-hard fans like me want. All of your favorite characters are back, from “Xiahou Dun” and “Sun Shang Xiang” to the mighty “Lu Bu”. Three new characters are also available and sport very unique fighting styles that add even more depth to the already staggering line-up of characters.

There are a few new additions to be found in “Dynasty Warriors 4”; most notable is the “Duel Mode”. During battle an enemy general can challenge you to a one-on-one battle. If you succeed in defeating him, his entire legion suffers an enormous loss of morale, and he himself withdraws from the battlefield. This is an interesting twist in some ways since it challenges you to take risks by accepting a duel with stronger foes if your army is suffering major losses, and can turn the tide of war in your favor. Also new is Siege Items, which unfortunately is really nothing new or exciting. In the old “Dynasty Warriors” armies would occasionally attack castles with catapults or battering rams. They still do in “Dynasty Warriors 4”; the only difference is you can destroy these weapons.

The excellent 2-player co-op is back, and is a more than welcome feature. My friend and I logged in countless hours in the campaign mode in “Dynasty Warriors 3” mode. Leveling up your characters becomes incredibly addictive, and if you find a friend who enjoys the game as much as you, you’ve got one hell of a long replay value.

The sound department is, as always, a mixed big. The music once again features cheesy rock guitar themes, but then some surprisingly good authentic Chinese music, utilizing the cultures own instruments, it couldn’t fit the mood better. The sound effects on the battlefield are solid, but of course the voice work is pretty poor. Some of the voices on the battlefield are fine when the generals give updates on certain situation. However, the CGI scenes have terrible voices, and the characters once again speak in modern language despite the fact the game takes place in the B.C. era, it just sounds ridiculous. I didn’t know people back then were shouting “You want a piece of me” during battle.

In the end, these new additions don’t make much of a difference, but I really didn’t care because “Dynasty Warriors 4” is exactly what I wanted: more levels, more characters, and more unlockable features. It isn’t as good as “Dynasty Warriors 3” in my opinion, mainly because I didn’t think the levels were as well designed as the third. The game also has quite a bit of slow-down, more than in seems like it should for an Xbox game. Don’t let this frighten you at all though since it doesn’t make the game unplayable by any means. Gamers who have never enjoyed the series need not even give this one a rent since it most likely won’t change your opinion, but for longtime fans such as me, this is another fantastic installment into the “Dynasty Warriors” franchise.

Pros:
+ Even more levels and characters
+ Easy pick up and play controls
+ Addictive gameplay
+ 2 Player Co-op can be a blast
+ Endless Replay

Cons:
- Levels aren’t as good as Dynasty Warriors 3
- Some slow down
- New in-game features aren’t anything special
- Draw distance still needs work

Graphics- 8.5
Gameplay- 9.5
Sound- 7.5
Overall- 9.0

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/03