Dynasty Warriors 5

"Dynasty Warriors 5 with Japanese Voice Acting"

Yes, a new Dynasty Warriors game. Even though they are similar each time, there is still something special about each one. The first was a fighting game, the 2nd one was that the level design was great, the 3rd one offered co-op, the 4th one added new strategic elements.What has the 5th one got to offer? Let's find out.

What's new this time around? Well, of course there are new characters. Zuo Ci, Guan Ping, Ling Tong, just to name a few. There are also bases you can take over, ex: Supply bases and defense bases, and in order to take them you'll have to defeat the Guard Captain. Capturing these bases will raise your morale. There is also a musuo token, which makes you have this power called musou rage. Your stats will raise and makes you stronger. This is useful when fighting a high-moraled enemy.There are also tigers, but you can't kill them. The musuo mode is also more focused on the characters, not the whole entire kingdom. The only difference in the X-Box and PS2 are the Japanese voice acting and the Dolby surround sound

Graphics: 8.5/10
The graphics are like DW4 , but the draw distance is much better. It's not foggy any more. Also, the frame rate is better. I haven't experienced any slowdown except in 2-player mode. In 2-player mode, the draw distance hasn't improved. Hopefully they'll have that fixed next time.

Gameplay: 7/10
The gameplay is pretty much the same. As I mentioned above, the bases and musuo tokens are just about the major changes. It's still addicting though. You can only have 1 bodyguard this time. But you have 8 to train. They all have different skills and strengths.

Sound: 9/10
If you played the previous games, you know what to expect here. Chinese themed music mixed with rock. It still sounds great.

Replay Value: 9/10
You'll want to replay this game to unlock all the characters. You'll also want to unlock all the weapons, items, saddles, and orbs. The replay value is very high in this game.

Buy or rent?
If you are a fan of the series, you should definitely buy! Rent if you are a casual gamer. I simply love this series. I am addicted to it. An if Number 6 comes out, I'll definitley be the first to get it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/14/05