Dynasty Warriors

"The same hack and slash fun in portable form"

Dynasty Warriors is a popular hack-and-slash console series that began as a fighting game, and the latest PSP version hopes to take it portable. While this game resembles others from the series, there are a few changes to keep things interesting.

Due to the limitations of the PSP, the usual large battle map has been cut down into sections, which adds a dose of strategy to the mix. The goal is still to eliminate the enemy general, but now you have to go about it in a slightly different way. In addition to the sectioned battlefield, you now have limited supplies; if your supplies run out, you will lose the battle. Scattered throughout each map are ‘supply depot' squares that will add some time to your supply meter.

Dynasty Warriors for the PSP features all the same characters from DW4, but not the Create-A-Warrior mode, which is a little disappointing. Also changed from the console series is the bodyguard aspect. Previously, you would select a bodyguard unit to take into battle, and select their weapon. Here however, as you complete Musou Mode, you receive new playable officers, along with officer ‘cards' for lack of a better term. Each character has a stat for ‘Control,' and prior to each stage you select the officers you would like to accompany you. Depending on how high the Control stat is, the more powerful officers you can bring. Each officer adds a unit type to your forces, may boost you stats, and give a rechargeable special power to use in battle. For example, a certain officer may boost your life, and allow a recovery spell in battle. The addition of officers as bodyguards makes a nice change from the console series, and adds some degree of planning before the battle.

Another aspect changed from the console series is the way your character levels up and obtains weapons. As opposed to finding them on the battlefield, or having it grow after each level, your weapon develops in each stage. Your weapon level ranges up to 10, and once you reach certain levels in the stage, you gain an extra attack onto your combo. While it is fun to grow as you play through the battle, you have to start over at level 1 at the next battle. The feeling of progression through Musou mode for each character is lost because of this. It is easy to get used to, but it would have been nice to have that sense of accomplishment if you get to start of the later stages with a more powerful weapon, in addition to the higher stats that are gained as usual.

Load times, which have proven to be the downfall of many PSP games, are quite manageable in Dynasty Warriors; the primary load takes place before the battle, and there is only a slight pause while switching sections of the battlefield. The main problem that ultimately arises with any Dynasty Warriors game is the repetition. Some may not enjoy the fact that you primarily press the square button a lot with a few blocks, counters, and charge moves here and there. The controls are simple and responsive, which is perfect for this type of game on a portable.

In order to help ease the repetition, there are quite a lot of unlockables. Upon completing the main story mode with a few characters from one kingdom unlocks more. Since there are upwards of 40 characters to play as, playing though the story mode never gets too stale. Beating a battle unlocks more of the sidekick officers, and completing the story mode gains you access to use of the playable generals as officers to take into battle. If you beat it enough times to unlock 100, and 150 officers, you can begin to gain Samurai Warrior characters as officers to take into battle.

The graphics are solid, especially as one of the first PSP games released. The battlefields are varied enough not to get too old too soon, but some of the sections begin to feel the same. The addition of castles and varied elevations offers some variety to the fields you are normally fighting in. Occasionally when you encounter large clusters of troops there is some slowdown, but it doesn't happen too often. It can slightly get in the way, but it serves as good inspiration to keep fighting and take out enough enemies to ease up the slowdown.

The featured music is the sort of flaring rock found in the others games that seems strange, but oddly fits the game. There aren't any voices in the game for the normal battle orders in the beginning of a stage, or when you achieve certain kill levels. Though it would have been nice to have, I understand that size is an issue when dealing with a small disk.

Overall, it brings a good amount of new features and changes to the game play that it doesn't feel like a direct rehash of Dynasty Warriors 4. The cut down battlefield and deployable officers even add a sense of tactics to planning your attack. The sections make the game more ideal for the portability. If you only have time to play for a short time, you can beat a few sections, put the PSP in sleep mode, and resume the battle later. Although the repetitive hack and slash game play can begin to grow old, there are enough different characters and things to unlock to keep the game fun.

Dynasty Warriors for the PSP is a great game to have on the go, appealing mostly to fans of the series, while being simple and fun enough to reach new fans.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/14/06