Dynasty Warriors 9

Dynasty Warriors 9 has finally entered the next generation of gaming, bringing the series' tried and true 1-versus-1,000 fights into a massive open world while sticking true to its roots, for better or for worse.

Dynasty Warriors 9 is the most ambitious title of the Musou series. For the first time, an open-world mechanics are embraced, which proves to be a success. If you never tried a Musou, now is the time.

The open world, RPG elements and new battle system make Dynasty Warriors 9 the first refreshing entry in this old series. This is without a doubt the way to go for future games in the Dynasty franchise.

Dynasty Warriors 9 is a fun and fresh take of the series with the familiar 1 vs 1000 action people expect but frame rate issues and no multiplayer component keep it from reaching it's full potential.

Whether a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the series, Dynasty Warriors 9 is sure to delight lovers of the hack and slash genre. The story is interesting enough to keep you playing, but the main focus will be on the combat. The open world aspect of the game gives you more freedom of choice, which players will appreciate. There are a few issues, but nothing too overwhelming.

The fact of the matter is that Dynasty Warriors 9 works as an experiment. This is Omega Force’s first attempt at an open-world title, and though not every aspect is great, it is a package that over-delivers where it counts and that, at its core, retains and improves upon the original hack and slash experience.

An incredible step forward for the classic musou franchise from Tecmo Koei. New game mechanics and a revamped graphic engine ensures a new level of freedom and enjoyment for musou fans.

The transition to an open world has not been easy, quite rough in fact. Still, Dynasty Warriors 9's many changes to the musou formula hold great promise for the future. This is the rebirth the series needed, regardless of its issues.

With Dynasty Warrior 9 Koei Tecmo makes a decisive turning point for the saga, and despite several structural flaws, the game turns out to be a solid framework for the upcoming episodes.

If you're a fan of the DW hack and slash formula, like I consider myself to be, then you'll get the most out of DW9. The game's open world and extra tasks (side missions, material gathering, hunting) offer a good distraction from the usual gameplay. The gameplay has been given more depth, so there is more variety this time around, but it still gets repetitive after several hours. Players that aren't that interested in the DW formula might find something to enjoy with DW9 but even with all the extra additions, they feel like only a minor distraction from the base hack and slash gameplay that you'll ultimately be thrown into. Overall, the game is a good step forward for the DW series, but it still needs work in making its open world more attractive and fun to explore.

It’s neat to see the franchise trying something new, even if it doesn’t totally succeed. More importantly, none of the new stuff takes away from what makes Warriors games fun in the first place: you still get to single-handedly mow down enemy army after enemy army. No matter what else may have changed, that core fact remains the same in Dynasty Warriors 9 — and as long as that’s true, that’s really all that matters.

Dynasty Warriors 9 does a very good job of making you feel part of a larger war that is happening all around you.