Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires

Omega Force has given players years-worth of anger management lessons with its hugely satisfying Dynasty Warriors series. The sixth entry in the franchise revamped some of the core mechanics of the games in a positive way, with better animations and a more polished overall experience. Now, Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires builds upon that base and adds an extra layer of strategy.

Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires is a standalone expansion to the base game – and it’s one that will be enjoyed by musou fans as well as those who prefer RPGs. Just how different does this expansion play compared to the traditional Warriors formula? Let’s find out.

Dynasty conflict

Newcomers to the Dynasty Warriors series might be a bit confused as to what’s going on with the plot. This isn’t something that can be easily remedied by playing Dynasty Warriors 5, though: the series is known for its detailed representation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms mythos. All of the stages from Dynasty Warriors 6 are also here in Empires. Additionally, seven new stages are also added to the mix to keep things new for returning players.

Legendary characters like Lu Bu and Cao Cao make their triumphant return in this game; this is especially good, considering that Dynasty Warriors 6 didn’t introduce any new characters to the roster. These officers are great and all, but they are not who most players will be choosing to play as.

Creating your Dynasty

Unlike the other Dynasty Warriors titles, the Empires spin-off allows players to create custom officers. These characters are entirely customizable, from how they look and how they fit in the Three Kingdoms world.

The ultimate goal of the game is to unify China under your banner. To achieve this objective, players must choose how they want to play their cards, depending on how their character is perceived by the other factions. For example, players who choose to play as an officer must find a worthy lord to serve, as they command the numbers they’ll need to acquire enemy territories.

The Musou is Still Intact

The players who enjoy the traditional Dynasty Warriors gameplay won’t miss it here. The usual “defeat an infinite horde of enemies” gameplay that the Warriors series is known for is still here. Unlike other character action games (like Devil May Cry), combat in Dynasty Warriors is a simple affair with easy-to-pull-off combos that decimate waves of enemies with a single blow.

Also making a return is the game’s basic strategies. During gameplay, players can instruct their allies to protect a determined area or to engage essential targets. The skills we’ve seen in previous games are seen here too, adding an extra layer of complexity to the game’s combat.

Copy and paste

Dynasty Warriors Empires’ gameplay loop is addictive and well developed, but the graphics leave much to be desired. The custom character you can create looks nice enough, but the environments look sterile and uninspired.

The worst part when it comes to visuals in a Warriors game is the hordes of copy-pasted enemies that look like cardboard cutouts. This can be forgiven, however, as this has always been a “more is more and less is a bore” kind of franchise.

Pros:

• Excellent RPG gameplay
• Entertaining musou segments
• Deep customization options

Cons:

• Ugly visuals
• Combat can feel repetitive