THE GOOD: - Graphics - Gameplay - Music - New features - Weapons
THE BAD: - Less characters - No new characters - Weapons
SUMMARY: Dynasty Warriors 6, the 6th in the franchise, not counting Xtreme Legends and Empries along with the others such as Dynasty Warriors Tactics etc. It's very different to the previous games in terms of gameplay, characters and features. Some for the worst and some for the better.
Graphics
The graphics in this title are very bright and vibrant. Since every character has had a makeover with weapons, hair and clothes it's very nice to see your characters looking better than ever in the newest in the franchise. Even the graphics for the water, mountains, trees and every little detail is the best you can get. Dynasty Warriors 6 really uses full capability of the PS3's graphics.
Gameplay
The gameplay is pretty much the same as the previous titles. You still perform regular slashes with square, charge attacks with triangle attack and you still unleash your characters musou attack with circle. However, the concept is slightly different. It's a slightly weird addition, but you're now able to perform unlimited combos by repeatedly hitting the square button. Your attacks don't stop until you're hit which will break the chain. Obviously, the attacks are slow after a while and quite pointless, but it can be helpful is tricky situations.
This is where the new Renbu System is introduced. With each successful hit on an enemy, your renbu gauge fills giving you new ranks after levelling up with plenty of experience. There are a few new features which make the game even more fun to play such as the ability to swim. You can now escape danger by jumping into the water, but don't think you're safe just yet, as enemy boats topped with bowmen are sent out to get you. You can also climb ladders, knock down gates to bases which are very useful additions.
Weapons
There are many people who don't like the weapons in this game, since many of the characters have different weapons than in the previous games. Some of the characters really fit some of the weapons in the previous games, so players who have mastered that character and look forward to playing them in all new graphics will be disappointed since they're different. It's really down to opinion with the weapons as some of the changes are for the best and some are worse.
Characters
Now, this is something else that a lot of people aren't very happy about. There are quite a few characters who have been removed, some of the favourites too, which is a disappointment. There are also no new characters which is another downer, since everyone was hoping for some more. However, on a lighter note, the characters which are included have had a makeover, with new clothes, hair styles, weapons etc. and overall, they're still just as awesome.
Final Comments
I like this game, but there are many flaws which make this game a let down. It really does depend on the player. If you're new to Dynasty Warriors, you'll enjoy it, there's no doubt about that, but for the fans of the whole franchise, it's not as pleasing. It all seems as though Koei had rushed the game, which is sad to see, let's just hope they don't make the same mistake in the future.
THE GOOD: + Graphics + Music + Detail + Gameplay + Renbu System + New Features
THE BAD: - Less character's - Less story Modes - No new characters - Very rushed - Most characters have the same move set.
SUMMARY: Dynasty Warriors 6
Overall: Dynasty Warriors 6 overall is a pretty good game. From previous games it is the worst IMO. It has less characters, most of the characters that are there have the same move set, and they all don't even have story modes. The plus side is that it introduces a new style of gameplay. Plus it has great graphics and music. The downfall to this is how badly rushed this game is. I feel as the series progresses more should be added instead of taken away like Koei did. The game is still however worth the while because of the graphics and new gameplay that has been introduced.
Concept/Gameplay.: The concept of Dynasty Warriors 6 is the same as the previous games. You choose a character and bring him out on the field of battle to lead your army to victory. When in battle you can try to complete targets or goals. This is new feature added to the game. Completing targets will make it easier for your army to win and it also can unlock new characters. Also one of the biggest differences in Dynasty Warriors 6 is the RENBU SYSTEM. The renbu system is a style of gameplay which makes it look as if you are in a real battle with your character. I guess what I am trying to say is that it makes you have an unlimited combo which means you literally hit your enemy for ever or until he or she dies. This adds the concept that you are in real life and can hit for however long you want. Now the moves do occasionally repeat themselves depending on how high your renbu bar is. However this can change by making combo's on the enemy. If you go awhile without attacking the enemy, your renbu bar decreases. That means your renbu combo will not be that high and you will perform a few short moves before it starts to repeat.
New Features: Dynasty Warriors 6 introduces plenty of new features, they are Renbu, Swimming, Climbing, skills, and accuracy. I have already explained renbu to you. The thing that makes this game more realistic is being able to swim and climb. Yes I said it you can swim and climb. This benefits you in plenty of ways, as you are able to cut through stages. You can also do ambushes on the enemy by swimming around and attacking from the back. Skills also come in handy there are four different types: Fire, Rockfall, True Speed, and Volley. These can help change the tide of battle and also do some big damage on the enemy.
Graphics/Music/Story: The graphics in this game are a HUGE step up from the previous games. It just lets you know what a PS3 is capable of. The shadow and light features are great and the detail in the scenery and motions is phenomenal. As far as music goes it is pretty decent, they fit the stages well and add a nice tone to the story. The story in this game is like the previous ones. Except stages have been taken out like the Battle of Bai Di castle for instance. This was a disappointment to me as I feel the game should have added more stages. However since no new stages were added they improved the old stages by going into more detail. This means the stages are more accurate with the history books, like what officers were in the battle and how it actually went and why. This is a plus for me as I have learned more about the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms.
In the end this is an okay game and is totally worth the effort of getting. It is a huge step up from the previous games, and will be even better in the future. I give this final product a 7/10.
THE GOOD: The most recent of the main branch of the Dynasty Warriors series, six offers an equal ammount of revolutions and let downs. From the year 2000 (Dynasty Warriors 2) up until the release of Dynasty Warriors 6, the gameplay for the entire warriors series (including Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi) has pretty much been the same: You deliver normal attacks using the suqare button, heavier attacks using the triangle button and then of course your special "Musou" move with the circle button. But this time around KOEI has changed the conventions of its rusty play system somewhat...
First of all in the previous games your chain of attacks using the square button was limited up to about six or seven hits being the maximum. In Dynasty Warriors 6 there is not limit to how big your combo can be.
Secondly the triangle attacks have also been replaced by a completely new system known as Renbu. Like the charge attacks in previous warriors titles the Renbu is an attack you can use while performing a chain of of normal attacks. Unlike the charge attacks the renbu attacks are performed in a chain, the length of that chain is dependent on your Renbu meter (shown by character's portrait.) To fill your Renbu you must perform high combo attacks (hence why KOEI may have added the infinite normal attack chain) which will ultimately make your Renbu attacks stronger.
Apart from the actual fighting, some plausable additions have been made to the battliefield itself. You are now able to swim for the first time, but be warned once you are in the water it can be hard to find an exit. The invisible walls have also been replaced too allowing players to leap from mountains and down on their enemies without being blocked off and going around.
The base system has also too been changed. Instead of simply breaking through a base's defence and slaying the base captain, players must physically break down the doors to a base and reduce the base's points (represented as guards in the base.) When trying to seize the slightly larger bases a siege battle goes under way. The prime examples of this are Hu Lao Gate or Fan Castle. Players must help their engineers assemble war machines on sight and can also climb up ladders propped against walls to quell any enemy balistas firing down on engineers.
The characters have all had a makeover and on the whole, most of them have benefitted. Weapons too have also been made to look more radical but still retaining their authenticity. The modes in Dynasty Warriors 6 haven't changed either, there is still Musou Mode (story mode, campaign) Free Mode, Challenge Mode (with new challenges and online leaderboards), Your camp and options.
The Musou mode has made a good change. Character from certain factions don't all share the same cutscenes and fight the same battles, instead the story mode is more orientated around the charater's themselves with their very own cutscenes.
Development is also another thing to point out in Dynasty Warriors 6, along with the recently introduced leveling system, Dynasty Warriors 6 offers players to develop their characters through a skill tree. Skills include such things as raised attributes, skills and items. Points for the skill tree are unlocked depending on how many EXP a character gains from a stage.
The graphics are excellent in this new installment but in some places NPCs can overlap eachother and make it hard to single out a single target. The voice acting isn't bad either and followers will notice quite of few of the character's voices have been kept from the 3rd, 4th and 5th installments of the series.
THE BAD: The first bummer for Dynasty Warriors 6 was definately the cutting out of certain characters. If the warriors series are known for anything, they are known for having a vast selection of characters to choose from and to see that a few have been removed and also that there are no new characters the first impressions of the game are shocking to any followers of the title. In previous titles each warrior has their own moveset and their very own Musou mode. There are now 41 playable characters instead of the original 48. The cuts include the following characters: Jiang Wei, Pang De, Meng Huo, Zhu Rong, Da Qiao, Xing Cai and Zuo Ci who all made an appearance in KOEI's recent Warriors Orochi. Only 17 characters in Dynasty Warriors 6 have their own story campaigns which in my personal opinion is the worst mistake KOEI has ever made. If newcomers were to play and unlock character who had no narrative there simply would be no interest in them.
Also, however much KOEI changes the gameplay of their warriors games there is still a certain element that makes the game feel slow, tedious and repetitive.
A few of the stages have been cut as well but players will notice that the maps in Dynasty Warriors 6 are much bigger this time around and there is more to see.
SUMMARY: Overall Dynasty Warriors is a good game and hopefully we will see an expansion or some downloadable content to be released to replace the cut out characters or lost story campaigns. It might not be as half as long as its precursors but still worth picking up and playing to experiment with the new fighting systems. However if you are a newcomer to the series I would advise you to avoid a purchase of this game until an expansion or DLC is avaiable to you.
Graphics: 4.6/ 5.0 Gameplay: 4.1/ 5.0 Story: 3.1/ 5.0 (lack of character story campaigns) Online: N/A
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