[Dynasty Warrior Codes]
Dynasty Warrior Codes

Koei's first fighter is a massive success!!


     When I first saw previews of this game, I was skeptical, to say the least. Koei is known for its devotion to the strategy genre. This was quite evident in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which was clearly the inspiration for this title. The characters who are fighting are taken directly from Romance, as well as the dynasties in which they are grouped. After playing a short demo of the game on the PlayStation Underground CD, I was flabbergasted. It was good, for the small portion of the game that was presented. Later, after playing the full game, I was, and still am, further impressed. While not leaps and bounds above blockbusters such as Tekken 2 and Soul Blade, the game offers some nice innovations and excellent graphics to boot.
     Graphically speaking, Dynasty Warriors offers 10 (+ at least 5 hidden) weapon-wielding warriors from ancient Chinese history. The animations of the fighters during battles is smooth and life-like. Though 2-dimensional, the backgrounds look fantastic. Excellent animations of battle scenes, including elaborate parrying and blocking sequences, have never been seen before. In addition, the motions in which the characters partake mirror the reality of true weapons combat.
     The music in Dynasty Warriors, sadly, are just average for the most part. The soundtracks really aren't anything extraordinary, seemingly offering a variety of classic fighting game tunes. The sound effects, however, are another story entirely. The crashes and clangs of weapons colliding during intense battle is done quite well, and does a great deal to immerse the player in the heat of combat. Overall, while the music is only slightly better than average, it is redeemed by an awesome set of effects.
     Dynasty Warriors includes many interesting innovations while adhering to the traditional fighting game style of play. One such innovation is the parry sequence, in which the two combatants engage in a series of blocks, but leaves both players more vulnerable to attack after the sequence is over. During a close battle, this feature allows further tensions to mount, adding excitement to the matches. Another unique feature is the counter system, in which a strike is blocked and deflected, leaving the opponent in a defenseless state. This prevents the usual button ramming philosophy of most fighting titles.
     Deep game play combined with responsive play control give Dynasty Warriors a high replay value, and make it an overall enjoyable gaming experience. There are tons of moves and combos to learn, and special "blue" combo moves come in handy at crucial moments in the game. Also, throws are not very instrusive as in other titles, since they can be easily avoided. Another concept that helps this title is that the special blue combos are not all powerful. Once a hit of the blue combo is blocked or parried, the player is extremely vulnerable and the position may often be reversed. Overall, intense moves and extensive strategy make Dynasty Warriors an excellent addition to the fighting genre.
     While Dynasty Warriors contains an immense amount of strategy, it is still quite playable by beginners. The special moves can be programmed into the top buttons, making the learning curve a bit less steep. Overall, Dynasty Warriors is a very good one player game, but as a two player title, it shines.

And now for the grades...


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