Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Platform: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, PC
Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends: Complete Edition – Review
Pulverizing your enemies, mowing down anything that stands in your way: that’s what being a ruler is all about. Re-experience the unlimited fun in the newest Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends. Put the game in, sit back and lose yourself in hordes of enemy-whipping fun.
Story
As this game is an improved version of the original Dynasty Warriors 8, the story stays the same. The story retains the faction-based storylines and seamless cut scenes. In addition to the different factions, each character of the “other” faction has their own scenario dedicated to them. A selection of 4 different characters for each stage will be offered to you, which means that each level is dedicated to that one character.
All of the characters and battles that are featured in the game, are based on actual historical moments, going back to the Han dynasty.
Following the Wei faction, Dong Zhuo holds a tyrannical reign over the capital. Meanwhile, Cao Cao has devised a plan to assassinate Dong Zhuo and end his tyrannical rule once and for all. However, his plans are soon discovered and would be thwarted before his blade could reach the tyrant.
In the perspective of the Wu faction, the Sun Clan was known for its lineage of military strategists. Sun Jian came upon the Imperial Seal, a jade seal that was said to be held only by the one who could unify all of China. This led him to become the target of many warlords who wanted the Seal for themselves, and as such Sun Jian found himself heading off to battle to eliminate the threat of Liu Biao.
The land was in chaos, and in that time there was a man from the Shu faction who stood out from the rest. His name was Liu Bei. With him were his faithful generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. These three warriors headed off into battle to save the common folk from their pain and suffering.
As the three kingdoms fight for control of China, time moves on to the next generation. Sima Yi of the Jin faction learns that Zhuge Liang has fallen at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. The death of such a great military strategist led Sima Yi to think long and hard about the future of China and his own fate. Amidst all of this, Gongsun Yuan declares independence from Wei. This was in direct defiance of all the rivaling warlords… The foolishness of this endless conflict must be lifted and those with great skills and talent must step forth to build the next generation. This decision caused Sima Yi himself to step up to the cause.
In addition to the original game, Xtreme Legends introduces a new story line dedicated to Lu Bu and his allies Zhang Liao and Chu Bu. Being the mighty warrior that Lu Bu is, he goes by his own way of fighting, namely that strategy is not needed and that his power is all that he needs to win. Even when crushing his opponents, he still keeps his pride on the battlefield, meaning that dirty tricks are not how he handles things.
Graphics
While not being the most impressive game in terms of graphics, each character has their own unique design that look simply amazing. The areas that you fight in are mostly in different cities, but while they do have their own architecture you won’t really notice much difference.
While the graphics are better than the previous Dynasty games, it does not really affect the game as a whole. The ps4 version however, does look a lot better in terms of textures.
Sound
I’m going to be honest: while the music is good on its own, it does not quite fit the theme of Dynasty Warriors. The game should’ve had traditional Chinese music instead of modern music to really capture the feel of the environment that you fight in. That aside, you will probably not notice much of the music, as there is enough happening on the battlefield to distract you.
The English voice acting is well done, but it’s a shame that there are no Chinese voice-overs available.
Gameplay
This is where the game really shines. If you are familiar with the previous Dynasty Warriors, then you’ll notice that this is pretty much the same, only improved in a lot of ways. You play as one of the many characters in the game, together with your allies on a map (or battlefield), you need to conquer different territories by defeating enemy officers. The map is filled with different types of enemies and allies, fighting against each other like a typical hack and slash type game.
The available combos for each weapon have increased, and since there are quite a lot of different types of weapons to choose from, you’ll be able find that one weapon that you enjoy the most. Each weapon also has its own element (Heaven, Earth and Morass), each having advantages and disadvantages over the other. Using a weapon that has an advantage over the weapon of an enemy results in more damage and what is called a “Storm Rush” attack, an attack that is really powerful. It’s also possible to change you weapon during battle using the “Switch Counter” command. If you are facing an enemy that has an advantage over you, just switch your weapon to something with another element. Using a switch while your opponent is performing a strong attack allows you to break through that attack and deal a huge amount of damage. Each and every character also has his/her own affinity to certain weapons. The better your character is with a certain weapon the more powerful your attacks will be and the more combo’s you’ll have.
The game comes with 4 different game modes: Story Mode, Free Mode, Challenge mode and the new Ambition mode.
Story Mode is divided into 4 different factions (Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin) in addition to the new Lu Bu story line and the “other” story line. Each faction has it’s own perspective on the story. Free Mode let’s you play as every character and you are able to choose any stage that you want to play that is available in story mode. Next we have the new “Ambition Mode”. In this mode, players can build their palace by building relations with the characters they have earned in their ranks. As relations improve, the player’s territory can expand. When enemy territory is challenged, the player will need to defeat a required number of its soldiers and a “boss” type commander in order to claim it. Gems can be earned within this mode and used to customize weapons. And last but not least, we have “Challenge Mode”. Here you can participate in challenges under special rules and look to set new high scores. A couple of unique elements and weapons can be discovered in this mode, like causing explosions to happen.
Conclusion
Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends: Complete Edition has enough replay value to make you want to play it again even after a couple of months have gone by or even in between playing other games. The many characters and weapons allow for different play styles and are definitely worth trying out There are almost no bad things to say about his game. If you like a game that is fun no matter how much you play it, then this is a game that is certainly worth it.
Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends: Complete Edition - Review,
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