Dynasty Warriors Empires Review (Xbox, PlayStation & PC)

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical timepiece that transcribes an accurate portrayal of the Han Dynasty and its vast wealth of wartime culture and influential figureheads. Dynasty Warriors, on the other hand, blurs these lines ever so slightly with the adoption of power metal and sickening techniques, epic battles and daring conflicts with otherworldly conditions. Empires, too, doesn’t strafe all that far from Omega Force’s core infrastructure, in that it retains the beating heart of the Han Dynasty and its signature conflicts, but that it also provides a unique opportunity for players to alter the timeline and carve their own legacy. The battlefields remain a common fixture, as do the generals and prominent conflicts, true. Yet, Empires doesn’t aim to educate; it aims to encourage you to take over the reins and divide and conquer at your own free will.

Empires isn’t all that different from the classic series, in that it keeps a firm hold of the signature 1v1000 battle format and grand-scale battlefields, as well as the slick and annoyingly satisfying combat mechanics that make up most, if not all entries in the Dynasty Warriors anthology. But, where the primary series casts its focus on wall-to-wall battles and linear storytelling, Empires makes an effort to divide its time between two distinct gameplay styles: combat, and kingdom building. The combat, true to the nature of Dynasty Warriors, involves eliminating generals and capturing bases, whereas the kingdom building—the primary objective behind all Empires entries—involves making tactical choices to either expand, conquer, or unify China.

For a series that is known for its full-throttle combat and mindless button mashing, Empires does, rather surprisingly, contain a lot of facets for you to tweak and experiment with. From the moment you gain control of your own custom general, you immediately have a choice: lead the life as a free general and roam the land with an allied faction, or raise the banner and establish your own kingdom. Behind the choice that you make, of course, lies a tapestry of conditions and pivotal events, all of which you have the power to mold and develop over in-game years. For instance, will you be an ambitious ruler with an iron grip and a knack for executing generals? Will you take every opportunity to flush coin into your kingdom for the sake of bolstering academia? Or, will you prioritize your spouse, your unborn child, and the future of your citizens? A lot of questions for you to ponder here, and frankly, even more decisions that require your input over incredibly sizable episodic sagas.

While the core timeline remains intact here—Yellow Turban Rebellion, as well as the subsequent wars and conflicts, naturally—Empires grants you the chance to volunteer your tactical wizardry to form your own tale. As a strategy game at heart, each interlude in the timeline—a portion that is broken down into months—you have the opportunity to engage in one of several options. For example, you can invade rival boroughs, forge alliances with neighboring factions, draft soldiers for your army, build a network of mines, blacksmiths, or marketplaces, or simply rest for the sake of rebuilding your stats. Like a traditional kingdom-building game, each month brings about a new set of challenges for you to tackle. For example, in one month you might have a vagabond unit that wants to quell your oppressive tendencies, whereas in another you might find yourself being invaded after an alliance meets its end. The point is, Empires always moves forward, and it falls to you to unify the land in any manner you deem appropriate.

As I said, for a series that puts hack and slash combat at the center of its world, Empires does knuckle in on plenty of great world-building features. Granted, it isn’t as complex as, say, Civilization, but it does provide hundreds of creative possibilities for you to explore. Titles, for example, can be earned through the act of governance and development. There isn’t an honor system for you to forge, but rather, a selection of monikers that you can earn by exploring different leadership roles. And to be honest, there are hundreds of routes for you to take in Empires. What’s more, you can build your own army of generals, befriend and promote them, and even equip them with weapons and perks. Oh, and even tie the knot with some of them, funnily enough.

The core battle mechanics are still the same as before, in that you either have to mash buttons and execute the occasional Musou attack, or tactically manipulate the battlefield to ensure that your plans align with favorable climaxes. In Empires, however, you also have the option to utilize Items and Orders, which can either grant you the upper hand or diminish your chances of claiming a triumph. And that, really, is where the pre-battle interludes play a crucial role in the experience. Again, a lot to ponder.

While the visuals are still a little dated and wooden, Empires definitely captures the essence of the series’ most iconic facets, including its incredibly addictive combat and its face-melting power metal ballads. It’s still the same old Dynasty Warriors, but with a fresh twist and a brand-new incentive that allows for eager fans to bend the rules and wax The Romance of the Three Kingdoms with their own signature stamp.

Verdict

Dynasty Warriors’ grand-scale carve ‘em up combat minced with strategic monopolization elements and an open-ended twist on the beloved Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga makes for a truly epic synergy of classic hack and slash gameplay and in-depth and oftentimes complex kingdom building. Although a little different from Omega Force’s traditional take on the time period, the Empires saga truly does broaden the appeal with its nonlinear format and its wealth of creative possibilities. It’s still Dynasty Warriors, but with a harsher emphasis on nonlinear storytelling and DIY than an accurate portrayal of the Han Dynasty. However you choose to slice it, Empires certainly makes for a brilliant contribution to Omega Force’s beloved anthology.