Dynasty Warriors 9 Review - The Musou game enters the open world

Dynasty Warriors is the series that introduces the Musou formula. It lets you play like a heroic warrior, while hundreds to thousands of enemies perish on your sword in an unrealistic, hot-tempered over-the-top action experience. This has been done for years, albeit in the previous Dynasty Warriors games or other titles, such as Warriors All Stars, which have made the characteristic gameplay its own. With Dynasty Warriors 9, developer Omega Force and publisher Koei Tecmo try to shake the series to its foundations.

The biggest change is that this time we are dealing with an open world. In previous parts you chose a historical fighter (based on Chinese history, as fans know) and then you dive into a fairly large level. In Dynasty Warriors 9 there are no menus to be found between the missions, but you really have to travel to where you need to go or 'fast-travels' to a location that you have already discovered. It is also a fairly large map that we end up on, where it takes time to drive from one place to another.

The problem with this open world is that it is not really an interesting world to explore and that is why we wonder if this transition is worthwhile. Although you will find materials in the world to 'craften', as well as treasures and other 'loot'. This is an attempt to make the effort worthwhile. However, these are not only very scarce, but often they are not worth looking for. As Warriors fans know, you are already very strong right from the start of the game, so collecting tools to upgrade is not a priority.

In addition, the world itself is quite inanimate and meaningless. There are nice little elements such as farms where we can see the history of Chinese workers, but if you leave the interesting parts such as cities you end up in kilometers and kilometers of empty forests, large open plains or mountain ranges. It seems an open world that is only open to being an open world. The world serves more as a distance to bridge, rather than an organic, credible world that is fun to explore. It is often the opposite: mandatory costs.

Enter hooks (grappling hooks) were also presented as an important new element in Dynasty Warriors 9. However, these do not add much to the series and make everything a little easier than it should have been. For example, if you need to disable a target in a fortress, you can first disable the enemies that guard the gate or you can simply use your grappling hook to climb over the walls at the touch of a button. In any case, it opens virtually no new strategic doors, but closes many others.

The settlements and cities you visit are much more interesting than the wilderness around them. They offer sellers and services that can help you during your adventure: from upgrading your weapons to buying tools such as Vitality Powder. Here you can ensure that you heal and prepare for every fight. Visually this is also impressive. Cities are packed with houses and residents, making them feel like lively and lively places.

As in previous games, we are treated to the necessary Chinese history. The game opens with a big fight between the Yellow Turbans' troops, a rebel group led by Zhang Jiao, who revolts against the Han Dynasty regime, and the Dynasty itself. This is not the whole story, but an excellent starting point. After completing a quest with a character (such as the popular returning character Cao Cao) you can also place yourself on the other side of the conflict and play as Zhang Jiao yourself. This provides a welcome alternative view of the events.

The story itself contains all these different characters, but you can only play as a character as long as it is in the story. Thus you play some characters in one chapter, while others can only be played between chapters 4 and 6, for example. There are at least more than enough characters to choose from: from Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin to 'Others', including the Yellow Turban leader. The story in the entire game remains unchanged, but the choices you make determine in which position you end up in this story. The story is quite epic, stretches all over China and is of a similar level to the previous parts.

As in any other Warriors game, each character has its own unique style. Each has its own principles, depending on where they are in history, as well as their own personality (be it the uplifting Sun Jian or the eccentric Zhang Jiao). However, it is the fights where these differences excel most. Each character has its own special attack, starting weapons and strengths. This ensures that every story remains fresh and interesting. Some favorite characters, such as Lu Bu and Dian Wei are also back. For returning fans there is plenty to discover and there are also some brand new elements.

But not everything is the same in the big fights this time. Of course we have the power to eliminate waves of enemies with a single sword stroke, but everything can be adjusted slightly more. First you choose which weapon you want, which can be done at a gunsmith, but you also have to connect diamonds to special attacks. Pressing the shoulder button (R1) shows a tactical menu with different options. You have Launch, which throws enemies into the air; Stun, which amazes opponents; Knock-Down, causing them to be thrown to the ground; and Special, which differs per character. Each of these can be linked to a diamond to activate certain effects. It is therefore worthwhile to craften it to make your attacks deadly.

There are also some other bits and pieces that are worth mentioning in the fighting, including the fact that you can respond to enemy attacks by pressing triangle. Just like in a game like Batman: Arkham Asylum , this results in a reversal. Triangle is also used when an opponent has little 'health' to finish it with a cinematic movement, so there is more to see when fighting than just hammering the attack button in Dynasty Warriors 9. There is even an arrow-and-bow that you can use to hunt wild animals or enemies... and also one or two exploding barrels.

Although you are frequently encouraged to participate in the side missions to raise your level and experience prior to major battles (the level requirements are indicated in the menu above), the high-level missions can often be completed if you know what you are doing busy. Blind on enemies in heels that can not be thrown out is a stupid choice, but if you use your special attacks and R1 skills wisely, opponents are easy to beat. The game is often far too easy, even if you take on the most difficult enemies.

The most disappointing thing about Dynasty Warriors 9 is the technical story, which is, to say the least , disappointing. To begin with, the framerate shot in all directions. This starts with the 'tutorial' and does not improve after that (we played on standard PlayStation 4). It never became unplayable, but was noticeable during the game. This also applies to the changeable animations of the characters (for example if you climb something steep with your horse); invisible walls; 'textures' that do not load; and 'game-breaking' bugs (luckily these were very rare and could be solved by restarting the game). This overall lack of workmanship is a shame to see and is impossible to ignore.

Conclusion

For Musou / Warriors fans there is a lot to be found here to enjoy. There is poor voice-acting, almost characteristic of the series; intense and explosive action; a varied and diverse cast of characters; and a story with lots of different perspectives. It is true that the transition to the open world is not necessary and does not really improve, it is definitely a very entertaining game. We hope that after the release it will receive the necessary aftercare, because that is one of the biggest drawbacks of an otherwise entertaining experience.

➕ The same fun extreme Dynasty Warriors fights, but with a few new options; interesting cities; looks pretty good; varied characters and many story options and perspectives.

➖ Technical side is disappointing; open world is boring; sometimes too easy; enterhaak and stealth adds nothing.

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