Genre: Action/Fighting
Publisher: Koei
Developer: Omega Force
Release Date: March 28, 2006
With
Dynasty Warriors 5 and Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends, we've
taken over China and saved respective provinces more times than any of us care
to count by now. However, Koei still wants us to do it all over again, one final
time.
It's okay, though! Because, unlike the last two installments
of DW5, the Empires rendition stars a new
player: you.
Yes, you. By utilizing the general creation mode, or
by simply picking a family to represent, the role of conqueror of the Three Kingdoms
now falls into your lap. While this may seem really cool (and it is), it's not
at all as easy as anyone would want. You've got to manage your own generals and
lieutenants while recruiting new ones, and make sure that nobody gets sent into
impossible odds before battle. You have to make sure that your native territories
don't fall under attack, either by locusts, invading armies, or by any other potential
dangers that may lurk out there. You have to plan your attack campaigns just right
so that you're not overpowered and make little progress. Finally, even if your
empire grows, you'll have just that much more opposition to contend with, of the
stronger variety.
So, no. Taking over China? Not as easy as one would hope.
For all its difficulties and roadblocks, however, DW5 Empires
makes the business of managing and conquering China intuitive via its interface,
and the fun steps it has you take in the process. If you want to take over a territory,
you have but to select it on the map screen. If you can, then prepare for battle.
Otherwise, it's time to spend some money.
Depending on the empires, family, and generals you've
selected to assume the role of, you'll be able to enact any number of possible
strategies, from rallying the people (and their fighting skills) to your side
by distributing money, to forming a temporary alliance with a neighboring territory,
to sending your other generals and lieutenants out to scout for capable people
to fight for you. As your roster grows in this area, so will your military might.
You can also upgrade your blacksmiths, which lead to more powerful accessories
for you and yours.
After you're done with all that, and have become an attack
force, you're finally thrust back into the crazy hack-and-slash action we all
know and love. After all, it's easy enough to express the desire
to take over a territory, but unless you have the strength, skills, and muscle
to back it up, who says that you deserve to? The ensuing battle, modeled after
a standard DW5 hack-and-slash scenario, will decide the fate
of your current campaign. Win, and the territory will become yours. Lose, and
not only will your campaign fail, but any number of consequences detrimental to
your army and status as general will be suffered.
Once your campaign is over, you'll be able to celebrate
in the spoils of war, and upgrade your selected general's weapons, add attributes,
and find out what happened regarding the previous choices you made before your
offensive, and which effects are still in place. It won't take long for an alliance
to finally shrivel up, for example. On the plus side, those weapon upgrades you
picked up on the battlefield will do you some good, as well as the money you've
earned, and the extra firepower gained from a territory you've taken over. Once
you've assessed your situation, it's time to go back to the drawing board, pore
over the empire map once again, and spend some more money to ensure that you become
the master of China.
It's when you're thrust back into the melee fight sequences
that it's most obvious that the game's using the DW5 engine, with minor tweaks
and a different battle strategy. Of course, this means that you're still running
through environments that consist of dozens of soldiers both fighting with and
against you at once. The music, too, is largely the same, along with the voice
acting.
DW5 is the definitive iteration of
Dynasty Warriors, and as such, DW5 Empires
is the definitive iteration of this particular spin-off. If you like a little
bit of brainwork, thought, and planning to go with your taking over China one
step at a time, then look no further than this title, dropping at the end of this
month.
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