Dynasty Warriors 9 is extremely repetitive, and it gets to the point of frustration and boredom. The graphics in game are nothing to talk about. It would be different if the game had subpar gameplay and beautiful scenery, but you won’t find that here. Unchallenging combat is just salt in the wound. This is not a game I recommend, and its 80 something playable characters cannot save it.
A game based on ancient history that should be left in ancient history.
The latest installment of the hack and slash series is here. Just like the predecessors, Dynasty Warriors 9 explores the storylines of tons of characters from different Chinese dynasties, as expected. Some of these characters are new to the series but 83 of them return from older games. There are so many different characters to choose from, it is absurd. Of course, you have to unlock 95% of those characters, what would be the fun in them just giving them all.
It is important to first note the visuals of the game. The graphics are very lackluster. A game that is on PS4 but looks like PS2. When you are running and moving around, the motions seem very awkward. It seems even worse when you ride a horse. When you get close up in conversations, the visuals aren’t any better. It is lacking depth and clarity in which a current generation game should have.
Along with the visuals comes the heads-up display, the map and the menus. Starting with the HUD, It is confusing at first to figure out what means what, as there is so much that is on the screen. When you pull up the map, it is cluttered and not labeled very well. I found myself pointing and clicking to any point, then just riding the horse to my current objective. Lastly, the menus. The menus are very confusing because there are so many options, but there is not a tutorial to explain how to navigate and use the menu.
In terms of the storyline, it is interesting. The stories are based off of real events in history. The first time I played I was introduced to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. This was a real event that occurred in which peasants revolted against the Eastern Han dynasty. Very cool to see this game use actual events to base storylines off of. The open world comes to play as this is the first time in the series you are able to see all of china on the map, through progression. Besides the history part, it is repetitive. Missions require you to go attack some enemy leader, and nothing more than that.
The combat is the game is subpar. Your character is way over powered and no type of enemy is a match. Chances are you won’t even take damage. There is no challenge is this aspect of the game. The attacks are simple in that you can button mash to easily take down anyone in your way. Any boss that you encounter tends to stand around and let you hit them mindlessly.