Ciph’s Cabinet: Dynasty Warriors

Bi-Weekly Game Reviews

Dynasty Warriors is a series I don’t hear discussed enough, and those who know of it can’t seem to agree on what kind of a game it’s supposed to be. While ironically that’s something my studies allow me to go on about ad infinitum, put bluntly this series can be whatever you want it to be. Whether you’re looking for a meaty experience to dive into or something to dabble in episodically, a challenge or a brain-off dopamine hit, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition will deliver. 

The franchise is set during the Three Kingdoms era of China, modeled after the epic novel retelling the events. Dynasty Warriors 8 lets you choose between the campaigns of those Three Kingdoms—plus two additional side campaigns—and experience a romanticised history of their warlords, major figures or otherwise. Most missions will see your warrior of choice taking on thousands of enemy troops by performing over-the-top combos while seizing various bases on the map to give your allies advantages. The beauty of this easy to learn gameplay loop is that you can scale it to be however in-depth you want. If you ever want to just kick back and have some cathartic fun while feeling like a god amongst men, knocking the difficulty down to beginner or easy makes enemies barely fight back. If you want something genuinely strategic, even just the first difficulty above normal can give you a run for your money. Playing on Ultimate mode is effectively a post-game difficulty only; enemy commanders will exploit and punish any hole in your combo strings, and the mooks are surprisingly competent too. I could barely get through some campaign missions just on hard mode. 

There’s so much room for experimentation and expression. Once clearing a map in the campaign, you can hit it up in free play, with any of the nearly 90 playable characters and two weapons—functionally movesets, of which there are just as many as the number of characters—each combo with their own attributes and synergies. Some of these weapons are ridiculous—even sci-fi—which for a game set around the third century C.E might seem a step too far, but the game isn’t afraid to break from its historic roots for the sake of some fun. Several what-if missions may let you fulfill certain objectives or keep certain allies alive, and every mission is backed by some screaming metal tunes that make it easy to suspend disbelief and bask in the absurdity of one person tearing armies to shreds with a flying carpet. 

It may not be pretty, and the voice acting may make you laugh at some points, but it’s an endearing retelling of the epic novel (which is a great read by the way, Ciph’s bookshelf?) and has something for everyone, no matter your mood. And hey, if ancient China isn’t your vibe, the Warriors franchise has alternatives, with games set in Sengoku Japan, or crossing over with other franchises like Zelda or One Piece. Any game you choose, you’re in for some mayhem. 

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition is available on PC, Xbox One and Series S/X, Playstation 3, Vita, 4, and 5, and Nintendo Switch, including Switch 2. 

Gameplay: 8/10

Writing: 8/10

Aesthetics: 6/10