Source: Youtube Channel gameboyuk
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Genre: Action Hack-n-Slash
Pros:
-Vast improvement from Dynasty Warriors 6
-Dynamic changes to story mode and combat system
-65 characters to choose from, each with their own person EX attack and 2 different musou attacks
-Campaigns for all characters is melded into 4 separate stories for each faction for a full campaign experience
-Conquest mode has high replay value and the ability to play co-op online
Cons:
-Some graphics lag is still present
-Much more difficult to max out on skills, stats and abilities than past DW games
-No ability to create custom characters
-Not enough time in the day to play the game even more
With the disappointment of Dynasty Warriors 6, I was reluctant to playing or even caring about the release of Dynasty Warriors 7. Upon watching preview videos and reading some of the changes in the combat system and the revival of the combo system, I was compelled to learn more about the game. I felt like I was getting tricked into getting back into the series, but I was too curious. My first reactions to the game were mixed and confused. The color palette felt darker and realistic than past DW games, there seemed to be a bit of frame skipping and lag, the combo system was back, and much more. It was hard to take in all at once, but after playing through 1 out of 4 of the story lines and playing through the new conquest mode, I was convinced that this was perhaps the best DW right next to DW5. The ability to switch between weapons, having more enemies on the screen, having a stylish and dynamic musou system, bringing back the original combo system with a unique EX attack for each character, a more heartfelt and continuous story campaign, an adventurous conquest mode, very challenging difficulty levels, adding a 2nd musou for each character and the addition of the Jin Dynasty/Faction truly pierced all expectations for the series and delivered simply the best experience a DW game could possibly give for the PS3.
Graphics
The graphics were the first change that crossed my mind when first starting out. The textures of models and environments were more earth toned and realistic compared to past DW games where colors were brighter and more vibrant. I also noticed that there were 3-5 times more enemies on the screen and that the camera was pulled back a little further to see that amount. The problem with past DW games was that enemies disappeared sometimes when there were too many at once because the graphics couldn’t support it or that it would have graphics lag. In DW6, the camera was too darn close to the player and it obscured the vision of the player when all the allies and enemies grouped up. These were all taken upon development in DW 7 when they recreated the engine to allow more enemies on the screen, pulled the camera back and angled it a bit downwards, and eliminated as much lag as possible (it still exists sometimes). I’m not sure why, but the game lagged a lot in the beginning. It could be that my eye adjusted to it or that the system was able to keep up with the game, but the lag doesn’t seem to be there anymore when I play. The user interface changed as well. The health bar is one sleek line with the musou bar as smaller bars curved alongside the health bar. Everything is slimmed down and pushed farther to the corners which make the screen size feel a lot larger than any other DW games have. Battles feel a lot more large scale because of all these aspects put together (more enemies, camera pulled back, and more screen space because of new UI). Koei had changed some of the character designs (again) and some of them are alright (others can be questionable). My biggest complaint in the graphics department (other than the usual lag) is that the mini-map in 2 player split screen is a nuisance and a hindrance to my vision. Other than that, the CG cinematics are wonderfully choreographed, cinematics are seem-less with the gameplay so it doesn’t deviate from the gameplay itself, the animation for all the weapons and characters are amazing, the new art style is very different and a nice change, and the sequences for the musou attacks are incredible. Graphics 9/10
Audio
One of the things I love about the DW series is the music. The music is composed by the same guy who has been with the series since the first one. The songs are memorable, dynamic, enjoyable to listen to, and adds a whole different atmosphere to the series. I think it might be the best work the composer has done for the series (though he has always done a wonderful job). The sound effects are a little better than its predecessors since weapon contacts sound and feel more realistic rather than everything sounding very metal or blunt. I have a problem with some of the voice acting though. One character in particular is Guan Yu. He has always been portrayed as a man of valor and courage, but also of wisdom and grace. In this one, they make him sound as angry and uncouth as Zhang Fei. For a few of the voice acting, they seem to be out of character for them. It’s also sad to hear the same one-liners when defeating an enemy. I was hoping there would be at least 3 different lines for them to cycle through. As for the “bad” voice acting, it’s still there and I think it’s become a staple for the series to have hilariously bad voice acting. There is an option to download the Japanese voice, but I find it awkward to play a game about Ancient China when they’re speaking Japanese (I switch it to Japanese for Samurai Warriors though). So 2 out of 3 things improved is pretty good for the audio. Audio: 9/10
Story
Dynasty Warriors doesn’t change its story too much, mainly because it’s based off true historical events. You always start off with the Yellow Turban Rebellion and you go through each character and their 6 chapters and then do it again with the other ones. Not so with DW7. The story is now told through 4 different segments in each of the 4 factions: Shu, Wu, Wei, and the Jin Dynasty which came around the end of the 3 Kingdoms era. Each faction has approximately 20-28 missions told in a continuous journey much like a campaign should be for an action game. The story mode has a lot of cinematics, lots of dialogue, and a little bit of free roaming before a battle begins. The story is loosely based off real events in the history and is changed around a bit to dramatize the plot much like Hollywood directors do for movies based off real life stories. I’ve got to say that Koei really went all out on the story mode for this one as events that happened in past DW games were retold in a different fashion that brought me to tears. There’s so much joking and humor in past ones (possibly because of how bad some of the dialogue and voice acting were), but the story had quite a bit of drama to it. But the humor is still there and quips from no-name soldiers turned the mood around when talking to people in the camp before a battle began. Characters seemed to become more important, emotions felt more real, and the flow of the game and story is something that DW games should have been for the longest time. Some people have complained about the story mode being too long, but I think they’re a good length. I’m just happy that I don’t have to play the Yellow Turban Rebellion 60 times to get all the story lines from all the characters. It’s surprising, but the story is one of the strongest points for the game. It hasn’t changed the plot too much, but it has drastically changed the way it is told. Despite some cheesy lines, bad dialogue and awkward animations in the CG, this is best Koei has ever done in the DW series for the story. Story: 9/10
Gameplay
The biggest disappointment in DW6 was the change in combo system. In previous DW games, the combo system consisted of 6-7 variations of attacks with strong attacks. In DW6, the developers wanted to create a continuous string of attacks by allowing the player to attack with the regular strikes infinitely and then ending the strong attack with only 2 choices: singular and wide. In DW7, they brought back the original combo system along side with having 2 weapons on the field with 2 different musou attacks with each character having their own specialized EX attack as well as having multiple musou bars to execute. This opened so many more possibilities in creating combos and using special techniques to fight in certain situations. The weapon changing system was implemented in Dynasty Warriors: Strike Force and the EX attack came from the Samurai Warriors series that Koei worked on. So they put everything that worked well into DW7 to bring a spectacular experience to the game. It does feel a lot easier to kill enemies in this one, but it’s also easier to get killed as well. I think this design choice was based on how realistic fighting would be like. I was able to get over 1000 K.O.s in my first level of playing. The musou system changed as well. Instead of holding down the musou button for a continuous attack, the musou attack is closer to that of Street Fighter where the player uses up a bar to execute a special attack. This makes musou attacks faster to get through, flashier, and better for creating different kinds of combos since a player can have more than one bar in this one. Story mode has a long continuous campaign that’s pieced by missions. The game does feel a lot more linear than past DW games where strategy was just as important. Strategy is still prominent in the game, but the focus seems to be more on the action aspects. Free mode was taken out for conquest mode. The player travels around China
Overall
The game feels like more could be added to the experience, but the story mode and conquest mode itself is enough to make it complete for now. Koei really made a comeback with this iteration in the series and has renewed my faith in their company. The changes are good, the gameplay is better than it ever has been, and an Xtreme Legends add-on has already been announced for it. I really hate how Koei keeps coming out with the add-ons and selling them for retail price, but the game was so good that I’m actually looking forward to what else they’re able to add to it. I haven’t loved Dynasty Warriors as much as I do now after playing DW7 since DW5 came out. The game is even more fast-paced, has a better system for telling the story, and offers so much dynamics to the gameplay that I can hardly believe that it’s a DW game. I’m looking forward to what Koei can do in the future now that I know that they can handle making such a good game as Dynasty Warriors 7. Overall: 9/10
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