Dynasty Warriors 5 - The Greatest Adventure

I’ve enjoyed playing the Dynasty Warriors games for the past few years since the setting is in ancient China. Its rich history has always fascinated me, yet I have never gone there. Dynasty Warriors takes me there virtually and helps me visualize what adventures took place back then. Dynasty Warriors games are based on Luo Guanzhong’s historic novel, Romance of The Three Kingdoms, and all games in the series take you back in time to an ancient land torn apart by chaos.

The latest in this sequence from KOEI is Dynasty Warriors 5. In this game you are equipped with powerful weapons and your character’s strategic wits. You fight your way through huge battlefields filled with hordes of angry enemy warriors. Walk in the boots of 48 different characters, and experience their individual stories, styles and in-game events. Also added are six new characters, 38 new maps (each 30% larger) and a revamped weapon system. With this system, you earn weapons by defeating enemy officers or finding treasure chests. Sometimes I get carried away with this by looking in every nook and cranny for treasures chests. I have lots of fun riding the horses and elephants around . . . yes if you find one, you can ride it! It sure makes eliminating the enemy forces easier and much more efficient.

I’ve been looking forward to the Xbox version since it features Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, which makes a huge difference. There’s also a new voice option: choose between the never-before-released Japanese language with English subtitles or just plain English. I think playing it with the Japanese subtitles makes it more interesting because it gives it an anime flavor.

The gameplay is typically in Musou mode (story mode), but you can also pick the Free mode. The PSP version has 42 characters to choose from and you can uncover seven stories from China’s turbulent past. On all versions, you are given a little history lesson by being given facts and information regarding the time period, battles or characters.

KOEI’s Dynasty Warriors series has generated nearly seven million units in sales worldwide since its initial release in 1997. It is rated T for Teen and was released in March 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and PSP, and it just came out last week for the Xbox. Dynasty Warriors 5 is $49.99 for the Playstation 2 and Xbox versions, and $39.99 for the PSP at CompUSA or Toys n’ Joys.