I bought Dynasty Warriors 8: Extreme Legends Compete Edition for the PS4 for cheap at a second-hand store, now I am not new to the series having played the original games back on the PS2 but the series has always been fun and easy to jump into. However the Dynasty Warriors series has not made any drastic improvements other than graphical through the consoles, and some customization options alongside Empire building aspects. These however were all implemented as far back as the PS2 series of games, and since then even in this latest installment the game hasn't changed much. New characters, factions and maps have been added as part of the complete edition however they don't feel much different to the very same factions in the older games.
Game-play hasn't changed much, the objective of pretty much every map and large scale battle is to simply take down the enemy generals and commanders as you push forward, and protect your own leader from harm. This becomes repetitive quite quickly even for me after just the second battle, Dynasty Warriors is a game worth owning but for simple, short and sweet gaming sessions and not long sessions you'd commit to RPG games, or open-world titles. As a hack and slash game, it doesn't require much thinking but it also drains you of interest after two or maybe even three battles before you feel the need to put it down and play something else.
This sadly is the reality of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, especially with it's spin-off games Orochi, Empire and other stand-alone spin-off games. Nothing new or innovative has been added to the game or series, and only now in 2018 are we expecting DW9 which will be open-world according to the developers.
The Good:
- Fun and enjoyable game-play, hack and slash warfare that the Dynasty Warriors franchise is best known for.
The Bad:
- Repetitive game-play, best suited to hardcore fans of the franchise. Objectives are the same, simply defeat generals in battles and take out the enemy's army piece by piece.
- Some graphical issues, cutting out of character models that makes no reasonable sense since this is a PS4 title.
If you're a fan of hack and slash games then give the Dynasty Warriors series a chance, or if you're a diehard fan then you're getting the complete edition of Dynasty Warriors 8 and hours of game-play. Look for it at a pre-owned store, and try to purchase it for a good, cheap price.