Only for enthusiasts!
For fans of either series you are treated to a veritable macrocosm of characters. 77 playable in all and it spans 4 storylines each consisting of 7 core stages and 7 extra stages. There are no sure fire alliances as old ones are brokens while new ones are made. It is not unlikely to see a character from the Shu dynasty battling against their comrades in the game either as the story is as compelling as it is complex and intricate.
The gameplay is quite similar to both games, but there is one distinction of 3 character types: Power, Speed, and Technique. Power characters can shrug off hits whereas Speed characters excel at air dashes and running away. Technique characters have a self-buff/counter that they can use against enemies.
Overall you'll find that the draw distance has been increased and that there is more tech'ing you need to do for the game. Characters level up to a max of 99 and there are weapon fusions to boost old weapons stats to a max of 10. One of the biggest surprises is the acquisition of 4th weapons. Fans of the series will know that 4th weapons involve a series of quests in a stage set on Hard difficulty. In Warriors Orochi, just play any stage on Hard with 4-star difficulty or higher and there is a chance it will drop (Increase your chance with Luck!).
The downsides to the game are quite a few. For one the story is jumbled and messy. You have to play all 4 story-lines to get the jist of what is going on. Beacuse there are 77 characters, there is TOO little character interaction and the game focuses on core characters that do not really make you believe in them. A more individualized story for each character would have done wonders for this game. Instead of 4 maybe 6 or even 8 would have sufficed. Out of 77 characters, 4 story-lines is NOT enough.
Another downside is the lack of CG. I understand the game itself is pushing the boundaries of content. But I miss the CG's of DW and SW and it really adds insight to the characters and the game. Perhaps the biggest draw back to the game is the VOICE ACTING. I will never EVER understand why Koei chooses to replace the VA for each series. I dont think its too much to ask them to keep old VA. I understand that some would move on to other projects, but some of these voices are just too weird. For example, Hideyoshi Toyotomi (Buggs Bunny)! Why is there no Japanese voice option? Dynasty Warriors 3 had that option and so did a few Xbox DW games.
Overall, Warriors Orochi is a giant collection of casts that does not do enough to justify the games existence. Coupled with the horrendous VA and limited storyline, this game is simply for the fans.