This game needs no introduction; it’s possibly the best button smashing, beat ‘em up game ever made and it’s making its first venture onto Next Gen. Xtreme Legends won’t be completely new to those who’ve played Dynasty Warriors 8 on the PS3 though as it’s just an add on to the original game, the PS4 version however will be a Complete Edition that combines the full game with the add-on pack included. This game will be sure to have gamers divided on their thoughts as well, you have fan boys like me who just can’t get enough, then others who believe each game is the same as the last and that pressing square repeatedly can get boring. But to those gamers I say what a load of old tosh, there’s nothing more fun than tearing apart hundreds of enemies with insane combo’s and even more insane weapons like beating people up with a magic scroll, and over the years the game has actually changed quite a lot.
The story follows the usual tale of the three kingdoms, however with the Xtreme Legends add-on there are now even more characters to play as which means even more stories to follow. What excites me most about this game however is that there is also the additional storyline to play as Lu Bu, the most feared, most bad ass, most kick ass awesomest warrior that is on the game, and playing as him really does fill you with the feeling that no one will ever beat you. Obviously you’ll recognise certain battles from previous instalments such as The Yellow Turban Rebellion, and you’ll already know the stories of the likes of Liu Bei, but this latest game has developed the storylines and missions so cut scenes are different and stories seem more constructed compared to some older games. Plus with the all new revamped graphics playing Dynasty Warriors looks better than ever. My only issue is you have to make sure you check mission objectives because if overlooked you can go kick butt only to realise you’ve left one of your officers vulnerable when you’re meant to be protecting them.
There is also the addition of Ambition Mode which sees you playing another story where the land is torn by war, masses of warlords fighting each other to take control, and in fear for his own protection, the Emperor has fled his home to find a hero who can provide protection for him in this time of instability. To do this you will need to select yourself a hero and build up your camp by making allies, gaining fame and earning materials to improve camp facilities. Obviously with this being Dynasty Warriors there is only one way to do anything and that is by going into battle and beating the living daylights out of every enemy you see. The tutorial for this mode takes you through everything step by step, and one nice feature is the way you can fight successive battles. You get your choice from four different battles each time you choose to go out of your camp and fight, some will offer you the chance to get allies, others fame or materials. Once complete you will then be offered a chance to continue your battles, keeping your health from the previous battle and the time limit as well, so you have to think strategically, you don’t want to start a new battle with little health and only a minute left on the clock. The more successive battles that take place the bigger and better your rewards.
The game also enhances another feature that has been introduced into some of the more recent releases, the assignment of elements to weapons. This comes in the form of a rock, paper and scissors kind of system which means you can now have weapons that will offer you an advantage or disadvantage over your opponents. The three elements are Heaven, Earth and Man; each will be stronger than one but weaker than the other and you’ll be able to tell if you’re at a disadvantage in battle as a warning sign will appear over the enemy officer’s head in battle. If you’re equal, sharing weapons of the same element there will be nothing there, and if you have an advantage there will be a small blue symbol. Now this symbol slowly disappears the more you bet down your enemy, and when it disappears it unleashes an epic attack that causes enhanced damage on the opposition. This is really useful when in big groups as it can hurt other soldiers and officers in your surroundings to.
Still one thing that annoys me about Dynasty Warriors which I really wish they’d bring back is the ability to create your own hero and his bodyguards. I mean you do get the option in some of the Dynasty Warrior spin-offs like Empires, but I think the main game could also make use of this feature. It doesn’t have to follow the original story like each original character; it could be given a generic one, or maybe one where you make choices to side with a certain family over another. But in terms of Xtreme Legends it would work really well with the Ambition Mode, having your own hero rescuing the Emperor from the turmoil that engulfs the three kingdoms.
The PS4 also makes some use of the consoles new features as well which are pretty cool to say the least. In terms of the controller not much has been utilised apart from opening menus with the touch pad button, and voices of characters coming out of the controller’s speaker, which in all honestly get annoying with the repetitiveness of what some people say, especially in tutorials. The other features that the game utilises are the ability to record your battle scenes so you can look back over some epic fights and share them online and if that wasn’t enough then you’ll love the fact you can also stream the game online in real-time. That means other gamers can join in your journey through the game from all around the world, who knows maybe your talents will be spotted and you’ll be called up to some eSports team.
So overall the latest addition to Dynasty Warriors is still as good as it always has been, it’s made some improvements on previous versions besides the obvious graphic enhancements on the PS4 and the Ambition Mode makes for some great gameplay. It has also cleverly made use of the PS4’s new features that allow for you to share your gaming experiences with friends and other gamers from around the world. What does annoy me is the fact you can’t create your own people, or bodyguards; there is an option for bodyguards in Ambition Mode itself but you have to choose from established officers, and they can sometimes get in the way during battle. But if you’re a fan of the series it’s obviously a must buy, and hopefully the improvements the game has made will also win over some new fans.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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