Dynasty Warriors (1997 video game)

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Dynasty Warriors
Dynastry Warriors cover.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Omega Force
Publisher(s) Koei
Series Dynasty Warriors
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • JP: February 28, 1997
  • NA: June 27, 1997 [1]
  • PAL: December 1998
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single player, two player

Dynasty Warriors [a] is a weapon-based fighting video game developed by Omega Force [2] and published by Koei. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation for all territories. Unlike the later installments in the series which are hack and slash, Dynasty Warriors is a "one-on-one" fighting game.

Contents

Contemporary gaming journalists noted Dynasty Warriors for being a startling departure from the strategy games that Koei was known for. [3] [4] Upon release, it was greeted as a success in this regard by most critics.

Gameplay

All combat is weapon-based, similar to the Samurai Shodown , The Last Blade , and Soulcalibur series. [5] Rather than having a single all-purpose block button, as in most fighting games, the player must parry the enemy's strikes by executing their own attack at the same height with the correct timing, leaving the enemy vulnerable to attack. [5] The stages are in Dawn, Noon, and Dusk.

Name and series

In Japan, the game was released as Sangokumusou. With the next installment in the series a departure in genre and style from the original Dynasty Warriors, it was entitled Shin Sangokumusou in Japan. Nevertheless, in Europe and North America, the game was released as Dynasty Warriors 2, leading to a discrepancy in title numbers that has continued ever since.

Characters

The game features 16 characters, six of whom are hidden by default. These characters are mainly historical figures from the Three Kingdoms era of China, [4] though two characters, Nobunaga and Toukichi, are figures from the Warring States period of Japan; they only appear in this game and the Samurai Warriors spin-off series. The characters are not grouped into factions, as each have individual slots similar to most fighting games; for convenience, characters are listed according to the factions they are accorded to in later games.

Shu Wei Wu Other
Guan Yu Cao Cao Lu Xun Diao Chan
Zhang Fei Dian Wei Sun Shang Xiang Lü Bu
Zhao Yun Xiahou Dun Taishi Ci Nobunaga
Zhuge Liang Xu Chu Zhou Yu Toukichi

Bold denotes default characters.

Development

Dynasty Warriors was first unveiled at the November 1996 PlayStation Expo, shocking attendees familiar with Koei's track record of historical simulation video games. [2] The character's animations were all created using motion capture. [4]

Reception

Dynasty Warriors was met with positive reception upon release. GameRankings gave it a score of 78% based on 7 reviews. [6] It was called "a fluid, masterful fighter... a breath of fresh air in a world of repetitive, eye-candied wannabes" by Game Informer [10] and "an intriguing mix of Tekken -like polygonal fighters, a difficult but ultimately rewarding defense system, and a deep and complex backstory based on actual, historic figures" by Next Generation . [3] Most critics said it was roughly on par with its nearest competitor, Soul Blade , [9] [10] [12] [3] though GamePro held that Soul Blade was clearly superior, elaborating that "the glaring lack of kick attacks cuts the fun in half." [16]

Critics widely remarked that the translation of the historical setting into a fighting game was surprisingly successful, offering players an experience that is painstakingly authentic and even educational. [9] [10] [12] [3] Most also found the defensive system difficult to master but highly rewarding. [9] [10] [12] [3] Crispin Boyer remarked in Electronic Gaming Monthly that "Dynasty Warriors lets those who like and those who dislike block buttons beat each other up in peace and harmony." [9]

The visual were also well-regarded, particularly the detail in the characters [9] [12] [16] and the smoothness of the animation. [9] [10] [16] However, many criticized the static, two-dimensional backgrounds, [9] [12] [3] though Next Generation appended that they were most likely a necessary trade-off for the smoothness of the frame rate. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dynasty Warriors</i> Video game series

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koei</span> Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978

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Dynasty Warriors 2, known in Japan as Shin Sangokumusō (真・三國無双), is a crowd-combat sequel to the fighting game Dynasty Warriors. It is the second game in the Dynasty Warriors series, but the first in the Shin Sangokumusō series. The game was released in other countries as Dynasty Warriors 2, leading to the discrepancy in title numbers. In North America and Europe, it was released as a launch title for the PS2.

<i>Dynasty Warriors 3</i> 2001 video game

Dynasty Warriors 3 is a hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force (ω-force) and published by Koei. It is third in the Dynasty Warriors series in North America and the second in the Shin Sangokumusou series in Japan. It is a spin-off from the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms and based around a series of books by the same name, written by Luo Guanzhong. It contains a number of fictional and non-fictional elements from the same era in Chinese history that Romance of the Three Kingdoms is set but follows the main events of part of the story which is to unify China under the single rule of a kingdom.

<i>Dynasty Warriors 5</i> 2005 video game

Dynasty Warriors 5 is a hack and slash video game set in China and the fifth installment in the Dynasty Warriors series, developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is based on the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong.

<i>Dynasty Warriors Online</i> 2006 video game

Dynasty Warriors Online, known as Shin Sangoku Musou Online in Japan, was a massively-multiplayer online game originally released for Microsoft Windows in Japan in 2006, and for PlayStation 3 on February 18, 2010. The game belongs to Tecmo Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series, as well as the larger Romance of the Three Kingdoms meta series, which is based on the Great Classical Novel of the same name.

<i>Dynasty Warriors</i> (2004 video game) 2004 video game

Dynasty Warriors is a game in the Dynasty Warriors series for the PlayStation Portable, created by the game development company Koei. This game was released as a launch title in Japan on December 16, 2004 and as a launch title on March 17, 2005 in North America, and September 1, 2005 in Europe. The sequel to this game is Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2.

<i>Dynasty Warriors Advance</i> 2005 video game

Dynasty Warriors Advance is a video game for the Game Boy Advance portable handheld system, part of the Dynasty Warriors series. The game was published by Nintendo, and developed by Koei using their external development company Omega Force. It was released on August 29, 2005.

<i>Dynasty Warriors: Gundam</i> 2007 video game

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, originally released in Japan as Gundam Musou, is a 2007 video game based on the Gundam anime series. It was developed by Omega Force and published by Namco Bandai Games. Its gameplay is derived from Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series. The "Official Mode" of the game is based primarily on the Universal Century timeline, with mecha from Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ appearing in the game, as well as a few units from Mobile Suit Variation and Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory appearing as non-playable enemy units. The "Original Mode" of the game also features mecha from the non-UC series Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Turn A Gundam. A newly designed non-SD Musha Gundam designed by Hajime Katoki is also included.

<i>Warriors Orochi</i> 2007 video game

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<i>Dynasty Warriors 6</i> 2007 video game

Dynasty Warriors 6 is a hack and slash video game set in Ancient China, during a period called Three Kingdoms. This game is the sixth official installment in the Dynasty Warriors series, developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game was released on November 11, 2007 in Japan; the North American release was February 19, 2008 while the Europe release date was March 7, 2008. A version of the game was bundled with the 40GB PlayStation 3 in Japan. Dynasty Warriors 6 was also released for Windows in July 2008. A version for PlayStation 2 was released on October and November 2008 in Japan and North America respectively. An expansion, titled Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires was unveiled at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show and released in May 2009.

<i>Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce</i> 2009 video game

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, originally released in Japan as Shin Sangokumusou Multi Raid, is a hack and slash video game for the PlayStation Portable. It is based on Dynasty Warriors 6. It was released in February 2009 in Japan and Q2 2009 in North America, Europe, and Australia. A console release of the game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was released in Japan on October 1, 2009. American and European versions followed in February 2010. Its sequel Shin Sangokumusou Multi Raid 2 was released in Japan on March 11, 2010 for the PlayStation Portable, and on July 26, 2012 for PlayStation 3.

<i>Dynasty Warriors 7</i> 2011 video game

Dynasty Warriors 7 is a hack and slash video game and the seventh official installment of the Dynasty Warriors series. It is developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei. The story is based on the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The game was unveiled at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show. On 26 October, it was revealed at the Koei Press Conference to have improved graphics and gameplay, with the support of stereoscopic 3D. Tecmo Koei released it in North American on 29 March 2011, in Europe on 8 April 2011 and in Australia on 14 April 2011, after news that it has been delayed and was released on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Tecmo Koei Japan had released Dynasty Warriors 7 with Xtreme Legends, along with downloadable content up to October 2011 released on PlayStation 3 version, on Microsoft Windows. It was later released worldwide in December 2018 via Steam as Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition.

<i>One Piece: Pirate Warriors</i> (video game) 2012 video game

One Piece: Pirate Warriors is an action video game developed by Omega Force and published by Bandai Namco Games for PlayStation 3. It was released on March 1, 2012, in Japan, September 21, 2012, in Europe and September 25, 2012, in North America. The game was developed in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the One Piece manga and anime franchise by Eiichiro Oda. Pirate Warriors was also the first title in the One Piece video game franchise which was released on a PlayStation system since One Piece: Grand Adventure in 2006.

<i>Dynasty Warriors 8</i> 2013 video game

Dynasty Warriors 8 is a hack and slash video game and the eighth official installment of the Dynasty Warriors series. It is developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei. The story is based on the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Having more than 82 characters featured in the game, the game largely based its system on Dynasty Warriors 7 and focused on adding more content for replayability while also making several tweaks to the combat system.

<i>Dynasty Warriors Next</i> 2011 video game

Dynasty Warriors Next is a hack and slash video game and a spin-off title of the Dynasty Warriors series of video games. Developed by Omega Force and published by Koei, it was released for the PlayStation Vita. Similar to the other games in the franchise, the game's plot follows that of the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. The game was developed as a Vita launch title, and was released along with the console in all regions.

<i>Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada</i> 2016 video game

Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada, known in Japan as Sengoku Musou ~Sanada Maru~, is a hack and slash game by Koei Tecmo through their development subsidiary, Omega Force. It is a spin-off of Samurai Warriors 4, part of the Samurai Warriors series, which in turn is a spin-off of the long-running Dynasty Warriors series, both of which are also hack and slash games. It was released on November 23, 2016 in Japan to coincide with the airing of the climax episode of the ongoing NHK TV taiga drama Sanada Maru. It was released in North America and Europe in 2017.

<i>Dynasty Warriors 9</i> 2018 video game

Dynasty Warriors 9 is a hack-and-slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo. It was released in February 2018 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.

References

  1. ↑ "eb world coupons and rebates". 1997-07-14. Archived from the original on 1997-07-14. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  2. 1 2 "PlayStation Expo: Sony Shows Off in Japan". Next Generation . No. 25. Imagine Media. January 1997. pp. 14–6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Breaking Away". Next Generation . No. 32. Imagine Media. August 1997. p. 115.
  4. 1 2 3 "Dynasty Warriors: Block Buttons Abound in Koei's First Fighter" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 94. Ziff Davis. May 1997. p. 104.
  5. 1 2 "NG Alphas: Sangoku Musou". Next Generation . No. 25. Imagine Media. January 1997. pp. 89–90.
  6. 1 2 "Dynasty Warriors for PlayStation". GameRankings . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ Ziegler, Adam. "Dynasty Warriors (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Sangoku Musou". Edge . No. 44. April 1997. p. 87.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Review Crew: Dynasty Warriors" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 96. Ziff Davis. July 1997. p. 52.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dynasty Warriors". Game Informer . May 1997. Archived from the original on October 21, 1997. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  11. ↑ Cooke, Mark (April 1997). "Dynasty Warriors Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on June 6, 1997. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fielder, Joe (April 1, 1997). "Dynasty Warriors Review (PS)". GameSpot . Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  13. ↑ IGN staff (June 27, 1997). "Dynasty Warriors (PS)". IGN . Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Test : Dynasty Warriors". Jeuxvideo.com. March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  15. ↑ Jim (November 1997). "Dynasty Warriors". Playstation Plus . No. 26. pp. 95–96. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 Dr. Zombie (July 1997). "PlayStation ProReview: Dynasty Warriors". GamePro . No. 106. IDG. p. 86. Archived from the original on February 15, 2005. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Full review appears only in printed version.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sangokumusō (Japanese: 三國無双)
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