1570: Musou

I think I’m probably going to pick up the PC version of Dynasty Warriors 8 when it comes out, assuming it’s a decent port. (I’ve been tempted by the Vita version but slightly put off by some people saying that it is not a particularly decent port… that said, Dynasty Warriors on the go sounds like a good time.)

I haven’t played a Dynasty Warriors game since… 4, I think? It was certainly one of the PlayStation 2 titles. (I do actually own a PlayStation 3 installment in the series but have never booted it up; it was an acquisition in that dark period where it was looking like video game retail chain Game was likely to go under, so I managed to pick it up for something ridiculous like three quid or something.) Regardless of whenever it was or whichever installment it was, I recall having a lot of fun with these games, as ridiculous as they tended to be.

For those who have never delved into the pleasures of this series, they’re perfect escapist fodder. Taking on the role of one of the legendary heroes from the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” period of Chinese history, it’s your job to hack and slash your way across numerous battlefields, cutting a path through hordes of enemies and sending your foes flying off in all directions. Just to emphasise the ridiculously exaggerated nature of combat in the game, a handy counter in the bottom corner of the screen keeps track of how many “KOs” (no-one dies in Dynasty Warriors) you’ve scored in that session — a number that frequently finds itself well into the thousands.

And yet despite what initially appears to be little more than a button-mashy 3D brawler with an impressive number of rather stupid foes on screen at once, the Dynasty Warriors series has always had a surprising amount of depth to it. You’ll need to manage your character’s condition carefully, for example, for pushing too far into enemy territory without the support of your troops is a good way to get your ass kicked. You’ll have to keep a close eye on your health bar, too, because — at least in the earlier games — restoring it was something you didn’t get to go all that often, meaning you’d often end up limping to the finish line of a mission with but a sliver of health remaining.

What was always truly interesting about it, though, was that it felt like you were a unit in a real-time strategy game. Other stuff was going on around the battlefield independently of you, and you could have an impact on what was going on. Systematically work your way around the known locations of enemy generals, picking them off one at a time, and you’d be able to do some serious damage to the opposing force’s morale, which would in turn make your life a bit easier when the time came to push forward. Alternatively, if you were feeling brave — or well-equipped — enough, you could simply charge forward from the outset and go straight for the main target. It was your choice.

The whole thing was wrapped in some totally anachronistic electric guitar cock-rock and some of the worst voice acting I’ve ever heard, but all this cheesiness simply added to the games’ overall charm. I hope the newer games maintain this slight feel of being done on the cheap, because if I’m honest, it was a significant part of why I liked the older ones.

Anyway. The PC version isn’t out for a few days yet, but I’m actually quite looking forward to jumping back into this series after a significant break, particularly if I can convince some of my friends to play with me — I used to really enjoy split-screen play on the PlayStation 2 versions. Even if I can’t, though, a game in which I can hack and slash my way through thousands of enemies sounds like just the thing to relieve a bit of stress… something I desperately need right now.