Review by Gianluca “DottorKillex” Arena
Punctual for several years now, each new regular Dynasty Warriors is followed by an Empires version, which attempts to deepen the dynamics of the hack'n'slash game by combining two historical Koei sagas (the other is that of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms), with mixed results so far: if on the one hand the attempt to offer something more than a simple (and retired) action game is appreciable, on the other hand the heart of the gameplay remains unchanged, giving us a series of products that end with being neither meat nor fish.
Are we the year of the turning point?
The unification of China
Unifying China under a single banner is the ultimate engine of Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires, which showcases its Empire Mode, which returns, enhanced and expanded, from the seventh episode, with all its train of tactical implications to enrich the usual skirmishes. on the battlefield.
After choosing their role, each with its specific duties and characteristics (a ruler holds the supreme power, a strategist has the final say on the tactics to be adopted once on the battlefield and a nomad has great freedom of movement and choice on the banner to take an oath to), the player will be introduced to a succession of battles fought with the now well-known rhythm of the title and more reflective phases, in which to unravel between menus, weaving alliances, friendships and loves, complete with generation of an offspring, whose aesthetic values and characteristics will be randomly decided by the software.
The editor, although full-bodied as per tradition, seemed to us virtually identical to that of the last iteration, with a large amount of variables but characters who tend to look a little alike: the possibility of going to affect even your own coat of arms is welcome, on the layout of the simple units and even on our standard steed.
Allying with the neighboring kingdoms rather than invading them and passing their population to the sword will be choices dictated by the succession of events, and, given the return to a system of growth in levels (with the level cap set at 99) in place of that of fame of the past chapters, the player will feel more free to choose for his alter ego a path of blood and suffering, making him the oriental version of Attila in place of the classic unblemished and fearless general.
The tactical variants are roughly the same already seen in the past, with the enemy artificial intelligence which, unlike what happens on the battlefield, will try to offer a credible resistance, besieging the most remote provinces of our empire: we decide if and how the latter will have to be defended, through battles very similar to the offensive ones but with a limited duration of five minutes, after which we will be able to say safe.
Disappointment has the sound of battle
While not all of these strategic dynamics are well balanced (instant builds, we're looking at you), the options are nevertheless plentiful and the longtime enthusiast won't hesitate to find bread for their teeth.
Too bad then that, once we get on the battlefield, we are served up again the same soup that Tecmo Koei now heats two or three times a year, including spin-offs, sequels and re-editions: button mashing reigns supreme and every type of depth and tactical finesse is sacrificed on the altar of accessibility at all costs, with the result that, after the first fifteen minutes of enthusiasm, the game really seems to have little else to say.
The huge variety of selectable weapons and characters is nullified by hundreds of repetitive situations, in which we will pass thousands of enemies indistinguishable from each other, driven by a decidedly incomplete artificial intelligence and rarely able to put the player, even at the highest difficulty levels.
The need to move quickly from one corner of the map to another to defend troubled generals as well as sensitive targets tries to shuffle the cards on the table, as well as the return of Stratagems, a sort of cards to be summoned in the topical moments of the battle, which allow to turn seemingly desperate situations: altering the weather is only one of these, but it is also one of the best, because the weather conditions will favor certain elemental effects.
Summoning a shower of lightning during a blizzard will cause the enemy a bonus amount of damage compared to implementing the same move when the sun is shining: little things like this testify to a discreet attention to detail, testament to the love of the development team for their saga. ; perhaps precisely for this reason Omega Force insists on a tested but also worn out game formula, which has been repeated wearily for too many years and which, despite decent sales results (especially at home), is alienating many fans of the first hour.
The landing on the current generation of consoles of the Empires sub-series, in this sense, has not brought weight news, only improving the stability of the framerate and the general glance, without the greater computational power having brought a breath of air. fresh within the brand.
Technical immobility
The immobility of which the entire series has now made its distinctive mark also extends to the technical side, whose progress is constant but terribly slow: the happiest note is represented by the framerate of the PS4 version, which we tested, which, in thirty hours of testing, has moved from 60 fps in no more than a couple of occasions, and in any case in a barely perceptible way.
Considering the chaos that is on the screen during the most advanced missions and the hundreds of characters moved by the graphics engine at the same time, the result is certainly noteworthy: rather sorry that we cannot speak as well of the rest of the production, with some textures. too much to the limit of low resolution, an uninspired overall design and fluctuating quality intermission footage, ranging from inadequate to more than satisfactory in the turn of an afternoon of play.
The quantity of the playful offer is not in question: given that you have managed to pass over a gameplay equal to itself for too many years, you will have a lot to play, including online modes, an endless cast of characters and the scenario editor.
Final comment
From year to year, from re-release to re-release, the regret for the direction taken by the Dynasty Warriors saga increases, and this Empires version is no exception: if Omega Force channeled the devotion to its brands in the search for new gameplay solutions , maintaining the amazing playful offer and attention to detail, we would find ourselves in our hands an almost indispensable brand, moreover every six months.
In the current state of things, however, Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires represents anything but an essential purchase, and will only satisfy the most avid fans of the saga: all the others can move on without too many regrets, or, at the most, wait for a substantial price cut.
