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E3 06: Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 Hands-On Impressions

Dynasty Warriors returns to the PSP in Vol. 2, and we get to go hands-on with it at Koei's E3 2006 display.

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LOS ANGELES--Dynasty Warriors was released during the PSP's launch last year, and while it got the basic concept of a Dynasty Warriors game down pat, it lacked enough content outside of the main single-player mode to keep players engaged, and it also looked pretty rough around the edges. However, never one to rest on its laurels, Koei is bringing Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 out this fall to PSPs in North America.

Vol. 2 follows the age-old formula of Dynasty Warriors, where you'll find yourself in ancient China as one of a whole bunch of colorfully dressed, anime-inspired interpretations of real-life Chinese warriors, and you are cutting, hitting, or generally beating up lots and lots of dudes. Like in the last game's musou mode (the primary single-player campaign), you won't just be running around a large, open-ended battlefield as you would in the console versions of Dynasty Warriors. Instead, each battlefield will be represented by a gridlike map, with sections broken out between the opposing territories. You simply campaign your way through individual sections, strategically taking key areas, and in each area, killing as many enemies as you can. Each side's morale effectively decides who takes the territory. If you take out enough of the enemy leaders and soldiers in a section, the remaining troops will retreat, and the territory is yours.

Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 will include all 48 of the currently known Dynasty Warriors characters, as well as 50 different stages and 31 maps. One new gameplay addition is that you'll be able to keep a stable in the game, with up to eight horses and elephants that gain experience during battle. Otherwise, our time with the game gave us the impression that Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 will be very, very similar to the last game. It does look a little cleaner than the previous game, and it does include multiplayer combat with a battle royal mode for up to four players. Unfortunately, the multiplayer wasn't on display at the show.

Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 looks like a pretty typical offering from the Dynasty Warriors universe, but the addition of multiplayer could make it a more appealing product than the last PSP Warriors game. We'll bring you more on Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 as information becomes available.

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