This is the best in the series but it's still not a great series.
User Rating: 7.1 | Shin Sangoku Musou 3 Empires (w/Mushouden Premium Box) PS2
DW4: Empires adds a much needed new element to the DW games which is strategy. In this game you basically do what you do in all the other games, but now you control your own empire, in fictional mode you can pick whatever character to want to start an empire (Even edit characters) then other regions will be filled in with randomized characters from the game. Then you start your quest for greatness. At the beginning of each turn you can choose something a general offers you. It could be "Get 500 more troops" or "Recruit new generals" or anything really after that you get to choose where to attack. You can only attack places around you which makes it more realistic. When you attack a place you select 3 Generals to join the battle (Along with all their troops) and 3 Liutents to come with you (And their troops). When on the battlefield not much has changed in gameplay all the characters from DW4 have the same attacks, shouts and what not. The only difference is that your 2 other generals can do "Speical" moves. This could be ambushing units, or charging the enemy. None of these are too creative, Ambush is just spawning 20 enemies in one area and Charging or Defending just making and effort to move somewhere. There's a new stronghold system but it's nothing to write home about. The major difference is before the battle when equiping your character all the items you collect won't always be there. It takes time for your cities to make a tech that allows you to use the item 1 or 2 times before they have to make the tech again. That's basically all that's changed in the game, the graphics are the same, controls are the same, your character can't control your own army or where they go, you can't do your speical in battle, the drawdistance still sucks, and the game's framerate still slows down when allies and enemies are on the screen at the same time. The game is still fun for me after a 5 month break from it if you like mindlessly killing stuff for hours then I suggest you get this game, if your looking for something new to DW I wouldn't suggest getting this there isn't much change all in all.
