Dynasty Warriors 4 not only provides good hacking and slashing but also has some educational value too.
THE GOOD
-Large cast of playable characters
-Most of the game is based on historical fact
-Good battle system
THE BAD
-Gameplay gets very repetitive
-Enemies disappearing and reappearing is confusing
OVERVIEW
Dynasty Warriors 4 is the fourth game in the series that's based around the Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China. During this brief 60 year period (220 AD – 280 AD) three distinct kingdoms fought constantly among each other. These three groups were known as Wei (led by Cao Cao), Shu (led by Liu Bei), and Wu (led by Sun Quan). For the most part, a lot of people and events in this game were based on historical fact but there are a few things that were exaggerated to enhance the gameplay. You'll get a chance to use many of the well known heroes from this time period. Each hero has an interesting story that plays throughout the entire game. Along the way you'll interact with other notable heroes (playable characters) and find out how all their stories intertwine. DW4 is a Beat-'Em-Up type game that does a good job of mixing history with button mashing.
GAMEPLAY
The style of gameplay for Dynasty Warriors 4 is best described as a button mashing game with some strategic elements thrown in to keep things fresh and exciting. First, at the main menu you have the option to do the following things: Musou Mode, Free Mode, Versus Mode, Challenge Mode, Edit Mode, Encyclopedia and Options. Musou Mode is the story mode or the main part of the game. Free Mode lets you play any of the levels that you have unlocked in Musou Mode. Versus Mode puts you up against another friend or computer player in one-on-one combat. Challenge Mode (single player only) will put your skills to the test in a series of different events like Endurance (kill as many enemies before you die) and Time Attack (kill a certain amount of enemies within the time allotted). Edit Mode lets you create a warrior or a team of bodyguards. Encyclopedia mode is the place to read up on your favorite heroes and learn more about the actual history of the Three Kingdoms period. Lastly, Options is where you can go to change the difficulty, controls and view movies that you have unlocked.
Dynasty Warriors 4 offers a huge cast of characters. Some you start out with and some must be unlocked. There are a total of 42 characters in the game from the evil Cao Cao to the infamous Zhuge Liang. Each character has different starting attributes like health, musou, attack and defense. Musou is a meter that fills up when defeating enemies and once it maxes out, your character will be able to perform a super attack. The controls for each character are the same but the attacks are different. Heroes are able to perform combos (a series of successful hits) on enemies to earn more points and the chance to enhance your characters attack and defense attributes (if performed on another hero). Most of the time will be spent running around and attacking with your primary weapon but you do have the option to block, taunt and use your bow. The controls are very good (except for when you are using a horse) for this game but the constant button mashing makes the game feel very repetitive.
Besides the constant button mashing, the battle system for Dynasty Warriors 4 is good. In the Musou Mode, after selecting your character, a battle map will appear with several options to perform. This is a briefing before the fighting takes place. Here you'll get to see the layout of the terrain, where enemy and ally forces start, and have the option to change your weapons and bodyguards. Not only can you equip weapons and accessories (found in previous battles) but you can change up how your bodyguards will behave on the battle field. You can equip your bodyguards with short or long range weapons and choose their tendencies like relying more on attacking, defending or a balance. Your loyal bodyguards will fight with you throughout the entire battle until they die. Also, you can give them orders on the battle field at any time. Once you're done making changes and learning about the battle, the battle begins. For the most part, you have free reign to travel anywhere on the map and fight anybody that gets in your way. Enemies will appear on your mini map to help you find where the action is at any time. One thing that gets confusing is the fact that since your range of sight is limited, it seems like enemies keep appearing and disappearing in front of you. So, sometimes it's difficult to battle a specific enemy because they could disappear off your screen. Each battle has main objectives (which are needed to win the battle) and optional objectives (usually helps out and can prove to be rewarding). Along the way you'll encounter other heroes that may challenge you to a duel. If a duel happens there is a short conversation between the two and then a one-on-one battle occurs. As you defeat other heroes you'll earn new accessories and weapons to equip later. DW4 has a unique morale system that fluctuates based on your army's performance in battle. The higher the moral the stronger the army gets. So, there are a few minor strategic elements mixed into the action. This is a nice plus.
The leveling system works based on your performance from the previous battle. As you defeat enemies and other heroes you'll earn points towards the next level and thus increasing your characters attributes. Attributes increase at different levels based on each character. This adds a nice role playing aspect to the game.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The graphics are superb in Dynasty Warriors 4. The colors and detail for the characters and environments are beautiful. The visuals are probably the best part about this game.
The music is fair in DW4 but the sound effects are great. The sound effects really enhance the quality of the gameplay and make you feel like you're participating in a real battle. As you fight your way through enemies you'll hear weapons clang and soldiers yell.
CONCLUSION
If you're a fan of the series then this game won't disappoint you because it has added a lot of new things. Unless you enjoy repetitive hacking and slashing, you might get bored of this game fairly quick. But for all those fans of button mashing type games, Dynasty Warriors 4 will provide hours of fun. Not only is DW4 an intense action game but educational too.