AWSEEEEMMMM......the cooooooool warrior game
User Rating: 9.3 | Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends PS2
I have my issues with the Dynasty Warriors series -- or rather, I have issues with the redundancy of the endless barrage of indistinguishable sequels that come out in its name. But, as a professional, I'm duty-bound to give Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends a fair shake. There's a surprising amount of new modes to check out, which at least gives you new motivation for playing the same thing for the umpteenth time. But no, it's still not good in my professional opinion. Let me digress a bit to talk about the game called "Tag." We all played it as youngsters, right? It's a fun little game. There are several variations -- Freeze Tag, Octopus Tag, TV Tag -- but they all just center around chasing people and smacking them to make them "it." Likewise, KOEI can vary Dynasty Warriors all it wants, and in DW 5: Xtreme Legends the company varies things more than usual, but it's still just running around smacking people. Dynasty mode is the best of the new inclusions. It's like a career mode in that you create a character, pick your leadership, and work your way up. The face and hair options are plentiful enough that you can find a unique combo, but there are only three possible weapons at start. Follow your leader's advice, and you'll get promotions and gifts. Skills -- like 4-hit combos, the ability to use musou attacks, and different types of areas -- are bought with points earned, and you'll also unlock new outfits. I liked the defection/betrayal option, as it adds much-needed drama to the mix. However, what I didn't like was following a commanding officer as idiotic as the rest of the A.I. troops. My superior was literally bouncing off the walls inside of a base, instead of having her squad coming to back me up. Remember, all the old Dynasty Warriors flaws like that will still rear their ugly heads early and often. Xtreme mode is a glorified survival mode, where you try to get as far as possible without losing a life. There's no health pick-ups on the map, though; you can only buy them at shops between battles (if you're lucky). You may find your money goes further paying off other characters to join you. There's no saving, either -- unless you want to stop for the night. Die, and it's most assuredly game over. This mode isn't too bad, either, but you'll probably only play it once or twice. Unlike Dynasty mode, the drama is more in trying to survive, rather than story-based twists. Then you've got Legend mode, which is simply one-off battles, but does allow co-op play; and Challenge mode, which I've never found fun but at least has online rankings if you're so inclined.
