jason_webb's Full Review: Dynasty Warriors 2 for PlayStation 2
This game is a good mix of action, strategy and RPG. The idea of the game is to pick a hero and guide him or her through seven battles. The difference here is that you are not entirely alone, but playing as part of an army.
On each level, you will be given the task of defeating an overlord (end of level boss if you like), but in order to do this you must first defeat his armies and sub-lords. If all this was not enough, you must also ensure that the enemy armies don’t wipe out your own lord, which is where the strategy comes into play. Although it may seem simple enough to just take the fastest route across the map to fight the overlord, you may find that by the time you have got there, your own lord has been slain ending the game.
You can play the game in one of two modes, Musou mode, which plays like a campaign or free mode which allows you to play single maps of you choice. You will only have access to the first three maps in free mode, until you complete the further stages in Musou mode and then you may only play these with the characters that have completed them.
On entering either mode, you will be offered a selection of characters all with their own various attributes. These are measured through life (amount of damage you can take before you die), attack (amount of damage you do with each attack) and defense (your resistance to attacks made against you).
Before entering into play, you are treated to a movie, explaining the level and the overall storyline. The animations are amazing, and you are treated to several during each level as the enemy launch various attacks against you or generals enter the battle. You are also given an overview of the map, which can be returned to at any stage, to give you a clearer but less detailed state of play.
Playing the game is very much like playing soul blade, but in a free form. You are free to roam anywhere on the map, with the only restrictions being gates or drawbridges on some of the levels, which can be opened by killing the relevant gate keeper. In the top corner of the screen you have a map of the entire playing field, giving you an idea of the state of play. This map can also be zoomed down to give you a view of the immediate area, which is helpful for navigation and assessing the amount of resistance you are about to meet. You will also be given battle updates, which are highlighted on the map, throughout the game on how the other generals and troops are doing in their own battles. This is very helpful as it will let you know where the weaknesses are going to be, so you can act accordingly, which is where the strategy comes in.
When you first start the game, you character will be fairly weak, so it is not a good idea to take on more than one or two enemy at a time. At this stage, it is better to co-ordinate your attacks with other generals and troops. But as you progress through the levels and defeat ‘worthy’ opponents (other lords and generals etc) you will pick up objects that they leave behind, like swords and shields. These objects will raise you attributes permanently if you survive the level, which is where the RPG element comes in. As your character progresses, he/she will become stronger and also be allocated stronger and stronger guards of their own, allowing you more freedom to take on larger forces on your own.
You have four basic attacks to use no matter which character you choose, but each character will perform them in their own way. By pressing the square button you get your basic slash attack, which can be combined up to four time. Running a short distance and pressing square will create a knockout attack. Pressing the triangle button creates a charge attack which is slower but more powerful, usually effecting several enemy if they are in range. The square and triangle attacks can be combined to create more powerful attacks, for example, square – square – square – triangle wil create an attack that sends the enemy flying through the air damaging any other enemy troops he hits.
The final attack, is you Musou attck, which is basically the characters special ability attack. This is activated by pressing the circle button, but is only allowed if you have enough Musou charge available. You can gain Musou by either attacking the enemy or standing and holding the R2 button and absorbing it (the only problem with this is that you could get you backside kicked whilst just standing there). This is a stand alone attack and cannot be combined with the other attacks, but it is very effective if you are under attack by dozens of enemy.
There is also a long distance attack available in the form of a bow, which is deployed by holding down the R1 button. If there is an enemy in the line of sight they will be targeted automatically, but this does not mean that you will hit them every time. If you shoot at an enemy and they move, the arrow will miss, but may hit another if there is a crowd of them moving (this might be a good time to mention that you cannot hurt your own troops). The main use for the bow, is to take out other bowmen in towers and fortress battlements.
Speaking of fortresses, the freedom of the game also allows you to climb up onto the battlements, if you can find the steps. This allows you to take out archers faster and also gain access to some areas that you may not otherwise be able to get to due to locked gates etc.
The gameplay is involving and scores very highly over the standard beat-em-ups out there on the market. The graphics are very well detailed and animated perfectly, especially the horses (play it and see). The longevity is enhanced by the fact the hidden characters are released as you progress through some of the stages, opening up a new challenge. Also with the addition of three difficulty levels, it will keep you at it for a very long time, as each stage in Musou mode initially takes around an hour to play. A MEMORY CARD IS A MUST !!!!
This is a new type of action game that allows you to relive first hand the experiences that made these men and women the Warriors of the Three Kingdom...More at eBay
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