Dynasty Warriors 8 once again folds the territorial conflicts of Three Kingdoms-era China into a histrionic hack and slash: it's a formula that's served Koei well since the turn of the century, and you'd be foolish to expect anything drastically different here. Yet while the publisher fair churns out the Warriors spin-offs and add-ons, the mainline entries always feel like they've had a bit of extra love lavished on them, and that's certainly evident this time. The recipe may be familiar, but Dynasty Warriors 8 skillfully addresses fan criticisms in the most engaging, well-rounded entry in the series to date.
It does this not just by adding more stuff, as is the way of the sequel, but by making that stuff matter. So while a host of new playable characters takes the roster well over the 70 mark (and thus making it a bit confusing for the uninitiated), this time they all handle differently thanks to distinctive moves and special attacks. Take two of the nine newcomers, for example: the Wu kingdom's suave Lu Su sweeps aside opponents with a rake, while Shu's Guan Xing carries a pair of wingblades, gliding and swooping across the battlefield. I also enjoyed Jin's Jia Chong, albeit less for his combat style than his dark personality and devious machinations; he's the kind of ally you can never fully trust. They're brought to life with the usual hammy or overly mannered performances that have grown oddly endearing over the years, though it's about time Omega Force did something about the battle cries of the defeated, which repeat ad nauseam.
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