Dynasty Warriors 7

About

"DYNASTY WARRIORS 7: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition" is an action-packed game set in China's Three Kingdoms era. Experience intense battles as iconic officers, influencing history while wiping out massive armies. With various modes, including Story, Conquest, Legend, and Challenge, players can enjoy a rich and immersive experience, replaying scenarios and testing their skills in unique courses. This definitive edition offers enhanced gameplay and additional content for endless replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 470 reviews

story63 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game features an engaging story mode that effectively presents the Romance of the Three Kingdoms narrative, with emotional character arcs and well-crafted cutscenes.
Gameplay is fun and satisfying, with a classic hack-and-slash style that allows players to take on hordes of enemies, making it a great stress reliever.
The port includes all DLC content, providing a wealth of additional weapons, costumes, and modes, making it a great value for the price.

The game lacks achievements and has some technical issues, such as poor controller support and a confusing control scheme that can frustrate players.
Graphics are dated compared to modern standards, and some players have reported performance issues, including crashes and lag during gameplay.
The combat can feel repetitive over time, and the AI can be frustrating, particularly with enemy officers that can stunlock the player.

story
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
3%
The story in Dynasty Warriors 7 is widely praised for its depth and emotional resonance, effectively adapting the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" narrative with a focus on character development and interwoven storylines across multiple factions. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to present a cohesive and engaging storyline, making it one of the best in the series, despite some criticisms regarding character selection and repetitive gameplay. Overall, the storytelling is considered a standout feature, elevating the game beyond typical hack-and-slash experiences.
- “You feel the chemistry between characters and the struggles they face like no other Dynasty Warriors game even comes close to, and the way the themes of people's dreams and ambitions carrying on through the generations come together by the end of the game's final story is nothing short of poetic.”
- “The unexpected but pleasant strong suit of DW7 is how it handled its story mode.”
- “The game employs new techniques in storytelling too.”
- “Maybe I am just nostalgic for the earlier games, but the story mode in this iteration of Dynasty Warriors is wildly weak, both in mechanics and storytelling.”
- “It's a fine hack and slash game, but if you are looking for any connection to the characters or any semblance of a coherent story mode, look elsewhere.”
- “In the process of being converted into a video game, this story has lost all its potency to terrible voice acting, narrative condensing, and changes to characters that serve to remove all the ambiguity and subtlety that makes them so memorable in the novel.”
gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay of Dynasty Warriors 7 is characterized by its classic hack-and-slash mechanics, offering satisfying combat and a wealth of content, though it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth compared to its competitors. While some players appreciate the nostalgic feel and the seamless transition from cutscenes to battles, others criticize the game for its clone character issue and simplistic mechanics. Overall, it remains accessible and enjoyable for newcomers, but may not meet the expectations of long-time fans seeking innovation.
- “Gameplay is really satisfying and fun; I found little problems in rearranging my muscle memory to fit the new mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is solid and fun, though.”
- “Great for hack 'n' slash games; the storyline is not super deep, but the battle gameplay is just as good, if not better, than the original Dynasty Warriors games I grew up playing.”
- “Maybe I am just nostalgic for the earlier games, but the story mode in this iteration of Dynasty Warriors is wildly weak, both in mechanics and storytelling.”
- “Gameplay is pretty monotonous and it’s the sort of thing I’d suggest if you’re half passed out on the sofa or need something to keep your hands busy while watching Last Week Tonight.”
- “There are a bunch of overpowered weapons unlocked from the start that break the game progression and make a lot of the RPG mechanics obsolete.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the stylistic design and character models, while others criticize them as dated and subpar compared to modern standards. Many noted that the visuals are reminiscent of last-generation consoles, with some even claiming that earlier entries in the series had better graphics. Overall, while the graphics may not impress everyone, they are often overshadowed by the enjoyable gameplay and rich storytelling.
- “The graphics are also super good.”
- “Impressive PC port, I'm surprised that it has much better graphics than DW8 on PC.”
- “Always loved this series so fun you feel like a boss and so much to do get the game people are complaining about graphics that's BS the game is so fun you're not going to regret it.”
- “The graphics definitely aged very poorly, though.”
- “The game is unplayable in my opinion, the graphics are subpar, there is no 1440p, max resolution is 1020 if memory serves me right though it may be 1080p.”
- “This was clearly a game designed for 7th generation consoles and the PC port doesn't do much to enhance the visuals.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
39%
16%
The music in Dynasty Warriors 7 is widely praised as one of the best soundtracks in the franchise, featuring a mix of energetic rock and traditional elements, with many players appreciating the inclusion of tracks from older games through free DLC. However, some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive due to the reuse of certain tracks across missions. Overall, the game's music enhances the gameplay experience, contributing to its engaging combat and storytelling.
- “Best storytelling, music, and presentation in the entire series by a mile.”
- “Music in this game is impressive and can actually rock your cochlea off!”
- “Easily the best soundtrack of the entire franchise.”
- “However, considering past installments, I find the soundtrack a little bit lacking - I can hardly remember any piece of music from the game.”
- “A lot of the same music tracks get repeated; again, the old PS2 games had unique tracks for each stage.”
- “As much as I love this series' music, it gets very repetitive after a while as they use the same songs for many missions.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its competent voice acting, funny cut scenes, and excellent art that adds to the comedic experience. Players appreciate the quirky and often bizarre elements, which contribute to an overall lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere, despite some glitches. The availability of humorous weapons from the start also enhances the fun, especially in challenging modes.
- “The voiceover is funny.”
- “Dynasty Warriors 7 is weird and often funny.”
- “So overall, it's funny, glitchy, yet doesn't offend.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some appreciate the necessity of grinding for power-ups and skill points to tackle harder difficulties, others feel that the post-campaign grind can become tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of engaging content and the drawn-out nature of combat. Overall, grinding is seen as essential for progression, but it can detract from the enjoyment of the game for some players.
- “Enemies will sometimes drop power-ups to temporarily double your stats or permanently improve them by a tiny amount, meaning that grinding is necessary to take on the harder difficulty levels.”
- “No leveling or item pickups besides new weapon discoveries left the story mode rather tedious toward the end (I powered through all 4).”
- “Some of these alternate mission paths required perfect timing, so needless to say, I quickly grew disenchanted, striving only to complete the 'normal main story' of all four kingdoms as opposed to having additional motivation to find all the secrets, which by that point came off as tedious busy work.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Overall, the optimization of the game shows a mixed reception. While some players report significantly improved performance and graphics compared to the original console version, others experience inconsistent performance and a lack of optimization options. A few users noted occasional lag on certain maps, but many found the game to run smoothly without crashes.
- “Features better graphics and better performance compared to the console version.”
- “I had no problems whatsoever in regards to technical performance.”
- “Performance is great, rarely lags, and never crashes.”
- “Downside was the reduced map sizes and the release on Steam; the controls and optimizations are lacking.”
- “It is by far the definitive way to experience Dynasty Warriors 7, despite unfortunately lacking more optimization options, achievements, and removal of the online modes from original console releases, making this release less ideal in many ways.”
- “I can't seem to get the game's performance to be consistent.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety in scenarios and character access, others criticize the lack of free play options and depth in the campaign, which diminishes long-term engagement. Comparisons to previous titles suggest that earlier games in the series may offer better replay value due to more compelling mechanics and emotional storytelling.
- “Honestly the best game in the series (even better than DW8XL) - great story, great characters, great replayability.”
- “To be honest, I prefer DW7XLDX over the latest titles on DW because it has double bar health, aggressive AI, and a much more dramatic story. It sets the emotion when you're playing the game, and it has replayability too, so for $25.10 here, I would say it's worth it; if not, wait for sales.”
- “It's pretty shallow, but it's an interesting idea and gives the game a bit of replayability.”
- “Legends mode is fine and I enjoy the new scenarios and stages, but the lack of free play and hypothetical scenarios in the campaign kills all replayability.”
- “You begin the game with all of the characters unlocked, which is nice but is bad for replay value.”
- “It’s pretty shallow, but it’s an interesting idea and gives the game a bit of replayability.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its strong emotional impact, particularly through professionally-made cut-scenes that enhance the storytelling experience. While it offers a thoughtful and well-scored narrative, some players felt that the depth of the story left them feeling somewhat hollow and unfulfilled. Overall, it is recommended for those interested in the series for its emotional resonance.
- “This and DW6, I would say, are the most emotionally powerful games in the series.”
- “The cut-scenes look professionally made and have a strong emotional impact (unlike DW9).”
- “While I loved having the more in-depth look at the story, it made me feel kind of hollow and unfulfilled.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players criticizing extreme character designs, like Dong Zhou's boar-like appearance, while others appreciate the overall character design and balancing. The option to use older costumes is seen as a positive feature amidst the varied opinions on new designs.
- “Great character design and balancing.”
- “Some character designs have been taken to an extreme, such as Dong Zhou, who looks like a hairy boar.”
- “And boy, do I hate the character designs here... Luckily, I can use the older costumes.”
- “The new character designs are okay.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches that disrupt gameplay and problems with the automatic save feature, leading some players to seek refunds. Despite being considered a good value for a musou game, the mandatory troubleshooting detracts from the overall experience.
- “Ran into many glitches that stopped me from playing.”
- “Worth noting this is the best value for money musou game, but the mandatory troubleshooting made me require a refund on principle.”
- “When it's supposed to automatically save, it doesn't, and when I try to save, it freezes.”