Dynasty Warriors 8

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,105 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dynasty Warriors 8 Game Cover
An action-packed brawler that's great to play with (local) friends, this port is impaired by inferior visuals, lack of an online multiplayer mode, and other problems.
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"Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends" is a historical hack and slash game with an interesting plot based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The game offers fun-filled gameplay, with new levels, characters, weapons, and modes. It supports local multi-player for up to 2 players in a split-screen co-op mode, providing high replayability and a hilarious experience, despite some bugs and grinding. The game also features a fantastic soundtrack and emotional storytelling.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Play​station Vita
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,105 reviews
story161 positive mentions
grinding62 negative mentions
  • Great hack and slash gameplay with a large roster of over 80 unique characters and weapons.
  • Engaging story mode with historical and hypothetical routes that add replayability.
  • Ambition mode offers a fun base-building experience and allows for character progression.
  • Terrible PC port with poor controller support and no mouse functionality.
  • Graphics are outdated, resembling PS3 quality rather than taking advantage of modern hardware.
  • Expensive DLC that is not included in the 'Complete Edition', making it feel incomplete.
  • story888 mentions

    The story mode in Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends is expansive, featuring multiple campaigns for the four main kingdoms (Wei, Wu, Shu, Jin) along with unique storylines for Lu Bu and other factions, each with branching paths and hypothetical scenarios that enhance replayability. While the narrative follows the historical events of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," many players feel it lacks depth and character development, often limiting player choice to a small selection of characters per mission. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging storytelling and repetitive gameplay, appealing primarily to fans of the hack-and-slash genre.

    • “The story mode is great, there are a lot of stages to play across 45 different locations.”
    • “Each kingdom has its own story mode, with 4 main kingdom stories, a Lu Bu faction story, and other officer stages.”
    • “The hypothetical and historical story is good and outstanding.”
    • “The story mode is so simplistic, shallow, and poorly realized that it is a real tragedy, especially compared to how masterfully done it was in Dynasty Warriors 7.”
    • “The story mode is a little lame, focusing on factions instead of characters, leaving each character feeling underdeveloped and two-dimensional.”
    • “The story felt a lot more emotional for any of the factions, there's a lot more variety in character choice and they feel more alive and relatable than ever.”
  • gameplay374 mentions

    The gameplay in Dynasty Warriors 8 is characterized by its traditional hack-and-slash mechanics, offering a satisfying yet repetitive experience as players battle through hordes of enemies. While many appreciate the smooth controls and diverse character abilities, some criticize the gameplay for being grindy and lacking significant innovation compared to previous titles. Overall, it provides a substantial amount of content and hours of play, appealing primarily to fans of the series who enjoy its straightforward combat style.

    • “The gameplay loop is simple to get into, combat primarily involves varying combos of two buttons, but it's just so satisfying, and objectives in each stage can be different enough to keep repetition away.”
    • “The gameplay is the traditional hack and slash action that the series is known for but with some new additions to keep it fresh and different from the rest.”
    • “The gameplay itself is fun, and it's mostly about spectacle fighting, but there is a bit of difficulty and a high chance of suddenly being killed from only a few hits on the harder difficulties.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and sometimes makes me sleepy.”
    • “If you came to this game looking for deep and complex gameplay, look somewhere else.”
    • “The gameplay becomes repetitive rather quickly, and the story is well, like in hack & slash.”
  • graphics362 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they feel outdated, often comparing them to those of the PS3 era rather than the expected PS4 quality. While some appreciate the art style and character designs, others criticize the low-resolution textures and lack of graphical options, leading to a generally underwhelming visual experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback, especially for a 2023 release, with many players expressing disappointment in the lack of improvements compared to previous versions.

    • “The graphics are solid, the gameplay is smooth, the story is possibly at its peak in quality with this installment as well featuring a new faction (the Jin) to play as.”
    • “The graphics look better than ever and the weapon system from the previous DW7 is improved.”
    • “The graphics seem to be based on the PS3 version of the game, but they still look better than the PS3 version due to higher framerate, resolution, and I think they added a few things in the graphic options that make them look a bit better.”
    • “Terrible graphics, wish I could have my money back for this one :(”
    • “The graphics look like they are out of the PS2 era and the screenshots posted here are lies.”
    • “The graphics are pitiful, even maxed out at 1080.”
  • music146 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its energetic blend of rock and traditional Chinese elements that perfectly complements the gameplay. The soundtrack features a mix of new tracks and nostalgic pieces from previous titles, enhancing the overall experience and keeping players engaged. While some players noted occasional repetitiveness, the majority found the music to be a standout aspect, elevating the game's action and atmosphere significantly.

    • “The music is top-notch and outclasses any other titles in the genre.”
    • “Somehow Koei Tecmo married classical Chinese orchestra music and fancy Japanese electric guitar solos, which is awesome!”
    • “The soundtrack of this game is amazing (just like the soundtrack of the older titles).”
    • “The music simply doesn't have any of the same adrenaline-pumping tracks I'm accustomed to.”
    • “It's like the same 5 songs over and over again.”
    • “The other struggle is typical of all Dynasty Warriors games, in that the story very quickly becomes as repetitive as the background music.”
  • grinding64 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly in modes like Ambition, where players must invest significant effort to unlock weapons and level up characters. While some players find the grind rewarding and enjoyable, especially for completionists, many express frustration over the repetitive nature and the reliance on paid DLC for additional content. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and grind, appealing to those who appreciate long-term progression but potentially overwhelming for others.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Actual trash game that requires infinite grinding to get anywhere.”
    • “Ambition mode is grindy, repetitive, and boring.”
    • “The levels are grindy, repetitive and mostly there for the gems and materials needed for upgrading your weapons or artificially leveling your characters.”
  • replayability60 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by a vast array of playable characters, diverse game modes like Ambition and Challenge modes, and numerous weapons that enhance gameplay variety. Players appreciate the extensive content and multiple scenarios, which encourage repeated playthroughs and exploration of different strategies. Overall, the combination of rich content and engaging mechanics makes it a time sink for fans, with many noting that the replay value is significantly boosted by available DLC.

    • “Absolutely tons of characters to play as, stuff to do, replay value, sheer amount of content and such.”
    • “The addition of the kingdom builder mode added a lot of replay value to it, and adding an officer bond got my romantic/bromantic heart a-leaping!”
    • “The replay value of this game is huge.”
    • “While simple in theory, this game has to be one of the more rewarding and replayable games to date.”
    • “Fun game but if you don't have friends that want to play it with you locally, it kills replay value.”
  • stability43 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, crashes, and freezing issues, particularly when using controllers or changing settings. While some players have managed to enjoy the game without significant problems, many others have experienced frequent interruptions that hinder gameplay, suggesting that the port requires substantial patches to improve its performance. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" and "unplayable" for many users, detracting from an otherwise enjoyable experience.

    • “Excellent port, all the DLC, runs great.”
    • “Game runs great on highest settings at 1920 x 1080 resolution, I get 60 fps no problem.”
    • “However, once set up, the game runs great just like it would on your Xbox or PS3!”
    • “The game is full of glitches and periodically crashes when you try to back out of a level.”
    • “Game freezes after clicking save.”
    • “It's incredibly buggy and a pretty damn shoddy port of the PS3 version of the game, not PS4.”
  • optimization41 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance on various systems, while others criticize it as a poorly executed port, particularly for PC. Issues such as controller compatibility, graphical quality, and performance inconsistencies have been highlighted, especially in comparison to previous titles in the series. Overall, while some users report satisfactory experiences, many express disappointment with the lack of proper optimization and bugs.

    • “Never thought that this game would run smoothly on my potato laptop 👌”
    • “Optimization is quite good and I neither got lag nor bugs about anything.”
    • “This game was optimized so well, it blows my mind.”
    • “The game, if played with a controller, does not work at all. I've been playing Dynasty Warriors since the 3rd game, and I have personally never been this disappointed by Koei's poor performance in making a game.”
    • “I grew up with the Dynasty Warriors series and I think the series is fantastic, but this console port is very poorly optimized for the PC.”
    • “What this game lacks is proper PC optimization.”
  • humor27 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding the voice acting and dialogue both amusing and nostalgically campy. While the graphics and gameplay can sometimes lead to funny moments, such as lighting issues during cutscenes, the overall experience is described as entertaining and light-hearted, making it a fun choice for fans of the franchise. Many reviewers appreciate the blend of cheesy moments and humorous character interactions, contributing to a cathartic and enjoyable gaming experience.

    • “If you don't know Dynasty Warriors, it's generally just a turn-off-the-brain and relax franchise where you can plow through thousands of enemies while laughing with your clan.”
    • “The nostalgic feeling, the music, the battles, the characters, and the humor are just right; I just can't say I like the English dub since it's quite horrible.”
    • “Voice acting remains hilarious, which I believe is intentional.”
  • character development15 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by a diverse range of character designs that are visually appealing, though some players feel that certain designs could benefit from improved textures and lighting. While the characters are generally well-designed and true to their historical lore, gameplay mechanics can lead to frustration with specific characters being less viable in higher difficulty modes. Overall, the game offers a solid campaign with engaging character interactions and multiple mission paths, enhancing the sense of character involvement in the story.

    • “The coolest change, though, is that your allies actually are doing something - missions have multiple paths to completion with each character designated to take a specific path and the AIs you aren't playing will generally make acceptable attempts to complete their own path.”
    • “By what I've summed up so far, Dynasty Warriors 8 comes up with different gameplay functions and character designs (both in looks and moves) on a familiar preset based on Chinese history.”
    • “The character design is beautifully done and the cutscenes and events are nicely played out.”
    • “Some of the character designs are true to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms lore, but other characters are a bit over the top.”
    • “However, people would still avoid playing some characters like Wang Yi, where you like the character design or not, on Chaos/Ultimate mode since using their attacks would give them instant death.”
    • “While I, and many others, appreciate a dub to accompany the subs with the option to go back to Japanese voices, some of the English voices are just terrible.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    Reviews indicate a mixed emotional response to the game, with some players feeling a lack of depth in the story compared to previous titles, while others found certain character arcs relatable and impactful. The emotional voice acting received criticism for being either poor or difficult to understand, yet some players still experienced moments of heartbreak and connection. Overall, the game elicits a range of feelings, from disappointment to unexpected enjoyment, particularly in a cooperative setting.

    • “The truth is I want to cry my heart out.”
    • “I still want to cry.”
    • “The story felt a lot more emotional for any of the factions; there's a lot more variety in character choice, and they feel more alive and relatable than ever.”
  • monetization9 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing it as a blatant cash grab focused on microtransactions, while others argue that it is not exploitative and aims to provide value to fans. There are concerns about misleading advertising regarding co-op features, which has disappointed some players. Overall, the sentiment reflects frustration with perceived greed in game development, particularly from certain Asian companies, contrasted with appreciation for the game's core experience.

    • “Engaging game from an era long past before microtransactions and film-school-reject game directors.”
    • “The costumes are absolutely ridiculous and asinine, and they care more about these stupid little microtransactions than the game itself.”
    • “But it's still an insultingly blatant cash grab.”
    • “Feels like a cash grab.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is a mix of engaging town-like elements and overwhelming castle designs, enhancing the overall experience with unique characters and their distinct personalities. While some players appreciate the cheesy tone and enjoyable music, others criticize the combat's floatiness and poor camera work, which detracts from the immersive quality. Overall, the atmosphere is polarizing, appealing to fans of the genre while leaving some feeling disconnected.

    • “Ambition mode has a town-like atmosphere where you can buy, temper, and fuse weapons, buy animals, level up your characters through gold or training, and engage in multiple battles in a row to build up better rewards.”
    • “These castles look just as huge and overwhelming as the rest of the game, but at the same time, it fits the overall atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “The new characters added in DW8 or DW8: XL are quite good; their weapons, movesets, and personalities are unique and contribute a fresh atmosphere to the Dynasty Warriors series.”
    • “Zero atmosphere; the combat feels extremely floaty, the camera is terrible, and the textures are worse than DW3.”
    • “These castles look just like the rest of the game: huge and overwhelming, but at the same time, it fits the overall atmosphere.”
    • “Ambition mode has a town-like atmosphere where you can buy, temper, and fuse weapons, buy animals, and level up your characters, but it lacks a compelling atmosphere.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

46hMedian play time
116hAverage play time
14-200hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs

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