Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends

A brilliantly absurd arcade brawler thats brimming with personality, but suffers from repetition and a glaring lack of online multiplayer.

75%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, stability

81% User Score Based on 4,022 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends" is an action-packed hack-and-slash game set in ancient China, where players can choose from over 70 playable characters and embark on a journey to unify the land through strategic combat and intense battles. This version offers new modes, stages, and playable characters, as well as improved graphics and controls. The game allows players to select from multiple languages, and save data is separated based on language preference. Experience the thrill of epic battles and contribute to the rise of a dynasty.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends screenshot

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,035 reviews

story200 positive mentions

grinding80 negative mentions

One of the best entries in the Dynasty Warriors series, offering a long campaign with a variety of characters and weapons.
The game runs smoothly and provides a nostalgic experience for fans of the franchise.
Ambition mode adds depth and replayability, allowing players to build their own camp and recruit characters.

The PC port has significant issues, including poor controller support and a lack of mouse functionality.
The graphics are outdated, resembling those of previous console generations, and the game is capped at 1080p resolution.
The DLC is overpriced and not included in the 'Complete Edition', leading to disappointment among players.

story
1,047 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
78%
3%
The story in "Dynasty Warriors 8" is expansive, featuring multiple campaigns for the major factions—Wei, Wu, Shu, Jin, and Lu Bu—each with historical and hypothetical routes that enhance replayability. While the narrative is rooted in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," many players find the storytelling to be somewhat shallow and repetitive, with limited character development due to the faction-based structure. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a wealth of content, including engaging combat and various modes, making it a solid choice for fans of the hack-and-slash genre.
- “The game masterfully combines intense combat mechanics with a rich storyline, immersing players in the historical battles of ancient China.”
- “Brilliant game, as fun and compelling now as it was 10 years ago, massive amounts of replayability and a surprisingly rich and detailed historical-fiction narrative that invites you to further research the figures and events you're encountering to better understand the story's context and the writers' characterization choices.”
- “The story is a rollercoaster of emotions that make you sympathize with the three kingdoms of Shu, Wei, and Wu.”
- “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 quite lackluster, focusing on factions instead of characters, leaving each character feeling underdeveloped and two-dimensional.”
- “The story is standard three kingdoms fare, and while it has its moments, it ultimately fails to deliver a compelling narrative.”
graphics
455 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
62%
16%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are largely based on the older PS3 version rather than the more advanced PS4 version, resulting in visuals that feel outdated and lacking in detail. While some appreciate the vibrant environments and character designs, others criticize the low-resolution textures and overall graphical quality, describing it as mediocre or reminiscent of earlier console generations. Despite these shortcomings, some players find the graphics acceptable for the gameplay experience, emphasizing that the fun factor outweighs the visual limitations.
- “The graphics are vibrant, and the environments are beautifully designed, making each battle feel epic.”
- “The graphics are awesome, there are many different options and skills now.”
- “The graphics finally got a much needed update and look great, draw distance is superb and unlike ever before, the frame rate is virtually flawless... and no more enemies appearing out of thin air.”
- “The graphics are so bad, they're almost comical.”
- “The graphics look like they are out of the PS2 era and the screenshots posted here are lies.”
- “The graphics are a big downgrade, and it's crashed twice already...”
gameplay
447 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The gameplay of Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition is characterized by its classic hack-and-slash mechanics, allowing players to engage in fast-paced combat against hordes of enemies. While many appreciate the diverse roster of characters and their unique abilities, some criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the simplistic controls, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a satisfying power fantasy and a wealth of content, making it enjoyable for fans of the series.
- “The game masterfully combines intense combat mechanics with a rich storyline, immersing players in the historical battles of ancient China.”
- “The expanded roster of characters, each with unique abilities and fighting styles, keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
- “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 rock-paper-scissors mechanic for which weapons enemies are weak against is dull and annoying.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and sometimes makes me sleepy.”
- “If you came to this game looking for deep and complex gameplay, look somewhere else.”
music
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The music in "Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends" is widely praised for its energetic and engaging soundtrack, blending heavy metal with traditional Chinese influences, which enhances the gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the inclusion of tracks from previous titles, creating a nostalgic atmosphere while maintaining a fresh and exciting sound. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features of the game, effectively complementing the action and keeping players motivated throughout their battles.
- “The soundtrack is perfect, and no piece of music feels weak; each conveys a distinct 'emotion' that is the theme of the current level.”
- “The music is an awesome captivating mix of Chinese instruments, hard rock, and metal, and the hack and slash combat action leaves nothing left to be desired.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing, making you feel pumped for every fight.”
- “The music has lost its old cheesy charm - you'll be begging to hear the old Hu Lao Gate instead of this unmemorable nothingness.”
- “Audio: music is either crap or just plain depressing.”
- “In conclusion, the game just felt unpolished and boring, feels draggy, plus the music does not hype you up.”
grinding
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game is a significant point of contention among players, with many noting that it can be excessively tedious, particularly in Ambition mode, where a substantial amount of time is spent farming for resources, weapons, and character levels. While some players appreciate the depth and variety that grinding offers, others find it overwhelming and repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the experience of grinding is seen as a double-edged sword, providing both a sense of achievement for completionists and frustration for those seeking a more streamlined gameplay experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The linearity of the maps also makes tedious backtracking through empty areas more common than in the past.”
- “Ambition mode is grindy, repetitive, and boring.”
- “Actual trash game that requires infinite grinding to get anywhere.”
replayability
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with a wealth of content including numerous playable characters, diverse weapons, and multiple game modes such as Ambition and Free Mode that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the variety in scenarios and objectives, which encourage exploration and experimentation, making it a title that can keep them engaged for hundreds of hours. Overall, the combination of rich narratives, character variety, and engaging gameplay mechanics contributes to its high replay value.
- “Brilliant game, as fun and compelling now as it was 10 years ago, massive amounts of replayability and a surprisingly rich and detailed historical-fiction narrative that invites you to further research the figures and events you're encountering to better understand the story's context and the writers' characterization choices.”
- “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!”
- “Dynasty Warriors 8 delighted me and surprised me with the number of maps each faction has and how they are not replayable between them all, which means that there are specific faction-exclusive maps that enrich your second playthrough once you finish your first run.”
- “While simple in theory, this game has to be one of the more rewarding and replayable games to date.”
- “Each storyline additionally has extra, 'what-if' scenario stages that really add to the replayability of the game.”
optimization
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
48%
17%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance on various systems, including lower-end hardware, while others criticize it for being a poorly optimized port with issues like low graphics quality and problematic controller support. Many users noted that while the game runs adequately, it lacks the graphical enhancements expected from a PC release, and some experienced performance issues, particularly with controller configurations and streaming. Overall, the game shows potential for smooth gameplay but suffers from significant optimization shortcomings that detract from the experience.
- “The game runs smoothly on my Lenovo Y500 with dual cards.”
- “This game was optimized so well, it blows my mind.”
- “It runs smoothly at 1080p at 60Hz with the highest settings without any slowdown or frame skipping on a mid-range gaming computer despite the reputation of musou games for this.”
- “Everything is shallow (such as the dialogue, the AI, how every character is a statue before the battle phase, the way ambushes work – ‘poof’ enemies magically appear around you out of thin air –, the way enemy officers retreat – oftentimes by instantly teleporting them to another area of the battle map –, etc.) and the game lacks optimization on many fronts (for instance, graphics are very poor and key binding is a pain because the game might simply decide to discard all your changes).”
- “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.”
- “But, may I have my money back for this unoptimized piece of garbage?”
stability
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and glitches, particularly when attempting to use controllers or change settings. While some players experienced stable performance after extensive troubleshooting, many others found the game to be a buggy mess that detracted significantly from the overall experience. Overall, the game appears to require substantial patches to address its stability issues.
- “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!”
- “Always fails to load and freezes the computer.”
- “The game is buggy as hell.”
- “The game is full of glitches and periodically will crash when you try to back out of a level.”
humor
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding the voice acting and dialogue both cheesy and amusing, reminiscent of earlier installments. While the graphics and gameplay can lead to funny moments, such as lighting issues during cutscenes, the overall experience is described as entertaining and nostalgic, appealing to fans of the franchise. Despite some technical flaws, the exaggerated character portrayals and humorous writing contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that encourages players to enjoy the absurdity of the game.
- “Apparently 7 is more historically accurate, and I find it hilarious that people are concerned about historical accuracy in a Dynasty Warriors game.”
- “The story is hilariously cheesy, and don't get me started on the voice acting and dialogue, but the gameplay itself is extremely satisfying as you effortlessly hammer through legions of enemy mobs.”
- “Voice acting in earlier installments such as Dynasty Warriors 3 was 'old kung-fu movie dub' levels of campy that came off really humorously.”
character development
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
Overall, character development in the game is praised for its unique designs and variety, with many reviewers noting that the character designs are among the best in the series. While some characters remain true to the historical lore, others are seen as overly exaggerated. Despite minor criticisms regarding gameplay balance and environmental details, the character designs and their integration into the gameplay are highlighted as strong points, contributing to an engaging experience.
- “The character design is beautifully done and the cutscenes and events are nicely played out.”
- “Character designs and renders are the best so far (based on looking at screenshots of even previous titles).”
- “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.”
- “I wish that the character designs were a little smoothed out, but that doesn't affect the great gameplay.”
- “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.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its compelling story, which draws players into the historical context of the unification of China, featuring impactful battles that resonate deeply. While some players find the narrative less moving compared to previous installments, many appreciate the character depth and interconnectedness of the factions, leading to a strong emotional investment. Overall, the game elicits a range of feelings, from heartbreak to nostalgia, making it a memorable experience despite some criticisms.
- “The gameplay is very addicting, the story is emotional and breathtaking.”
- “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.”
- “After a while, I saw how interconnected the three kingdoms were and got emotionally involved with some of them.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with many users labeling it a blatant cash grab that exploits nostalgia through excessive microtransactions and misleading advertising regarding co-op features. While some appreciate the game's engagement and customer service, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment in how monetization detracts from the gaming experience.
- “Engaging game from an era long past before microtransactions and film-school-reject game directors.”
- “It's a lazy cash grab that preys on the nostalgia of longtime fans.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The atmosphere in the game is a mix of engaging town-like elements in Ambition mode, where players can enhance their characters and weapons, and the grand, overwhelming design of castles that complements the overall experience. While some players appreciate the unique characters and their contributions to the series' atmosphere, others criticize the combat's floatiness and poor camera work, leading to a lack of immersion. Overall, the game offers a cheesy yet enjoyable atmosphere, bolstered by its music and character interactions.
- “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 to build up better rewards.”
- “These castles look just as huge and overwhelming as the rest of the game, but they fit the overall atmosphere perfectly.”
- “The new characters added in DW8 or DW8: XL are quite good; their weapons, movesets, and personalities are unique and bring 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, level up your characters through gold or training, and engage in multiple battles in a row to slowly build up better rewards.”

70%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews

Buy Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends

49h Median play time

114h Average play time

14-200h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 23 analyzed playthroughs

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