Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,436 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Game Cover
A brilliantly absurd arcade brawler thats brimming with personality, but suffers from repetition and a glaring lack of online multiplayer.
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"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.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,436 reviews
story169 positive mentions
grinding69 negative mentions
  • Engaging hack and slash gameplay with a large roster of over 80 unique characters, each with their own weapons and movesets.
  • The story mode features both historical and hypothetical routes, providing a rich narrative experience based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
  • Ambition mode adds depth to the gameplay, allowing players to build and upgrade their own base while recruiting allies and completing various missions.
  • The PC port suffers from poor controller support, with confusing key mappings and no mouse functionality, making it difficult to play without a controller.
  • Despite being labeled as a 'Complete Edition', the game lacks many DLCs that are available separately, leading to disappointment among players.
  • Graphics are outdated, resembling those of the PS3 era, and the game is locked to a maximum resolution of 1080p, which may not satisfy modern gamers.
  • story907 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is characterized by its extensive content, featuring multiple storylines based on the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," including historical and hypothetical routes that enhance replayability. Players can engage with various factions, each offering unique narratives and character perspectives, although some critiques highlight the limitations in character selection during missions and the overall simplicity of the storytelling. While the game provides a fun and engaging experience, it may not satisfy those seeking a deeply intricate narrative, as the focus remains on action and gameplay.

    • “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 mode is amazing. There are a lot of stages to play across 45 different locations.”
    • “The story is interesting, the characters are great, the awesome soundtrack and believe it or not the DLC can help spark your desire to play it if it gets boring, but really when will that happen?”
    • “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 lack of voiced narration for the between-battle sections of the story leaves everything feeling empty.”
  • gameplay396 mentions

    The gameplay of Dynasty Warriors 8 is characterized by its classic hack-and-slash mechanics, offering a satisfying experience for fans of the series, with each character featuring unique weapon styles and abilities. While the combat can become repetitive, the introduction of new mechanics, such as the rage gauge and weapon switching, adds depth and variety to the gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the game's addictive nature and extensive content, though some criticize the lack of innovation and the clunky controls on PC.

    • “For gameplay, it can be pretty grindy at times, like you want to collect all 6-star weapons.”
    • “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 amazing, the story is good, and the music is just awesome.”
    • “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 story is well, like in hack & slash.”
  • graphics381 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 visuals as decent for a hack-and-slash title, others express disappointment over graphical glitches, low-resolution textures, and a lack of optimization, particularly on the PC version. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game may still be enjoyable, its graphics do not meet modern standards and could benefit from significant improvements.

    • “To be honest, for a game released in 2014, the graphics of this game still stand out for me.”
    • “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 are horrible and the game glitches.”
    • “The graphics look like they are out of the PS2 era and the screenshots posted here are lies.”
    • “Graphics are console port quality.”
  • music156 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its energetic blend of rock and traditional Chinese elements, which enhances the gameplay experience. The soundtrack features a mix of new tracks and nostalgic pieces from previous titles, making it a standout aspect of the game. While some players noted occasional repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music is top-notch and significantly contributes to the game's appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is very addicting too.”
    • “The music is top-notch and outclasses any other titles in the genre.”
    • “The music is an awesome captivating mix of Chinese instruments, hard rock, and metal.”
    • “They will make you listen to the stage song on loop until you solve the puzzle of navigating the field.”
    • “This game simply doesn't have any of the same adrenaline-pumping music I'm accustomed to.”
    • “It's like the same 5 songs over and over again.”
  • grinding71 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is a significant point of contention among players, with many noting that while it can be enjoyable and rewarding, it often becomes tedious and repetitive, especially in modes like Ambition. Players express frustration over the necessity of extensive grinding for materials, weapons, and character levels, with some feeling that the experience has become overly reliant on grinding mechanics and paid DLC. Overall, while some appreciate the depth and variety that grinding offers, others find it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “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.”
    • “Actual trash game that requires infinite grinding to get anywhere.”
    • “Ambition mode is grindy, repetitive, and boring.”
  • replayability64 mentions

    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 encourage exploration of different scenarios and strategies. Players appreciate the dynamic battles and the rich narrative that invites further engagement, making it a time sink for those who enjoy deep gameplay experiences. Overall, the combination of varied gameplay options and extensive character customization contributes to a highly replayable experience.

    • “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!”
    • “Great game, loads of replay value, a tonne of content, memorable characters and a great story, even if it is exactly the same as every dw before it.”
    • “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.”
    • “Each storyline additionally has extra, 'what-if' scenario stages that really add to the replayability of the game.”
  • stability46 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experienced issues with loading screens, control malfunctions, and graphical problems, leading to frustration and extensive troubleshooting efforts. While some users noted that the game could run well after initial setup, the overall consensus is that it remains plagued by bugs, making it difficult to recommend without significant patches.

    • “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 full of glitches and periodically will crash when you try to back out of a level.”
    • “It's incredibly buggy and a pretty damn shoddy port of the PS3 version of the game, not PS4.”
  • optimization45 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting smooth performance and minimal bugs, while others criticize it for being a poorly executed port with subpar graphics and control issues. Many users report that the game runs adequately on lower-end systems, but the lack of proper optimization for PC, especially regarding graphics and controls, detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while some players find it satisfactory, others express disappointment in its performance and optimization, particularly for a title released on current-gen platforms.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “So many game modes and none of them are appealing at all, that 3 point system is just bizarre and doesn't feel well planned, the game instructions are unclear, so many weapons to choose but they don't feel very different from each other, the controls and camera are bad, the stages are too long, boring and even when it looks that you're just beating everyone you might take a fatal blow out of nowhere with full HP and waste all the time you took until reach almost 1k KOs, the port from the console isn't optimized (bad resolution and FPS locked)... this game is atrocious.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding joy in the campy voice acting and cheesy dialogue reminiscent of earlier installments. While some aspects, like the graphics and controls, can be amusingly flawed, the overall experience is described as entertaining and nostalgic, providing plenty of laughs amidst the action. The game's lighthearted approach allows players to enjoy a fun, carefree gaming experience, even as it occasionally veers into hilariously bad territory.

    • “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.”
    • “Voice acting in earlier installments such as Dynasty Warriors 3 was 'old kung-fu movie dub' levels of campy that came off really humorously.”
    • “Oh lord, the script is terrible and the voice acting is piss-your-pants funny.”
  • character development17 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by a strong emphasis on unique character designs and a diverse array of weapons, enhancing gameplay variety. While many characters are well-designed and true to their historical roots, some suffer from generic appearances and gameplay limitations that can detract from the experience. Overall, the character designs and their integration into the campaign are praised, though there are calls for improvements in visual fidelity and character differentiation.

    • “The character design is beautifully done and the cutscenes and events are nicely played out.”
    • “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.”
    • “Character designs and renders are the best so far (based on looking at screenshots of even previous titles).”
    • “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.”
    • “Character design - 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.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding the story breathtaking and deeply moving, while others feel it lacks the emotional depth of previous titles. Many appreciate the character variety and relatability, but there are criticisms regarding voice acting and the overall emotional impact compared to earlier installments. Overall, the game elicits strong feelings, both positive and negative, leading to a complex emotional experience for players.

    • “The gameplay is very addicting, the story is emotional and breathtaking.”
    • “The truth is I want to cry my heart out.”
    • “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 to slowly 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 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, and level up your characters, but it lacks a compelling atmosphere.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% 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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