Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires

Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a definite improvement on its predecessor - but that's not saying much. The return of set maps and straightforward objectives is welcome, and in typical Empires fashion, there's so much potential for interesting player-driven storylines. There is an addictive hack-and-slash loop at work here, and it's tempered by some decent tactical tweaks. But to fully enjoy it, you've got to wade through a mire of shockingly ugly visuals and boring battlefield design.

Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a poor Switch port of a disappointing entry in the long-running spin-off series. This is a hugely downgraded version of the game, with seriously dialled-back visuals failing to put a stop to consistent frame rate issues during the heat of battle. With a lack of gameplay modes, zero multiplayer options, terrible AI and cosmetic customisation options gone AWOL at launch - Koei Tecmo choosing instead to go the DLC route - this is a truly lacklustre package, a bargain bin affair with a premium price tag, and a Dynasty Warriors game you can feel quite comfortable skipping entirely.

Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is often fun, but it's no better than its predecessors - and, in some ways, it's worse.

Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires attempts to mix features introduced in Dynasty Warriors 9 with strategy elements but fails to do so due to a variety of issues, such as the low difficulty level, limited character creation options, and a generally unpolished experience. A better implementation of open-world mechanics would have done wonders to update the Empires' experience, but Omega Force decided to play it extremely safe, resulting in a game that only die-hard fans of the series will enjoy.

Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires brings new gameplay features to the table, but remains the same Three Kingdoms era slaughter fest fans have been enjoying the past twenty years.

Overall I enjoyed my experience with Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires on the Xbox Series X. Its shallow character creation system was disappointing and could dampen your time with the game. Unfortunately, the game did not take advantage of the new hardware, as its visual look dated, despite its solid animations. I feel after the indefinite delay the developers might have changed course a bit and that’s why we got what we did. Both the Domestic Affairs and Way of Life systems are welcomed additions. Especially if you decide to play as your child in a second playthrough. I can say that Dynasty Warrior vets and new players alike will have a lot to look forward to in the game, despite its glaring shortcomings.

Sometimes it feels like those who enjoy Musou games have very little options nowadays and this is a huge letdown. One negative that I forgot to mention was that this game, that at times can feel unfinished, has a Season Pass of content you can get. I feel like this is a little uncalled for since it is a game so far detached from itself that it should fix itself first and then worry about the extras later.

Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is an excellent addition to the warriors series. The strategy aspect is fun to engage with and can get quite addicting as your game progresses. I found myself saying, “ok, just one more month of decisions to make; then I’ll save and quit.” only to do another round of strategic decisions. That same brand of fun and fast-paced Warriors combat kept things exciting during battles, and when you combine both gameplays, you can easily put away hours upon hours into it.

Alas, there's nothing to recommend Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires. DW9 is probably one of the lower points of the franchise, and what Empires does to improve on it is fairly minimal. There's absolutely no reason to buy it over the bucketload of better Warriors titles available on the PS5. Even if you're looking for something in the same setting, there are plenty of other Dynasty Warriors options. The most positive thing I can say is that it's a better game than the original, but it's an easy one to skip with so many other titles available.

The newest entry brings traditional gameplay with usual strategy elements, but the welcome additions are better graphics and faster loadings on next-gen consoles.