Warriors All-Stars

It's Dynasty Warriors as you've seen it before, except you can be a talking cat with a gun.

Warriors All-Stars is good silly fun as the story never takes itself too seriously, nor do the cameos. But in the process a few huge staples we've come to expect have been stripped, much to the detriment of a project of this scale. I really wish it didn't have to be an "either or" situation.

Warriors All-Stars is a colourful hack and slash title that can be fun in short bursts thanks to its varied cast of playable characters, but it just has too many problems to be considered a good Warriors game. Frustrating, tedious mission design, a throwaway story, and a wildly unstable framerate make it very difficult to recommend when there are so many better Koei Tecmo titles on the market.

A gratifying love letter to fans that appeals mostly to those who also enjoy the Dynasty Warriors series.

Warriors All-Stars digs deep to bring together a roster of unlikely Koei Tecmo heroes, but the roster just isn't large enough to build your perfect five-person dream team.

Lack of local multiplayer notwithstanding, Warriors All-Stars is another worthy entry into the Musou series.

Your reaction to Warriors All-Stars will depend on how big of a Musou fan you are. If you're a hardcore fan of the series and have played through many of the main entries and a number of the side titles, then you may be fine with renting this one or getting it when it's cheaper. The crossover appeal and the new mechanics are very nice, but the lack of modes can make this feel incomplete. If you're a more casual fan or new to the series, this is much easier to recommend, as it's a good introduction to past games and prepares you for the changes in the upcoming ninth game in the main series.

Warriors All Stars is your typical Omega Force outing. While the game highlights the witty and humorous character dialogue of the smaller focused roster, newcomers would not find much here to be interested in. An energetic soundtrack, fast and visually striking combat, and a ton of replayability. While a lack of any Free Mode and some forced story repetition hold it back from its fullest potential, Series veterans and fans of Koei Tecmo games get a wonderful love letter wrapped in a 1000 K.O count birthday present of fun.

Warriors All Stars does a fair job of being more than just a tie-in, and brings some genuine innovation to the table. If you ignore the trope-filled storyline and strange setting, it functions as a great stop-gap before the larger release of Dynasty Warriors 9 or as a meaty hack ‘n' slash to get into in short bursts.

It's pure fan service, and the story is absolute nonsense, but it's the most fun I have had playing an Omega Force Musou game in a long time. Fans of this long-running series of games will love this, but it won't do much to make anyone looking in give the series a chance.