While Dynasty Warriors 8 is still primarily the same ol' Dynasty Warriors experience, I certainly feel that its changes, although mostly quite subtle, stand out enough comparative to the repetition of other entries in the series.

+ Much needed added combat depth; + Four campaigns; 20 hours; + Neat combos; skills; abilities and weapons

- Final campaigns fall back into repetitive jar

If there's one franchise that embodies the law of diminishing returns, it's Dynasty Warriors . The once-magical sensation of bashing thousands of baddies has worn wearyingly thin through dozens of similar hack-and-slash affairs (including spinoffs and expansions), and Dynasty Warriors 8 only further...

+ Clearing entire battlefields with ease amuses at times

? Will

A certain cathartic element exists in every Dynasty Warriors game. Running around a field tapping away at the attack button to destroy hundreds of enemies at a time offers a special feeling of power that only video games can achieve.

China's legendary warlords take to the battlefield once more for some high-octane button bashing action.

Colossal amount of content; Hugely entertaining multiplayer; Powerful new combat abilities

Buggy Xbox 360 version; No significant innovation; Expect blisters

Dynasty Warriors 8 is the most satisfying and complete Warriors game yet, dethroning the excellent Warriors Orochi 3. It's at once familiar and fresh, instantly recognisable at its core yet subtly transformed by intelligent additions and a series of small but noticeable tweaks.

Terrific new combat mechanics; Compelling Ambition mode; New weapons and characters

Repetitive battle cries; Occasional slowdown

The Dynasty Warriors developer cares about those invested in wading through dead-eyed armies, arranged like so much human kelp, their only legacy to contribute to the haphazard rhythm of our K.O. tickers. I know this because a horse performs a full, aerial barrel roll in this game's opening FMV.

It's Dynasty Warriors; and that's great; A power fantasy par excellence; Rock-paper-scissors combat encourages variety; It's great; what that horse does

It's Dynasty Warriors; and that's meh; Still a bit shonky with the pop-in

I first discovered the Dynasty Warriors franchise through Dynasty Warriors 4 . It was one of my first imported games from America (I had an imported PS2 because I wanted to play Suikoden III at the time), and I was in love with the open-scale battlefield and the amount of soldiers you could hack...

Dynasty Warriors 8 (Includes Pre-order DLC Costume Pack) is the most satisfying and complete Warriors game yet, dethroning the excellent Warriors Orochi 3. Its at once familiar and fresh, instantly recognisable at its core yet subtly transformed by intelligent additions and a series of small but...

Since the franchise debuted in 1874, it has been customary to open any review of a Dynasty Warriors game by mentioning that the latest installment is either a) exactly the same as the previous titles, or b) to start the piece by mentioning that previous reviews have mentioned it's exactly the same...

Yes, this is a very good sequel –- though it's not without a couple of issues. First the good news: Fans of the franchise will immediately find themselves in familiar territory here, as you run around huge battlefields and take down many hundreds of enemy soldiers using swords, spears, mallets, and...