is a 2013 hack and slash game developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the eighth installment of the Dynasty Warriors series. Having more than 82 characters featured in the game, the game largely based its system on Dynasty Warriors 7 and focused on adding more content for replayability while also making several tweaks to the combat system.
The game was unveiled on October 30, 2012 via Jump Magazine and released on February 28, 2013 for the PlayStation 3 in Japan. On April 3, 2013, it was confirmed by Tecmo Koei that there would be an overseas release for both North America and Europe in July 2013. It was released on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for both physical and digital release. The option of English and Japanese voice overs also return, where there is also an option to change the subtitles to English, French or German.
The game is followed by two expansions. The first, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends, was released for PlayStation 3 in 2013 in Japan and in 2014 in North America and Europe. The second expansion, Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires, was released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on in 2014 in Japan and in 2015 in North America and Europe. The PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows versions were released in 2015 in Japan, North America and Europe. A Japan-exclusive Switch port of Empires was released in 2017. All three ports have a bundle set with Dynasty Warriors 8 which is called Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition overseas and Shin Sangoku Musou 7 with Moushouden in Asia.
Gameplay and features
Story mode and free mode The story mode retains the same faction-based storyline and returns with seamless cutscenes. In addition, each of the characters of the "Other" faction has one scenario dedicated to them, forming a loose "Other" faction story mode, in a first for the series. Stages now have more freedom of progression for the player, unlike the previous installment, which was strongly preset in means of stage routes. A selection of up to four characters will be offered for each stages in story mode, instead of controlling a pre-defined character; the mission objectives in each level differ based on the character chosen. The story has been entirely rewritten, with each of the four factions' stories dividing into a historical path and a hypothetical path at a critical portion of their stories. Each mission may have a number of optional objectives which unlock additional side story missions or alter the course of history, such as the moment where the flood attack in Fan Castle fails and therefore saves Guan Yu's life and in relation also saves Zhang Fei from the betraying officers. In order to unlock the hypothetical path, players must complete all of the optional objectives in both the main and side stories prior to the critical point of the storyline. The game also allows a co-op play of the story mode and it can be played both offline and online. However, online co-op is only available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The Windows version does not have online multiplayer. In the previous installment to the franchise, Dynasty Warriors 7, the story mode was only single-player.
Xtreme Legends adds an additional storyline for Lu Bu's forces, primarily focused on Lu Bu, Chen Gong, and Zhang Liao. In addition, a series of hypothetical missions are added to the four main kingdoms' storylines, mostly recreating historical events with a slight hypothetical twist (for example, one Wei mission is premised on Cao Cao sparing Lu Bu after the Battle of Xiapi and utilizing him in the Battle of Guandu, while a Shu scenario has Liu Bei turning to Sun Ce rather than Cao Cao after the Battle of Xiaopei). Each of the three main kingdoms contains a two-part "mini-campaign" centered around the new character introduced to their respective factions (Yu Jin, Fa Zheng, and Zhu Ran), while the Jin faction, having no new characters, has a three-part mini-campaign featuring a fictional version of Zhong Hui's Rebellion. Each campaign concludes with a whimsical side-story mission, not set to any particular timeline. Additional "Other" scenarios are also included for the Other faction.
The music for the hypothetical portion of each Story Mode is taken from earlier Dynasty Warriors installments, with four pieces specifically remixed for this game (one each from Dynasty Warriors 3, 5, 6, and 7, as well with original). Furthermore, the four kingdom leitmotifs introduced in Dynasty Warriors 7 return and are further expanded upon in the soundtrack of Dynasty Warriors 8; Xtreme Legends adds a kingdom leitmotif for Lü Bu's faction based on his recurring theme.
Free mode returns for the first time since Dynasty Warriors 6 in terms of main game. Players will be given opportunity to play as an opposing faction in the stages a la Dynasty Warriors 3 and 4, instead of being forced to play in a faction as in Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends.
Ambition Mode A new game mode, called the "Ambition Mode", has been introduced. In it, the player is tasked to create a social base for peasants called the "Tongquetai Tower" and to make Emperor Xian visit it. To raise the tower's status, the player must take part in three different kind of battles; Skirmish battles which give materials to construct the tower, Raid battles which increase fame, and Large-scale battles which can recruit new partners. Players start out with the weapon shop as their sole base facility. More can be added or expanded upon as the town gradually becomes populated with people. These include a food market, a trade shop, a menagerie, etc.
Xtreme Legends introduces a countdown timer into Ambition Mode, where a player is initially given 7 minutes of time (the base game granted 15, 30, or 60 minutes per scenario, based on the game map), and is granted additional time for every 100 enemies killed, for every officer defeated, or for achieving stage objectives (up to a maximum of 15 minutes). It also introduces a second portion to Ambition Mode, reminiscent of both Dynasty Warriors Next and the Empires installments, where, following the construction of the Tonquetai and the visitation of the emperor, a false emperor has arisen and the player is tasked to eliminate the false emperor by subjugating territories under the false emperor's influence. The bodyguard system of the base game is expanded, where, instead of the ability to bring one (playable) character with them to battle, they may bring three (generic or playable) officers with them. The ability to select bodyguards is based on a "fee" system, constrained by the playable character's leadership rating as well as an inherent cost to hiring the character as a bodyguard (for example, playable characters cost more than generic officers). Each bodyguard is also associated with a particular bodyguard skill, which may be used by the playable character to affect the course of gameplay. Bodyguard skills may be upgraded with use, or by releasing other officers (the released officers return as enemies, and may be re-recruited), while the leadership rating of playable characters may be upgraded by using the skills of their bodyguards.
Challenge Mode As with previous Dynasty Warriors games, Xtreme Legends adds a Challenge Mode, which uses stock characters (as opposed to the customized characters in Story, Free, or Ambition modes) for various arcade-style challenges. There are a total of five mini-games, each of which reward the player with a customizable weapon based on the character's score in the challenge; these may include weapons with weapon elements that are unobtainable in any of the other modes.
New mechanics The game features new battle mechanics that rely on a new concept called the "Three-Point System", where each weapon is given an affinity of either "Heaven", "Earth", or "Man"; each affinity is strong against one of the affinities and weak against the other. If the player faces an officer whose affinity is weaker, they may trigger the "Storm Rush", a multi hitting attack that requires repeatedly pressing the attack buttons. It is shown through a blue gauge above the opponent which decreases as you attack. Storm Rush is then initiated automatically when the gauge is fully depleted; in Xtreme Legends, this can be configured to be triggered manually by pressing both the normal and charge attack buttons. Conversely, if the player faces an officer whose affinity is stronger, they may trigger the "Switch Counter", a counterblow attack that allows you to avoid a hard hitting attack from an opponent while also blowing them away before switching to another weapon. It is shown through a red exclamation mark. A switch counter may be triggered by pressing the weapon switch attack button when the opponent is preparing a charge attack or a Storm Rush; a visual indicator will appear when the opportunity to Switch Counter arises.
Dynasty Warriors 8 also adds Rage Mode; this mechanic is similar to the Musou Rage system from Dynasty Warriors 5. This requires the Rage Gauge to be full, which may be achieved by attacking enemies. When it is full, it can be initiated (with R3 on the PS3 and PS4, and by touching the screen where the Rage Gauge lies on the PS Vita) where the player's stats dramatically increase while the gauge slowly depletes. While in Rage Mode, the player's Musou bars merged, and is automatically replenished; when the player presses the Musou attack button, the player is able to perform a Rage Attack, a powerful move reminiscent of Musou attacks from past Dynasty Warriors games, in that it will slowly deplete a character's Musou gauge, and ends whenever the player releases the Musou attack button or the gauge is empty (the Rage Gauge may be depleted while a player is performing the Rage Attack; Rage Mode will end in this case when the Rage Attack ends).
In the previous installment, each character could hold up to two musou attacks; either two ground attacks (termed "Musou 1" and "Musou 2"; the latter triggered by pressing the Musou and weapon switch attack buttons at the same time), or one ground and one air attack. In this installment, all characters have all three types of Musou attacks, though the ability to use the aerial Musou and Musou 2 attacks must be unlocked through strengthening the character.
Weapon updates