Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends

When one mentions the 'musou' genre, there's only one franchise that comes to mind. Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends is an expansion following the tradition of all other installments before it. But here we are again violently solving the disputes between the three kingdoms.

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends is a standalone game just like the others, but a specific question is always raised. Does this expansion actually offer anything that the base game doesn't? It's subject to debate between players - some would say yes, others no. Gauging an opinion would be difficult when there's a heated argument between Dynasty Warriors fans, so we better check it out ourselves.

Who Said the Romance is Dead?

Likely, you've at least heard of the Dynasty Warriors franchise - it is a hack-and-slash game based in the Three Kingdoms of early Chinese history. Naturally, every significant character has overblown abilities to single-handedly win large-scale battles in the core conflicts throughout the timeline. It wouldn't be a video game if the player wasn't the ultimate hero, right?

Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends follows the path of the base game that continues on the Three Kingdoms narrative. Only this expansion focuses more on adding more excitable gameplay into the mix. The sheer number of game modes, albeit arguably similar, do add a dramatic twist to a game that hasn't changed much mechanically from the first.

You'll be able to battle your way through campaigns, free play, challenge modes, and the ambition mode. The latter is a survival-Esque town builder mode that is probably the most immersive of the lot. Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends does offer that intrigue for gamers that have no need for a storyline. Only a thirst for lightning-paced combat.

The Xtreme Legends series is the most accessible part of the franchise, and nothing changes with the 8th version. However, with all the bells and whistles attached to the game modes, it's quickly remembered that the core mechanics of hack-and-slash combat are the staple of each. Once you've maxed your characters, you'll find that endlessly trudging through battlefields becomes repetitive and boring - thus defines a core issue of the Dynasty Warriors franchise in general.

Just Another Statistic

There is a lot of fun to be had to power up a seemingly endless roster of characters to dominate the game modes of Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends. For newbies into the franchise - it's the perfect place to start. However, veterans may have a different approach - one again, it all feels a bit samey. Bar some graphical and mechanical improvements, the Xtreme Legends fundamentals remain the same.

Pros:

• 'Ambition Mode' is a fun new idea into the series
• Plentiful game modes to keep gameplay fresh for a good while
• Extensive character roster to level up

Cons:

• The game becomes repetitive after a while
• Not much different from any other Xtreme Legends entry
• Lack of challenge once characters are powered up