Dynasty Warriors 9
An open-world hack and slash entry in the long-running series.
Omega Force and Koei Tecmo brought out Dynasty Warriors 9, a hack and slash title, in February 2018 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A strategy-focused expansion called Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires arrived in Japan in December 2021 and worldwide in February 2022. A planned Dynasty Warriors 10 was scrapped in favor of what later became Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Omega Force
- Publisher
- Koei Tecmo
- Director
- Atsushi Miyauchi
- Producer
- Akihiro Suzuki
- Artist
- Hideshi Tatara
- Composer
- Masayoshi Sasaki
- Yojiro Yoshimatsu
- Masato Koike
- Gota Masuoka
- Hiromu Akaba
- Ippo Igarashi
- Engine
- Katana Engine
- Series
- Dynasty Warriors
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Dynasty Warriors 9 shifts the series into an open world, letting players explore a full-scale map of China on foot, horseback, or by boat. The game is a third-person hack-and-slash with stealth elements, and it focuses on both lively towns and cities as well as large battlefield zones. Character move sets have been reworked, and a grappling hook allows players to sneak into enemy strongholds. A real-time day-night cycle and dynamic weather system affect enemy visibility, making night and rain useful for stealth. Main story missions push the in-game timeline forward, but they are very challenging; completing optional side missions can make them easier. Players can buy furniture from merchants to customize hideouts—for example, a gong lets you change the background music. Teahouses let you skip time and buy food that temporarily boosts stats like attack power or jump height. Other activities include fishing, gathering resources to upgrade weapons and characters, camping, and various recreational events.
Development
Omega Force brand manager Kenichi Ogasawara told Famitsu in May 2016 that the jump from Dynasty Warriors 7 to 8 had not been big enough, and he wanted the next game's reveal to make a strong impression. That reveal came in December 2016 during a broadcast called "Greatest Games Lineup in History," where Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia president Atsushi Morita introduced the title; Koei Tecmo's Western offices then announced it alongside Japan. For the first time in the series, Dynasty Warriors 9 used an open world, letting players enter and leave towns and freely roam a map of mainland China with noticeable elevation changes. A Famitsu interview with Masaki Furusawa and Akihiro Suzuki confirmed that all 83 characters from Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires would return. Zhou Cang, previously seen in Musou Stars, was added as a new playable fighter. The combat system, which had relied on two buttons for light and heavy attacks to chain combos, was completely reworked. Koei Tecmo America announced on May 11, 2017 that the game would come to the West. In September 2017, the company said it would launch in early 2018, later specifying February 8, 2018 in Japan and February 13, 2018 in the West. VOXX Studios handled the localization instead of VoiceGroup, and all returning characters received new English voice actors, who were credited for the first time in the series.
Reception
Dynasty Warriors 9 landed to a split reception. Critics on Metacritic called it middling. IGN’s David Jagneaux slammed the repetitive missions, empty open world, weak story, flat voice acting, and poor AI, but did enjoy the chaotic battles, character swapping, and simple fun. GameSpot liked the satisfying melee, epic narrative, calm world, and character looks, though they pointed out bugs, shallow combat, and forced mission repeats when switching characters. Famitsu was far kinder, handing out a 35 out of 40. In its first week on sale in Japan, the PlayStation 4 version shifted 117,495 units, grabbing the number two spot on the all-format chart.
Expansion
Koei Tecmo revealed Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires on September 27, 2020. This expansion shifts the focus from pure combat to strategic conquest, using diplomacy and siege warfare to unify China, as earlier Empires titles did. It launched on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows, marking the first Warriors game on a ninth-generation console. Initially set for an early 2021 release, it was pushed back to December 2021 in Japan and February 2022 elsewhere. Unlike the main game, this version drops the open world but reuses many of its assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Dynasty Warriors 9?
Dynasty Warriors 9 was directed by Atsushi Miyauchi.
Who composed the music for Dynasty Warriors 9?
The music for Dynasty Warriors 9 was composed by Masayoshi Sasaki, Yojiro Yoshimatsu, Masato Koike, Gota Masuoka, Hiromu Akaba and others.
What engine does Dynasty Warriors 9 use?
Dynasty Warriors 9 runs on Katana Engine.
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