Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (PlayStation 4) Review

Being the eighth entry in the main Warriors series, Tecmo Koei has had a number of opportunities to upgrade and perfect the formula, and it really shows in this latest version. The story mode starts off by allowing players to choose one of four main factions and progress through their different stories with a variety of characters to select from in each mission, and the option to unlock the "Other" faction afterwards. An additional chapter that follows the story of Lu Bu is also only available in this edition of Dynasty Warriors 8. Fans of the series who are used to the feel of combat should definitely start on hard mode as chapters start to feel a little too easy early on in normal mode. Maps are laid out like the usual structure of a Dynasty Warriors game, with the objective of taking on tons of enemies, taking out officers and capturing bases, before tackling the last goal of combating the main leader.

An interesting note to take is that each mission has optional objectives that can unlock new side missions and change history for a different outcome. Depending on what character is chosen, players may get a different perspective and objective compared to that of another character. Most of the replayability comes from Free Mode, which basically takes all the missions players have unlocked throughout the story, and allows the choice of any character from the list of more than 80 to then advance through those missions, unlocking new weapons, and levelling up their characters and skills. Any music unlocked through the story mode can also be picked in any battle in Free Mode and the other modes, which is a nice extra, especially considering the music is very catchy with its hard rock style.

Players looking for something a bit different compared to the usual mayhem needn't look any further with the new Ambition Mode - a simple mode that requires players to build up a base from scratch that only starts off with a blacksmith and a few townsfolk, by taking part in three types of battles. Upgrading and constructing the base needs materials which can be obtained through skirmish matches, while raid battles gain fame.

Large scale battles have tons of officers about, and defeating them will cause them to join the base and can be used as personal body guards in battle, with the option to upgrade them later on. More allies and fame means more types of facilities can be built, and more materials improve the level of the facilities. Doing battles one after the other improves the rewards obtained, while increasing the difficulty to add a sense of challenge.

Playing this game for a short burst is where Challenge Mode may come in handy, with the ability to compete in a variety of different challenges, such as speed running an arena to the end to take out the leader as fast as possible, or defeating enemies and racking up the kill counter before the time limit ends. There are five challenges in total, with the chance to beat and upload high scores to the leader boards, and also obtain rare custom weapons that can't be obtained through other modes. One other positive note is that all of these game modes can be played with a friend locally or online.

Combat, being one of the main focuses in these games, is fast, fluid and controls very well for the most part. There are instances of slowdown when the battles get too hectic, but those are few and far between. Combos are easy to chain together and have lots of different options in battle, as well as a feature to switch weapons mid-combat in an instant. Two weapon types from a ridiculous amount can be chosen before entering a mission to fit each player's style, ranging from weapons like swords, axes and spears, to the more obscure, like arm cannons. Switching weapons at the right time against officers can avoid a heavy blow and provide a hit to the enemy.

Weapons have an attribute system - Heaven, Man and Earth - that provides a bit more strategy to the battles. Attacking officers with the wrong attribute will provide a major disadvantage to the players, so it's best to not have two weapons with the same attributes. Officers that are attacked with the correct attribute will eventually break their guard with enough attacks and players can pull of what's known as a "storm rush", which is a flurry of attacks that ends with a powerful knockback attack.

Holding L1 allows characters to strafe while blocking, which helps when officers feel the need to gang up and start pulling off juggle combos. The AI can also be quite punishing on harder difficulties, as not paying attention and helping teammates when they are overrun could cause the mission to fail.

If battles are becoming too much, a new feature called Rage Mode powers up the character allowing faster movement and combos, and the ability to use an extended Musou special for a limited amount of time, to help turn the tide of battle. Constantly attacking enemies fills the bar up, just like with the Musou gauge, and can be activated when full by clicking the right analogue stick in. Despite the repetitive nature of the game, for which Dynasty Warriors has been criticised for a long time, these new changes make combat in Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition fun and fresh.