Many fans hope that DW9 Empires will fix all the issues critics had with DW9. Here are what the critics say with their Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires Review Scores.
What is Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires?
Dynasty Warriors is a series of hack-and-slash video games set in the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China. Yep, they've made nine games so far about the same story over the past three decades. But the game's repetition is also its appeal. Dynasty Warriors has become the quintessential hack-and-slash game, so much so that other companies have given the keys to their kingdom to Omega Force just so the team could make a hack-and-slash game out of other, more popular IPs, like the upcoming Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. The smooth gameplay and power fantasy that the game lends players is what makes it appealing to fans – and getting to do that for nearly three decades is exactly what fans would want. Empires is a special version for each of the game's mainline titles that focus less on the historical happenings of Ancient China and instead lets players bid a claim to the Chinese Empire's throne. Empires adds a strategic map in the game, allows a player to start as one of the game's factions, and has the goal of conquering the entire map. The game comes out on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch on February 15, 2022.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires Review Scores: 62 Metascore for the PS5 on Metacritic
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires Review Scores on Metacritic currently sit at 62 for the PS5 version of the game.
Dynasty Warriors' infamy may have dissuaded a lot of critics from grabbing a copy to review it, so we wholeheartedly thank these reviewers for doing everyone the favor and playing it to give everyone impressions on the game before it's too late. There are only 21 critic reviews so far. The grades given to the game constitute a bell curve, with a few positive, few negative, and an overwhelming “meh”.
Most complaints boil down to the game's dull stage design, ugly graphics, and repetitive gameplay. The last one is already a given, but Omega Force can do so much better with the first two. It's an utter disappointment to see Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires look this awful when Omega Force has made beautiful games out of the likes of Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. The game's soundtrack is also a hit or miss – par for the course for the entire series at this point – making the game a must-buy only for the most hardcore of fans.
Still, there are critics who find no flaw from the game – or at the very least graded Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires on a curve based on its context alone. Digitally Downloaded gave the game a perfect score, saying in their review: “Slightly more cerebral while also filled with the fast action that the series is known for, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires sits neatly as a midway point between the action of the “proper” Dynasty Warriors and the strategy of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. There probably isn't all that much of an audience for this, but for fans that were disappointed with the open world experiment of Dynasty Warriors 9, Empires here will be redemption, and for those who have never let their enthusiasm for the series be dampened, this is an excellent opportunity to marry Sun Shangxiang and make many beautiful babies… or perhaps to unite China. Whatever your preference is, really.”
Most of the reviews were mixed, with the likes of Push Square and PlayStation Universe being among them. PSU gave the game a 7/10, calling the game an “engrossing war simulation,” saying: “If Dynasty Warriors 9 was the volatile reboot the series desperately needed to endure, the Empires is proof the mixture isn’t quite settled yet. What Empires adds in terms of being an engrossing strategy sim, it loses in paring back its open world warfare to something that feels far too much like the series back at its worst. Persevere with its shortcomings, though, and Empires can bring you riches.” Meanwhile, Push Square gave the game a 5/10, with a review concluding that “Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a definite improvement on its predecessor — but that's not saying much. The return of set maps and straightforward objectives is welcome, and in typical Empires fashion, there's so much potential for interesting player-driven storylines. There is an addictive hack-and-slash loop at work here, and it's tempered by some decent tactical tweaks. But to fully enjoy it, you've got to wade through a mire of shockingly ugly visuals and boring map design.”
However, some other critics were more brutal in their assessments. The lowest Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires Review Score came from Finger Guns, who gave the game a 4/10, saying in their review: “Even for a series renowned for reusing material and rehashing a tired formula of mindless yet oddly satisfying gameplay, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is a hollow package. If this is all the series has left to offer, it may be time to let the Three Kingdoms war themselves into oblivion. A bland, shallow title with little to offer even those who enjoy the repetition of Musou gameplay, Empires is as regurgitated as a game can be.” NME's 4/10 review sums it up perfectly: “It’s repetitive and ugly, but the combat is a moreish delight.”
Conclusion: Is Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires Worth it?
If you're a big fan, it is. If you've been hyped for this game for the longest time and you know exactly what you're signing for, it is. But there would only be a few of you out there, and the majority of players would do better to pass this one up. It's not a revolutionary game, not even a hack-and-slash game that contributes much to a genre that it popularized. So, the only reason you'd pick this game up is because you're a big fan of DW Empires, or if you're bored out of your mind and consumed by curiosity. There could be a lot of fun to be had with this game, especially with friends, but it rarely lasts and is definitely not worth the entire cash pile you're paying for a game that already feels aged on release date.
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