This week is Tokyo Game Show, the yearly event — held in the city of its namesake — that highlights everything the Japanese games industry has to offer. We have already seen some appearances from hotly anticipated titles like River City Girls 2, with more to come throughout the show. Today, the latest entry in the long-running Dynasty Warriors series was shown off. Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires gets a release date in a brand new trailer showcasing some of the game’s new strategic elements.
Like other entries in the series, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires combines the traditional 1 vs. 1,000 action gameplay the series is known for with tactical RPG elements. This includes several new mechanics making their debut in the game. During large battles, once your army makes it to the gates of the enemy stronghold, a “Storming the Castle” sequence will take place. During this mid-mission encounter, players must fight through to enter the enemy fortress. Players in said encounters can give orders to their troops and even take control of siege weapons like catapults. Finally, you enter a “Decisive Battle”, where you must defeat the enemy commanding officer to finish the fight.
Another new element is “Secret Plans.” During battle preparation, players can pick between several optional objectives that can be completed mid mission for extra bonuses. Choosing the right plan for the right map can grant smart players a huge strategic leg up on their opponent. Likewise, you can also prevent an enemy’s secret plan to give yourself an advantage.
Fight to unite
The last new element discussed alongside the Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires release date trailer is “Army Affinity.” Each unit an officer commands will have a special type that has an advantage over another — similar to type advantages in Pokémon and other like RPGs. Archers beat infantry, cavalry beats archers, and infantry beats cavalry, for example. This forms a rock-paper-scissors dynamic that players must be aware of when heading into battle. Units with a type advantage will do more damage and take less damage, while units with a type disadvantage will have the inverse effect.
Then, on top of all of these new features, is the strategy gameplay for which the series is known. Recruit new officers, take over territories, and forming alliances to try and unite China under your kingdom’s rule. Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires will release on February 15, 2022 for PC via Steam. It isn’t available for pre-order just yet, but you can check out the game’s official website for more details.
