Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires Reviews
Omega Force… what happened here?! You come from the excellent Samurai Warriors 5 and Pirate Warriors 4 and manage to completely ruin the once great Dynasty Warriors franchise. This is an unpolished, lazy and unworthy release. Dynasty Warriors 9 in 2018 was a reason for fans to get upset and now Empires is a new disappointing blow for the loyal fanbase.
Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a niche version of an already divisive game and provides very little innovation to the musou formula. It honestly feels like a half-baked game, as if developer Koei Temco felt the need to keep the Empires spinoff line of games going simply because it has done it in the past. There are better musou games out there and better strategy games out there, and I honestly can't recommend this game to fans of either type of game. Ultimately, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires won't hold your interest for any extended period of time unless you're already a fan of the franchise.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires has some promise, but it's learned nothing from the past and possesses no soul. This installment doesn't deserve a warrior's death - or life, for that matter.
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.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires can't make up for the shortcomings baked into the Dynasty Warriors 9 framework.
Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a poor Switch port of a disappointing entry in the long-running spin-off series. This is a hugely downgraded version of the game, with seriously dialled-back visuals failing to put a stop to consistent frame rate issues during the heat of battle. With a lack of gameplay modes, zero multiplayer options, terrible AI and cosmetic customisation options gone AWOL at launch - Koei Tecmo choosing instead to go the DLC route - this is a truly lacklustre package, a bargain bin affair with a premium price tag, and a Dynasty Warriors game you can feel quite comfortable skipping entirely.
Even if you love this series with your whole heart, we still recommend you to skip Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires. The game simply doesn't worth it, even with a price cut.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires does not give us faith that the series can be saved. Put simply, it might be best to put this series out to pasture and focus on other Warriors entries.
Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires had imperial ambitions. I ended up with an identical game with additional option windows. Before we meet a thousand opponents, we will pretend to manage empires. And unfortunately, it will end with going. Production definitely not worth the price.
Review in Polish | Read full review
It lacks purposeful content and engaging mechanics, with many aspects of its core-elements feeling like an afterthought. Its fluid and fast-paced combat is an enjoyable experience stuck in a visual and mechanically dull game, which leaves more to be desired.
As such, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires does feel like a step towards righting the problems with the original game. It still suffers from the structural issues that held back Dynasty Warriors 9, and fans of more straightforward musou titles have a wealth of other games on offer such as Samurai Warriors 5, but those who prefer the tactical edge of Empires will at least find some enjoyment here.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is the depressing follow up to the most disappointing entry in the whole Koei Tecmo hack'n'slash series. The strategic aspect that allegeldy distinguishes it from the predecessor is barely there while the action mechanics are basically the same, with castle sieges being the only real new offer of the whole package. Some clever ideas are noticeable, but most of them are reused from previous iterations. What Omega Force packed in the game at launch is not enough to build an entire experience on repetition.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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 battlefield design.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is often fun, but it's no better than its predecessors - and, in some ways, it's worse.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires presented a gameplay that did not differ much from the previous games with simple additions here and there and many characters, but its technical issues kill the enjoyment of the game instantly
Review in Arabic | Read full review
As a Dynasty Warriors 9 spin-off, Empires falls behind the market in terms of both visuals and gameplay standards, and even though many of its gameplay mechanisms show huge potential, the final package fails to impress as it feels rushed and unpolished, leaving its ties to Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel the only upside for the fans to cling to.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is a title that, if taken in small doses, is absolutely capable of pampering and entertaining admirers of the saga and the strategic drift undertaken by the Empires strand.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires has some interesting strategy elements, but the combat is so far behind other recent Musou games.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires struggles to find fresh footing or take advantage of the latest consoles’ abilities but still delivers solid combat and great kingdom building mechanics.
After a few evenings spent with Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, there is no other way to approach this production than to try to erase the stain on the honor of Omega Force after the unsuccessful "nine" from a few years ago.
Review in Polish | Read full review