Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires delivers its signature hack-and-slash combat with an added layer of strategic decision-making. At its core, you’ll still be button-mashing through hordes of enemies, executing flashy Musou attacks and weaving between generals to rack up high combo counts. The familiar rhythm of charging into enemy lines, clearing out soldier camps, and dueling opposing officers remains intact, offering fans the classic DW experience they’ve come to expect.

What sets the Empires installment apart is the new Empire mode, which overlays a turn-based strategy map onto the battlefield. You manage a map of 25 territories, assigning tax rates, constructing defenses, and recruiting new officers to bolster your ranks. Each turn is divided into “Empire” and “War” phases, where you allocate resources, create special items, and then launch military campaigns against rival warlords. This dual-layered approach adds depth to the otherwise straightforward action.

For each engagement, you select up to four generals and their lieutenants to lead your forces. Balancing these rosters becomes an engaging puzzle: you must consider unit strengths, special tactics, and battlefield roles. While only four scenarios are available—each offering similar objectives—the strategic possibilities in territory management and officer development ensure that no two campaigns feel exactly alike, even if the ultimate goal of unifying China remains constant.

Graphics

Graphically, Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires continues the series’ tradition of large-scale battles populated by dozens of soldiers, with character models that stand out against the crowded backdrops. Officer designs maintain their unique flair, featuring ornate armor and distinctive color palettes that make it easy to identify friend or foe in the chaos of combat. The game engine handles these skirmishes smoothly, rarely dipping below acceptable frame rates, even when Musou attacks light up the screen.

Environmental textures evoke the varied landscapes of ancient China—winding mountain passes, riverside forts, and sprawling plains. While some textures can appear stretched when viewed up close, they hold up well during the frenetic onscreen action. Weather effects such as dust storms or rain add a dynamic feel to each engagement, although they’re largely cosmetic and don’t significantly alter gameplay.

Character animations are fluid, with each general delivering their own signature moveset that combines weapon swings, acrobatic flips, and flashy finishing blows. Background soldiers tend to recycle a handful of run and attack cycles, which can feel repetitive over long play sessions, but the spectacle of watching dozens of foes fall to a single Musou blast still packs a satisfying punch. Overall, the graphics strike a balance between clarity, performance, and sheer scale.

Story

Storytelling has never been the main draw of the Dynasty Warriors series, and Empires follows suit. There’s no overarching cinematic narrative beyond the historical framework of the Three Kingdoms era. Instead, the game offers four loosely themed scenarios—each focusing on a different faction or time period—but these scenarios provide only minimal narrative context before dropping you into the strategic map.

Most of the story unfolds through short in-battle dialogue and mission briefings that set basic objectives: defend your fortress, defeat a rival general, or capture a key territory. These snippets hint at the complex tapestry of alliances and betrayals that define the period, but they rarely delve into character development or dramatic tension. Fans seeking a cinematic retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms will find little here beyond a nod to historical events.

That said, the game’s structure encourages you to craft your own epic through gameplay. Rising from a low-ranking officer to the ruler of all China, rallying generals to your banner, and dealing with betrayals can feel personally engaging, even if the game only loosely scripts these events. In this sense, the story is what you make of it—a sandbox of strategic conquest rather than a linear drama.

Overall Experience

Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires succeeds in blending the series’ trademark hack-and-slash action with a surprisingly meaty strategic layer. It appeals to both action fans who enjoy mowing down endless waves of foot soldiers and strategy-minded players who relish kingdom management. The Empire mode extends replay value significantly, as you’ll want to experiment with different tax policies, officer lineups, and territorial expansion tactics.

Cooperative split-screen play adds another dimension of fun, allowing two players to coordinate strategies on the campaign map and then charge into battle side by side. Whether you’re waging a joint assault on a fortified city or building up defenses to repel an enemy incursion, the shared experience amplifies the game’s strengths. The inclusion of soundtrack tracks from previous Dynasty Warriors installments further sweetens the package for series veterans.

While the narrative remains light and the core hack-and-slash gameplay can become repetitive over extended sessions, the strategic Empire overlay and cooperative options breathe new life into the formula. For potential buyers seeking a blend of epic battlefield carnage and turn-based planning, Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires offers a robust, entertaining package that extends well beyond its hack-and-slash roots.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10