Huge Open World For the first time in series history, Dynasty Warriors 9 is introducing an open world for players to roam about in. This is particularly exciting in a game where so much of the fun lies in finding enemies to slice into tiny ribbons, and the footage we’ve seen so far is absolutely gorgeous. Racing through jungles, forests, rivers and snowy landscapes, all the while looking for some hapless bandit to ruthlessly murder. It’s art imitating life. The game also promises to feature areas populated by particularly tough foes, meaning you’ll have to come back later when you’ve beefed up your warrior a bit more, and the variety of baddies on offer is intriguing, to boot. In your travels, you’ll run into weapon-toting thugs of all shapes and sizes, as well as wild animals like bears and wolves – defeating them could make for an excellent meal afterwards (the wild animals, we mean.) One of the best aspects of an open world title is the option to dither around and accomplish large amounts of nothing in the downtime between battles. You know what? War can wait, Ding Feng wants to deck out his crib. Hideouts present an opportunity to customize and adorn your abode however you see fit, whether they be purely aesthetic, or allow for nifty bonuses. You can use your hideout to receive mail or even invite other characters to hang out with you. Jia Xu doesn’t just crash through enemy garrisons, he also crashes on your couch.

Massive Roster The Dynasty Warriors series is famous for its range of warlords with different weapons and techniques, and DW9 does not skimp on the roster, to the tune of 90 characters. That is an absolutely bonkers number; you would probably struggle to think of 90 people you even know offhand, but most importantly, not a single playable unit from the previous games has been cut. With troops of all kinds of personalities and skills hailing from the different kingdoms, you will have to get used to every weapon at your disposal, including swords, staves, clubs and lances. Xu Zhu looks to be a particular highlight; a heavyset, grinning fool with an enormous mace in hand, he is adept at clearing out hordes of soldiers all in the one fell swoop. Like many of the other returning generals, it will be interesting to see what adjustments they have made to his abilities from previous editions. One thing is clear, though: this dude looks like an absolute blast.

Long Wait Between Games Did you miss your ancient Chinese warlords? They certainly missed you. With a new Dynasty Warriors game arriving every year or two, it was clear that a bout of series fatigue was surfacing. Omega Force brand manager Kenichi Ogasawara confessed in a Famitsu interview that there were not enough innovations in the previous game, stating that ‘the evolution from Dynasty Warriors 7 to 8 was insufficient’. It will certainly help that this will be the first mainline entry in the series in quite some time, with a five year gap between this title and Dynasty Warriors 8. In the meantime, obviously, the Warriors franchise has dabbled in crossovers – with Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors carrying the load in the absence of a fully fledged sequel. The tweaks that each of these presented to make them truer to their source material helped to keep them fresh and unique, and ought to successfully bridge the gap to what looks to be the most ambitious Warriors game yet. DW9 will treat you to hours worth of cutscenes and dialogue, and multiple endings for different characters, as opposed to one per faction. How many epilogues can they possibly come up with? Surely some will be less ambitious than others, perhaps something along the lines of ‘Guan Ping celebrated his victory by buying a splendid pair of trousers’, but still, we can’t wait to watch every last one of them.

New Battle Mechanics Throughout the series history, the gameplay has followed a tried and true formula of storming the enemy’s fortresses, obliterating everyone that crosses your path, capturing bases and conquering bosses. Lather, rinse and repeat. It was a lot of fun, but it could become a little repetitive. In DW9, the sprawling map will open up new methods of striking at the heart of foes, most notably with the grappling hook. This handy tool allows you to ambush the opposing army, adding a potential element of stealth to the mix. Hopefully you’ll also be able to use the hook to claw your enemies in the face, that would be a nice touch. In addition, the landscapes and terrain are for more than just show, as they will affect the way your enemies move and react. Depending on the time of day, they will have different routines, and weather can play havoc on both you and your opponents. This has been present in previous Dynasty Warriors titles, as well, but should feel more fluid and intuitive in conjunction with the design of the open world.