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IT'S THE SAME

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 14
Date: December 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Dynasty warriors 3 is the same as the other Dynasty warriors games. I would not recomend it.

More of the Same

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: March 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Dynasty Warriors 3 is more of the same kill everything that moves type of game but offers some new modes and features. Noticably, it offers 2 player CoOp. It would have been classic if the 2p CoOp was on one screen but KOEI decided to go spilt screen. Bad choice if you ask me. I hate split scren.

If you own Dynasty Warriors 2 then dont rush for this one...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 7
Date: December 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you loved Dynasty Warriors 2, played to completion twice then buy this - its just more levels of the same. There are very, very few differences between 2 and 3 (i.e. GFX, music, gameplay, control bugs etc etc etc are all the same).

Personally i loved DW2 and will enjoy this, but if you're no die-hard then look elsewhere.

5 starts in the beginning

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 5
Date: January 09, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When I first played this game, I was so impressed. It was like you are really in a battle field killing for victories.
But after a while.... (3 days later)... it becomes not so exciting and kind of boring actually, because all you do is killing and killing, not much with any strategies. Anyway, you should have a try if you have not played this series before.

Lots of fighting and a little strategy

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 18
Date: December 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Basically it's like Gauntlet/Jedi Power Battles/Command and Conquer, all rolled into one. You fight epic battles where you pretty much single-handedly demolish hundreds of enemy troops- that's why you're a hero- heroes do that you know! But unlike games like Gauntlet, you can chose where on the battle map you want to concentrate your attention, fighting. For example, if one of your ally generals is about to fall, he will issue a warning, and you can either allow him to get slaughtered or you can rush to his aid. Allowing him to die results in the diminishing of the overall moral of the troops, which in term translates to a reduction in fighting ability.

Fighting is with very simple button sequences, which are pretty much the same with every character. During the course of the game you collect items that improve your character's performance.

The plot in the game is based on The Three Kingdoms (also availabe on Amazon), a well known Chinese novel. I think this is the first time a video game might actually encourage someone to read a book! (Actually Kessen is also based on the same story- surprise, Koei also makes the Kessen game!) Unfortunately whatever the story is amongst these kingdoms, it's completely incomprehnsible in the game. But that's really not important anyway, as jumping in and killing lots of people pretty much gets you through all the game campaigns.

Pros:

- simple controls to master
- provides light strategy that is manageable in the thick of a battle
- can switch to Japanese mode so the characters speak Japanese. Sounds cooler at least.
- graphics are good

Cons:

- game gets a bit repetitive
- major hand pain from stabbing the game controller buttons for too long. A campaign can last as long as 40 minutes!
- awefully stilted English voice acting
- rock sound track does not really fit with the theme of the game. Needs more of a Gladiator or Lord of the Rings soundtrack in the game.

Replay value is amazing!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: January 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Having never played Dynasty Warriors 2, I was able to pick up Dynasty Warriors 3 and take an objective look at it. I have seen complaints of it being just the same game with a few more characters and stages. But then again, aren't most sequels the same game with a few more characters and stages? I do however agree that Koei needs a new angle though, as the "Three Kingdoms" are becoming quite old.

Graphically the game is on par with other PS-2 titles. While you won't see any groundbreaking visuals, you won't see any ugly glitches either. The animations all have a fluid motion and many of the fighters are fun to watch as they pull of their moves. The enviroments have some details, but is basically nothing more than ground to fight on. Don't expect to be bouncing off walls or hiding under bridges. There is however some pop-up as well. It seems that the game can only handle a certain number of characters on screen at once, so very often you will see soldiers appear out of no where or vanish into thin air. But the soldiers closest to you are always visible, so this never really becomes a game hindering problem.

The gameplay is where DW3 truly shines. While a nice variety of characters is already offered from the first time you turn on the game, those initial 6 characters will turn into a list of 41(!) playable characters as you progress. Each character has a different weapon and fighting style. Although some characters are quite similar you will notice certain differences. For one, most characters have an individual look to them that seperates them from the others.

Another aspect of gameplay that really makes this game shine is the ability to build your characters. As you fight (either in Free Mode or Mosou Mode) your character will gain experience and be promoted through the ranks. You will also find numerous stat-boosting items on the battlefield when slaying certain enemy officers. Each character has four weapons which can be found somewhere in the game (the fourth being a unique and extremely powerful weapon). But with a little bit of time you'll be able to build your normal character into somewhat of a god on the battlefield. Another great thing is that any items found with one character can be used with all characters.

The game does however have some really REALLY annoying flaws. One of my biggest complaints is the menus. You'll notice that once you make your decision you have to either stick with it or reset the console. There is no "back button" on any of the menus. While this might seem minor, it will frustrate you quite a bit when you select the wrong mode by mistake and have to reset.

You'll also learn to hate the saving system in the game. The ability to save during a battle is great since many things you just don't ever want to have to deal with again, but the process of saving during a battle is absolute torture. You'll have to pause the game and select "QUIT", which brings up a prompt to "Quit and Save". Now you're back to the main menu. Your game has been saved, but if you'd like to go back to playing you have to reload the game and wait for everything to boot back up. Once again, it sounds minor but it'll have you wanting to kick the Playstation.

The biggest plague on this game however is the HORRIBLE voice-acting. The lines are spoken with NO enthusiam whatsoever and most of the cutscenes actually hinder the gameplay rather than get you more excited. I'd actually advise putting the voices in japanese and just reading the english subtitles, it helps make the story more exciting. Although I have to wonder why there is no chinese dialog. I highly doubt that english and japanese were spoken in 2nd century China.

Although Koei is known for their strategy games, that element is almost non-existant in DW3. While you might be a general on the battlefield, you can never really command your troops. In fact, you can run in a completely opposite direction from them and abandon them altogether. You are sometimes given specific orders of where to attack, but you never have to follow these orders if you don't want to. Basically you'll just be running around hacking away at whoever you wish. And no matter what the game tells you, you are all alone on that battlefield. Also, don't believe that hype about the elephants. There is only 1 OUT OF 18 battlefields where elephants are present. And while riding them is fun, it hardly constitutes a feature that should be mentioned repeatedly and praised so dearly. It just doesn't happen enough to matter.

So why do I give it 4 stars? Bottom line... the game is fun and it has very high replay value. With 41 fighters, 18 battlefields, a slew of weapons and items, and the ability to build your characters and move them through the ranks this game will have you playing for weeks. The enemy AI is great as enemy officers block, pull off combos, and even use special moves. And while the game might seem like a button masher (which it kinda is), there are combos you can pull off and fighting strategies you can use if you actually want to learn how to play. Sure the menus are annoying and the voices are the worst I've ever experienced in a video game, but DW3 has a lot of depth and is extremely enjoyable.

A solid game overall, with some minor downsides

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: May 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

"Dynasty Warriors 3" is unlike any console game I have ever played. Intense battlefield level action accompanied by some beautiful graphics really make this one an eye catcher. As you slash your way through 20 stages you'll find yourself glued to your Playstation 2. Yet, as addicting as this game is, its not without its own flaws, which unfortunately hold it back from becoming a real contender.

On the positive side "Dynasty..." is an adrenaline fueled, hack n' slash adventure in which you experience first hand glorious battle with your fellow comrades. As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats charging at 50 enemy soldiers with your men behind you, I often found myself yelling to "motivate" my soldiers. With over 40 warriors to choose from (most have to be unlocked), you'll find yourself with plenty of new things to do. The game modes range from "Musou", which is similar to a campaign mode, all the way to "Endurance" which pits you against 1000 enemy troops to see just how long you can last.

Unfortunately, the time has come for me to point out some things I had problems with. First off, game slow down is a very real factor, and though its not a common problem it will happen from time to time, especially when there are too many troops on screen. In game announcements become repetitive and annoying after about one mission, hearing your general say "Your better than I have heard!" every 5 minutes can put you on edge a bit. Enemy AI also proves not to be the smartest thing in the world, don't be too suprised when you sneak up on an enemy troop running into the wall. The Japanese to English translation is sometimes laughable, especially during cutscenes when characters mouths are so incredibly out sync, but that doesn't really affect the game I suppose. Finally, game play is a bit shallow, and while there is some strategy involved, it mostly just involves picking the right route to attack your enemy from.

But don't take that previous paragraph to seriously, this is all and all a fun game. The replay value is very high, and multiplayer mode is entertaining and helpful (especially during hard missions). If your looking to experience sword to sword, face to face intense battle then this is your best bet.

Hack 'till you crack

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

A massive hack fest is probably a good description for this game. Although this game is based on ancient Chinese history, its main strength lies in the wonderful gameplay, the atmosphere, and massive character roster. This 3d beat 'em up game will sure to impress you in the beginning as you head into the battle with hundreds of allied soliders and start to slice through hundreds of enemies. The 80s rock guitar riffs will either get you pumpin' or get on your nerves. One great feature of the game is that your character will slowly develop like a traditional RPG; it would take you probably 5-10 hours to max out a single character's stats and get his most powerful weapon. With 40+ characters this game it is going to take a while for you to max out all of the characters. If you liked the gameplay for Phantasy Star Online this game is somewhat familiar in gameplay along PSO's hunter but you could do longer combos and more varity attacks/blocks. Riding a horse is a nice plus. Like PSO you also get to develop your characters and get random generated items/weapons which you could equip to boost your stats/abilities. It if unforunate that this game does not offer on-line play like PSO otherwise it would be great. This game does offer 2 player vs and co-op which really a double edged sword since the 2 player modes has tons of fog and sometimes enemies/structures just appear in front of you out of nowhere due to polygon drops. But the exictiment of kicking butt with your friend (or kicking your friend's butt) will far outweight the flaws of this mode.
Personally I am a fan of the Romance of the 3 Kindom story since the first RTK game. Dynasty Warriors 3 sure brings back some fond memories of the RTK2 days... ahh...
This game is a must buy for RTK fans, and I strongly recommend this game to any fan of 3rd person beat them up fans and PSO fans. If you dislike 3D beat them up games, the chances are that you will hate this game as well.

My Stress Reliever

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Words fail to decribe the glee I feel when I rush into a raging battle, slaughtering 15 soldiers with my 60 lbs halberd. This game has provieded me with more entertainment then probably all my other games combined. Story, Gameplay, Graphics,Sound and Replay value are all great.

The Story is great, being that it's form the Chinese Novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This gives great color to the 41 characters, as each has his or her own personality. Extremely impressive was each in game cut screen changes dpending on which character you are, and each say something different(esspicially if you play Guan Yu on Wu Side at Fan Castle). I give that a 5.

Gameplay, simple to learn, hard to master. The fighting engine is in my book one of the best developed, and all those mass multiplayer online games should be taking notes. Knowing how to use certain combos, to defeat enemies not only can make them easier, but boost rewards as well. One downside is mounted combat is very weak, even with added bonuses. For the msot part the game is semi-challenging, however archers and crossbowmen seem too prevelent. This kind of annoys me because they hsave excpetioanl aim and do more damage than the dood with a halberd. 1 archer is more deadly than 20 or 30 guys, kinda gets on your nerves. I give gameplay a 4.

Graphics for the msot part are awesome considering the amount of untis on screen at one time. The charatcers ornate and descriptive down to the calligraphy on Xiahou Dun's Scimitar. Cut Scenes are excelent, however the fog gets a tad annoying, esspcially in 2 player mode. The main bug here is that sometimes if your swarmed in a co-op generals and more importantly archers tend to dissapear and re-appear behind, which makes them extremely annoying. Also the maps are my biggest problem, being that a lot of them can be sparse at time, while some can have great visuals. Also, i felt that they werent as well odne as the maps for DW2. Graphics earn 4-

Sound is well done. English dubbing is terrible, but your given a Japanese choice as well, which I thought was awesome. For the most part sounds are mediocre, good yelling, battle cries etc. Music isnt to bad actually, depsite what people say. It actaully sets the mood, like Chang Ban, when the music is on a high tempo as you flee the on rush of Cao Cao's larger force. Basically a 4.

Replay value is totally awesome. Being that you have 41 different characters, that means 41 different styles and weapons. Each charatcer has a 4th weapon, which is unique and mega uber, and sometimes posses a special element, like death. Theres also a buncha items as well, and finding special items by triggering certain events. The think that I like msot is that its not one of those collect 50 little stars and get a reward. Once you find it, your rewarded quite well. That with finding charcters, events, multiplayer, challange modes you find it there splenty to do. Only downside, is the maps can be repetive after 5 or 6 times. Replay earns a big 5.

The run down, buy it. I hardly ever say that about any game, but this one is so...fun.

Great Arcade Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Dynasty Warriors 3 (Shin-Sangoku Musou 3) is a great, fun action game -- perfect for blowing off steam or killing time.

Dynasty Warriors 2 was a cool game when it came out, but like a lot of first gen. ps2 games, it was over too soon.

Dynasty Warriors 3 has much more staying power. It is a great improvement over the "2" -- for example, now you and your buddy can team up (split screen) and work together to kick butt and strategize. For those of you who enjoyed the PSX "JEDI POWER BATTLES" and the coop style there, you will love this.

DW3 isn't smart and funny like Metal Gear Solid 2 (the only game I can think of that deserves 5 stars) -- but it is a very enjoyable game. Definitely BUY it -- if you rent it, you'll miss out on a lot.

Last note: I dunno why this game is so hard to come by? Limited Release? If you get your hands on it, it's worth the list price new -- but finding it used for [money] would probably be a good find.

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