Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires review - Conflicted feelings in the later Han era

sportskeeda.com:

As a die-hard Romance of the Three Kingdoms fan, I was incredibly excited to sit down with Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires and see where the franchise has gone. It needed something special after the controversy Dynasty Warriors 9 left in its wake.

While on a personal level, I love playing Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, I cannot ignore the glaring flaws that sit right in front of me. It feels like a step forward from DW8: Empires, but it's not enough.

The “Empires” franchise is a blend of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms strategy games and the 1 vs 1000 Dynasty Warriors gameplay rolled into one package. It’s usually an incredible, fun experience, which hasn’t changed for me.

Instead of just tackling stage after stage endlessly, the player also gets involved in the tactical side of things. Plotting against other kingdoms, training troops, recruiting officers, and building bonds with them.

That’s the part of the game I love. Unfortunately, there were some problems going into this one. I played this on the PlayStation 5. Despite that, there were still so many load screens, and they felt longer than most games on the console do.

Screen tearing occurred alongside weird visual glitches throughout the game, even after 20 or so hours of gameplay. So while I loved the game and will continue playing it for hours to come, I was a bit disappointed.

It’s not all negatives, though.

One thing I love about the game is that it is back in character creation! Players can make their characters and influence the political background of the Three Kingdoms Era. They can take on their faction or join someone else and be a loyal vassal. There aren't many cosmetic options, but I’m just glad it’s back.

While I enjoyed DW9, it felt bland to many players. It was