POSTED 24/3/10


DYNASTY WARRIORS: STRIKEFORCE

Koei Tecmo
PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PSP)

Serious strategy buffs – or stragety buffs if you’re Bugs Bunny – really dug on Japanese developer Koei’s early releases, especially Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which was heavily based on Chinese history. Realising they were onto a good thing, but that normal mortals were dumbfounded by the bonce-boggling requirements of the series, Koei spun off a more beat ‘em up-styled version in the late ’90s. Dynasty Warriors was born.

True to its name it has become quite the dynasty itself, with one, two, three – erm, lots – of releases thus far. After starting life on the black sheep of portable gaming in the PSP, Strikeforce now hits the ‘next-gen’ consoles, bringing just what fans would expect, with a few advances over previous incarnations.

If you’re not a spotty DW geek, you may want to know what it’s about. Basically there’s an overlying strategy angle, but the bulk of the game is wondrous, near-mindless hacking and slashing and mutilating and dismembering and otherwise killing of ancient Chinese enemies. Seriously, if you’ve got a bit of bloodlust happening after a hard day at the cube farm, pop this baby in, pick a mission and just let the red stuff sploosh free.

If you’re of a less psychopathic bent, you can wend your way through various assignments, building your characters powers alone, or with up to three other players online or locally – although they do tend to play puppy dog rather annoyingly if computer controlled.

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