Bemoaning PlayStation 2 ports has become the staple diet topic of the Xbox and GameCube owning fraternity and, although justified at the dawn of the next-gen era, is becoming less palatable by the day. Dynasty Warriors 3 is an example of how and why these less costly development techniques can benefit you, the games consumer.

The story of the game centres around three feudal dynasties that want to have total control of China, the Wu, the Shu and Wei. As the game is set in era predating ba ... more >>

Bemoaning PlayStation 2 ports has become the staple diet topic of the Xbox and GameCube owning fraternity and, although justified at the dawn of the next-gen era, is becoming less palatable by the day. Dynasty Warriors 3 is an example of how and why these less costly development techniques can benefit you, the games consumer.

The story of the game centres around three feudal dynasties that want to have total control of China, the Wu, the Shu and Wei. As the game is set in era predating ballot slips, the sword and horse is the tool of democracy. And seemingly, the warlords are perfectly content with this.

You take control of one of the feuding factions, each beset with its own list of abilities and pre-programmed actions, and embark upon an epic hack 'n' slash three way battle. As with the last instalment in the series, Dynasty Warriors relies on three essential gameplay components: run in, go mental, destroy everything. And it works a treat.

It's worth mentioning that this game does not show off the Xbox's graphical capabilities to the extent a title made solely for the system would. It looks like a PlayStation 2 port, despite obvious optimisation. However, the cut-scenes are amongst the best seen in recent times, with KOEI concentrating on building a vibe around the title within the confines of the CG studio, and with excellent results. It's a good job that these graphical flaws don't impact too heavily upon the gameplay locked within DW3. A hack 'n' slash is a hack 'n' slash is a hack 'n' slash and long may it continue!

Most of the time you are well within the bloody death-fest that is feudal Chinese battle. To save yourself and your dynasty, you have two major attacking functions: a projectile weapon, such as a crossbow or bow and arrow, and a handheld deathtool, like a battleaxe or sword. The handheld weapon is controlled with rapid hits on the action button, whereas the crossbow takes a little more work. From a distance, you decide upon a target area and tap the right trigger. This brings up a first-person target view with which you pick off your opponents individually.

The game has huge replayability value, with throngs of unlockable weapons, characters and scenarios. This, coupled with the fact that each mission is playable from any of the three tribes, makes for almost limitless gameplay. << less