Dynasty Warriors 9

Dynasty Warriors 9 (真・三國無双8, Shin Sangoku Musou 8) is the ninth main entry of the Dynasty Warriors series. It was first teased by Kou Shibusawa at 2016 PlayStation Press Conference in Japan and formally revealed during Koei's web program Koei-Tecmo Greatest Ever Line Up Special on December 17, 2016.

Akihiro Suzuki returns as producer. He has stated that the theme for this title is "renewal", as the development team strove to refresh the one-man superhero experience from the ground up. The change to open world was done to "capture the atmosphere" of Ancient China, so he stresses that the maps may not be 100% historically accurate. One design element that seeks to appeal to the open world element was an increase in realism throughout the game. However, Suzuki remarked that real Chinese martial arts and fantasy have been carefully balanced with respect to weapon movesets; series' fans can still enjoy certain familiar and unorthodox attacks in each moveset.

A Mandarin dub is available for the Chinese port. Suzuki remarked that it was something he had always wanted to do, and it was only made possible recently. He is pleased to have personally seen the positive and boisterous response from Chinese audiences during his stage appearances.

The Treasure Box edition includes an original soundtrack, a set of character clear cards, and an illustration book. The Omega Force 20th Anniversary Ikki Tousen box contains the aforementioned bonuses plus a set of weapon keychains. The Gamecity Set adds character karuta cards and eight character clear cards that are distinct from the boxed editions. Whoever gets the Digital Deluxe edition shall receive the season pass for all of the normally scheduled DLC, a bundled materials set, a set dedicated to hideouts with ten furniture and a scenario, and three weapons exclusive to this purchase. Select European and Taiwanese outlets are offering a steel box case with pre-orders. Taiwanese pre-orders also include two random cards that can be Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Wang Yuanji, or Lu Lingqi rendered in bathing outfits.

Gameplay

 * Following in the footsteps of Toukiden 2, this game will be the first open world entry for the series. Players will be able to explore the full scope of the battlefield and visit nearby cities or towns. The map has over ten unique cities where items and other services may be purchased. Traveling from one side of China to the other side takes about three hours.
 * "Interactive Actions" allow for quicker transportation across the terrain and interaction with the terrain. These actions include double jumping, evading, swimming, using grappling hooks to climb taller obstacles, and riding boats for quicker travel.
 * While traveling between cities, players may come across hostile tribes, animals, or heavily-guarded supply units. Defeating supply units earn valuable items and money, but doing so will have an impact on upcoming battles. Encountering a wild panda may grant special bonuses.
 * In the battlefield, missions are categorized into three types: normal (white and yellow scrolls), critical (red scroll), and request (sweat mark).
 * Sub-quests include hunting wild animals and fighting with foreign tribes. These quests reward ingredients that are necessary for creating weapons.
 * Formidable opponents can be randomly encountered while wandering. They can either be powerful human foes or various rare animals whom drop greater amounts of loot if they are defeated.
 * Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada-day and night cycle is implemented. Weather changes in real time during battles and may hamper the enemy's awareness.
 * Restaurants can provide meals that may, depending on the dish, heal or provide various stat buffs to the player character. Ingredients for the meals are dropped from enemies, collected from the field, through hunting or fishing. Fishing includes special lures to improve the player's catch.
 * Series characters can be spotted in casual clothing in the cities within their respective regions.
 * Players can purchase hideouts across China. Once purchased, player characters can invite friendly series characters to their hideout. If they accept, unique conversations can be unlocked.
 * Furniture can be purchased at the trader or ancient coin collector in towns. Ancient coin collectors require a rarer coin separate from standard gold. Selections at either store are randomized each visit.
 * Each piece of furniture can customize a hideout to be purely decorative or to serve specific functions. If the player so desires, hideouts can provide a place to cook meals, develop tools, change character outfits, listen to music, review artwork, and/or sleep to recover health and change in-game time.
 * When a character levels up, the player is given three stat points to boost any of their character's stats. Changes are permanent.
 * Ranks are assigned to characters on top of their standard levels. Higher ranks affects the options available to a character at the blacksmith and the renumeration that they can receive from quests. Advanced ranked characters can earn recipes to create stronger weapons.
 * Charges have been replaced with a new system:
 * Flow Attacks : quick, normal attacks that can be performed without any special conditions. Hit opponents from the air, hits opponents that are down, easy to combo.
 * React Attacks (undefined): situational attacks that rely on particular timing and positioning between player characters and enemies.
 * Counter attack: press undefined while an enemy is preparing to attack to perform a special counter.
 * Break away attack: knocks back nearby foes.
 * Dash attack: strikes at enemies that are faraway from player character.
 * Beat down attack: hits opponents who are in the air and smashes them back down.
 * Repel attack: while defending an enemy's attack, press undefined to break guard and attack enemy.
 * Surprise attack: powerful ambush that is available when the enemy has not spotted the player character yet.
 * Finish attack: mighty attack that can end weakened enemies.
 * Trigger Attacks: blows that affect an enemy's state if successfully hit. Can lead into Flow Attack combos.
 * R1 + : temporarily stuns an enemy.
 * R1 + undefined: launches an enemy into the air.
 * R1 + : knocks down an enemy.
 * Special Technique (R1 + ): strong attack unique to each character.


 * Bow attacks return (down on the directional pad to initiate). Camera is now third-person, and arrows be used to detonate oil cans from afar. Various types of arrows can also be collected.
 * Weapons can be drawn or withdrawn at will in the field (L3). Combo-switching between weapons has been removed, but players can still equip multiple weapons and swap between them through the pause menu. Each character has their preferred weapon (one for each character) which will include passive effects if they are using it.
 * Characters can use "Unique Actions" with any weapon and at any terrain level. Actions will be different if the character is doing a Unique Action with their preferred weapon.
 * A stamina bar is included to limit the player's ability to dash (by holding R1) and jump.
 * Weapon levels are simplified to three standard tiers: Lower, Middle, and Upper. They can be upgraded by assembling ingredients and visiting a city's blacksmith.
 * Gems can be crafted onto weapons to alter their effects. Aside from adding elemental effects to attacks, gems may add alternative stats and effects to a character's Trigger and React Attacks.
 * Stronger weapons can only be created and the player must search for the recipe for them. Recipes and ingredients for these stronger weapons all require completing specific conditions.
 * Horse whistle is now L2. Mounts can be purchased at city stables or earned by completing special events. They gain levels by running long distances or by knocking enemies over as they sprint; they have their own parameters available for customization.
 * Downloadable content includes scenarios, characters, costumes, and weapons.

Story Mode
Mission-based like most other open world games. Follows historical events and Romance of the Three Kingdoms with individual stories that emphasize the Dynasty Warriors characterizations. Dynasty Warriors 4 mechanic of secondary objectives affecting the difficulty of the final confrontation is in effect. Players regain the freedom of ignoring secondary missions and charging straight towards the primary objective(s) for ending a battle.

Story Battles are main story battles that advance the years of the era. They are automatically designed to include multiple perspectives of a single battle; the player character's faction affiliation decides which perspective will be seen for them. It's therefore encouraged to play characters from varying factions to completely experience the game's story. Clearing scenarios is necessary to upgrade existing features of the game.

Characters will only be playable in Story Battles within their historically noted lifetime and up to their last recorded battle (if applicable). Individual characters endings are included.

As long as players ignore the battles that proceed with history, they can explore and fight in miscellaneous campaigns endlessly. Suzuki remarks that this is why Free Mode has been omitted in this game.

Characters
Newcomers are in bold.

*: Playable Through DLC

Related Media
This game was exhibited at China Festival 2017, an annual Japanese event held for celebrating Chinese culture, October 21 to 22, 2017. A similar promotion occurred at a Three Kingdoms-themed festival at Kobe on November 5, 2017. A playable ten-minute trial was presented at PlayStation Festival 2017 in Osaka. Ten characters are available for playing at the Jump Festa 2018 trial; attendees can purchase an original vinyl bags that is booth exclusive. A press conference to celebrate the game's finished development shall be livestreamed on January 31, 2018 (JST).

It is one of the titles scheduled to be featured in the Dengeki PS Premium Event 2018 Winter event. Kenji Nojima (Lu Xun) shall be present for the Dynasty Warriors 9 stage event.

Merchandise based on this game will be available at Comiket 93. The four-disc complete original soundtrack set can be purchased starting February 14, 2018.

Limited edition PlayStation 4 consoles that commemorate this game's release are up for pre-orders. This model includes original peripherals and an original theme.

The second volume of Ryuubi Tokuko wa Shizuka ni Kurashitai, a Three Kingdoms-themed comic serialized by LaLa Magazine, includes Suzuki's commentary for the comic's Guan Yu and the Dynasty Warriors Guan Yu in promotion of this game.

Social game Buki yo Saraba hosted a collaboration event with an original story. The collaboration's duration was December 18, 2017~January 8, 2018.

Xperia is selling phone case covers featuring Wang Yi, Daqiao, Xingcai, Wang Yuanji, and Lu Lingqi.

Tenkaippin, Japanese ramen chain, have Dynasty Warriors posters with a QR code on them for a Zhao Yun donburi bowl giveaway; 88 people living in Japan have a chance to receive it until February 28, 2018. Maruchan is printing Dynasty Warriors 9 characters onto select Red Kitsune or Green Tanuki covers until February 22, 2018. Retweet the Dynasty Warriors character tweets for the campaign for a chance to receive a collaboration sticker featuring both products.

Three quizzes are being held over the Japanese Pony Canyon and Dynasty Warriors Twitter accounts. Answer questions correctly for a chance to win God of War, Zhao Yun collaboration merchandise. Deadline for the final quiz is February 20, 2018.

Consumers of the Japanese packaged version of this game receive an invite to the Omega Force 20th Anniversary Live rock concert with live performances by MASA. The concert takes place one day before the similarly themed voice actor stage event, Omega Force 20th Anniversary Seiyuu Musou. Seiyuu Musou attendees can purchase either the first or second character song CD sets for this game before their public sales date.

Butai Shin Sangoku Musou Kanto no Tatakai, the second Dynasty Warriors Japanese stage play that is based on the Battle of Guandu, will be held at Zenrosai Hall from April 26 to May 1, 2018.

Lamigo Monkeys, a baseball team from Taiwan, had collaboration merchandise available to fans who pre-ordered tickets for their August 23~27, 2017 games. It is celebrated as the first Warriors sports promotion in Taiwan.

Suzuki demonstrated this game's Hulao Gate at China and Hong Kong in late July 2017. It was one of the PlayStation titles presented at Toy Soul 2017; Suzuki is scheduled to go on stage again at the 2018 Taipei Game Show on January 28, 2018.

A popularity poll for overseas fans was held on Facebook from August 2 to September 8, 2017. Participants voted for three of their favorite characters per faction before the decisive winners were selected in the final rounds.
 * Wei Poll - From August 2~6.
 * Shu Poll - From August 7~10.
 * Wu Poll - From August 11~14.
 * Other Poll - From August 15~18.
 * Jin Poll - From August 21~24.
 * Semi-Final Poll - From August 31~September 4.
 * Final Poll - From September 7~8.

Image Songs

 * King Of The Street
 * Performed by B'z