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 he wants to refresh the one-man superhero experience from the ground up, including new changes to the series's familiar charge attack system.

The game will be dubbed in Mandarin for the Chinese port.

The Treasure Box edition of the game includes an original soundtrack, a set of character clear cards, and an illustration book. Another limited package known as the Ikki Tousen box contains the aforementioned bonuses plus a set of weapon keychains.

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 10 unique cities where items and other services may be purchased. Traveling from one side of China to the other side takes about 3 hours.
 * Players can purchase and customize hideout houses.
 * A day and night cycle similar to Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada is implemented.
 * Weather changes in real time during battles and may hamper the enemy's awareness.
 * Encountering a panda in the wild may cause it to aid players with bonuses.
 * Long-range bow attacks from earlier titles return, though the firing view is in third-person. Can be used to detonate oil cans from afar. Various types of arrows are also available for players to collect.
 * Players can use grappling hooks to invade enemy castles or climb high mountains.
 * Additional actions include double jumping, evading, and fishing.
 * The new state combo system changes the character's attacks depending on their position against surrounding enemies. It comprises of three sequential attacks.
 * Trigger Attack - Initiates a combo by rendering an opponent vulnerable through stunning, juggling, etc.
 * Flow Attack - Hits the target with an array of attacks based on their current state.
 * Finish Attack - Finishes up the combo with a powerful attack.
 * Characters can perform a special action unique to them by pressing and R1 simultaneously.
 * Weapon switching combos have been removed, though players can still swap weapons through the pause menu.
 * Story Mode will strictly follow historical events while putting emphasis on individual stories like in Dynasty Warriors 5. Major battles become easier by finishing prior missions leading up to the event itself. Clearing scenarios is necessary to upgrade existing features of the game.
 * While traveling in-between areas, 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.
 * Sub-quests include hunting wild animals and fighting with foreign tribes.
 * New modes of transportation have been added. While the swimming feature is back, players may opt to ride boats to reach distant areas faster.
 * Characters will only be playable in their corresponding eras.
 * Downloadable content includes costumes and weapons.

Characters
All 83 characters selectable in Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires will return for this title. Suzuki told fans not to expect too many new additions to that list. Known debut characters include:


 * Man Chong
 * Xun You
 * Cao Xiu
 * Cheng Pu
 * Xu Sheng
 * Zhou Cang
 * Xin Xianying

Related Media
The game had been demonstrated by Akihiro Suzuki at China and Hong Kong in late July.

The producer promoted a media collaboration between this game and Ryuubi Tokuko wa Shizuka ni Kurashitai, a Three Kingdoms-themed comic serialized by LaLa Magazine.

A popularity poll for overseas fans was held on Facebook from August 2 to September 8. 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.

The game has a collaboration with the Lamigo Monkeys, a baseball team from Taiwan.

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

Sony is producing limited PlayStation 4 consoles to commemorate the game's upcoming release. It also includes various peripherals to match the console's theme.

This title was exhibited at China Festival 2017, an annual event held for celebrating Chinese culture. Held at Yoyogi Park, the event lasted from October 21 to 22. A similar promotion also occurred at a Three Kingdoms-themed festival at Kobe on November 5.

A portion of the game was made playable at the PlayStation Festival 2017 in Osaka. Attendees were given a total of 10 minutes to test it. Another trial will be available in Jump Festa 2018.

A collaboration menu with popular ramen chain Tenkaippin will be revealed at an unspecified date.

Image Songs

 * King of the Street
 * Performed by B'z