Dynasty Warriors 7

Dynasty Warriors 7 (真・三國無双6) is the latest installment of the Dynasty Warriors series. Originally it was confirmed as a Playstation 3 exclusive due to the series's tenth year anniversary and long history with the Playstation consoles. However, on October 30, 2010, it was announced that an Xbox 360 version would be released in Europe and North America. In response to questions for an Asian Xbox version, the producer said there are no plans for it. Yebis was used to render this title and is the first title from the company to use it.

Everything has been stated to be revamped, from characters, stories, and weapon system. The theme for this title is to present a "seamless, cinematic one-versus-thousand" game. The producer replied he wants to continue making a focused, dramatic narrative with character stories in the series. He is also stringent on stating the game is not a complete abolishment of the sixth title nor the complete return of the fifth title. This game was devised to be an "entirely new system", and that the final product is their end result of several experiments and repeated trials for their product. Both he and the director agree that this title was made with hopes to bring back fans from the past in celebration of the series' tenth anniversary. Therefore, a reoccurring motif for most of their decisions was "anything goes!" so long as they thought it would be interesting for fans. The development team created this title while thinking as if it was their last, aiming to include lots of content and features found throughout other Warriors titles.

The Treasure Box release includes the usual book filled with character illustrations and developer commentary, a digital photo frame dedicated to the series' ten year anniversary, eight postcards, and one of four ball point pens. These pens were also handed out to attendees of the first live press event for the game in October. People who performed early orders for the Japanese release online also received a serial code to download Zhao Yun's Dynasty Warriors outfit for this game.

Gameplay
The game's visuals will be rendered for a 3D viewing experience, allowing players to be furthered absorbed in the Three Kingdoms setting. If the 3D experience is too awkward, the players can always switch it off and play the game normally on their TV. The producer pushed for adding the 3D feature for this game since the beginning of the game's development phase.

Battle System

 * See Also: Dynasty Warriors 7/Weapon Movesets

In the spirit of Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, every character can equip two weapons. The player can decide on whatever weapons they want their character to use as characters are no longer restricted to having a permanent weapon. Weapons and their respective traits are shared amongst the entire cast. Only a character's gender has a deciding factor on which weapons they can use: males can't equip chain whips while females can't equip great swords. Characters do have a preferred weapon of choice, however, and will have a special attack assigned based on their preferences. The special attack is called an "EX Attack". The input for each EX Attack varies on the character and can be specifically viewed with the weapon's action list. All of the weapons can equip a special element that can fall into one of the following five types:
 * Fire: engulfs enemies in flame, dealing gradual damage
 * Ice: freezes opponents and their movements
 * Lightning: stuns foes, deals great physical damage to stronger ones
 * Wind: breaks through enemies guard, deals great physical damage to stronger foes
 * Slay: instantly kills weaker enemies, deals great physical damage to stronger foes

Normal attacks and charge attacks revert back to the older system with the Renbu system discarded. The producer has stated that this title will be based on and expand the set-up from the series' fifth installment. For instance, air combos have been upgraded to include jump cancels and aerial musous while the player attacks. There are no jumping or dashing charge attacks. The Musou Gauge can be built to multiple stocks -at least two- and a stronger musou can be executed in a manner not unlike Samurai Warriors 3. The secondary stocks can be reserved on a secondary weapon and can be used at the player's convenience. Deadlocks caused between two musous will no longer occur in this title.

Weapons can be changed at any time by pressing R1. A quick switch between the two weapons triggers a special attack called a "Switch Attack". Switch Attacks can be used during normal combos with good timing.

Weapons may additionally have a "Seal", or a special property, which is a passive trait that affects the player in battle. Players can customize these traits onto their weapons by using Gold earned from battle. The following seals players can equip on their weapons are:
 * Musou - gain an additional Musou Gauge
 * Max Health - increases maximum health.
 * Attack Up - increases attack
 * Defense Up - increases defense
 * Skill Point Up - receive more skill points
 * Combat Resistance - when attacking, become more resilient to enemy attacks
 * Projectile Resistance - improves defense against arrows and shock waves
 * Officer Assassin - increase Attack and Defense when fighting enemy officers
 * Elemental Attack Up - enhances elemental attacks
 * Elemental Invulnerability - nullifies enemy elemental attacks
 * Horsemanship - knocked off of horses less often
 * Attack Range Up - increases attack range
 * Double Elements - different elements on two separate weapons will activate at once while attacking
 * Synergy - greatly increases attack when both equipped weapons have the same element
 * Musou Regen Up - Musou Gauge gradually refills, but defense is lowered
 * Health Regen Up - health gradually refills, but defense is lowered
 * Seal Master - obtain seals more quickly
 * Congeniality - strengthen bonds with other officers more quickly
 * Walking Speed Up - increases movement speed
 * Weapon master - each weapon has its own seal which will allow players to maximize their proficiency for a particular weapon

The weapon system means that everyone in the game pretty much shares the same actions since characters can swap their current weapon to anything they please. The exceptions to the shared action traits are the unique attacks characters receive with certain weapons and their musou attacks.

Two player co-op is only available in Conquest Mode. Players can either play online or use two controllers to play through the mode. When two players play together online, the screen will not be horizontally split. There is an option available for players who wish for the split screen play. Players can vocally talk with one another if they wish while playing online.

Character Growth
The system from Dynasty Warriors 6 has been reverted to return to a format that somewhat resembles previous titles. Characters will have the three following stats: life, attack, and defense. As a callback to older titles in the series, players can collect items in the battlefield to permanently boost these three stats for the character they are controlling. A sword increases attack, a shield bolsters defense, and dim sum increases health.

Musou gauges can be increased by using "Skill" points earned based on the player's performance in battle. These points can additionally be used to unlock musous stocks, a different musou, and other personal traits for the player's character. A handful of playable characters will have personal skills unique to them.

Battlefield
Cutscenes and events no longer take loading time, and the transition strives to be as close to real-time as possible. It is possible to keep playing right after special scenes that were previously pre-rendered movies.


 * Like the Xtreme Legends titles in the series, this game will feature Novice and Hell difficulties.
 * Swimming still exists in this title. Climbing ladders to reach higher places remains, but the players will not be able to scale walls and obstacles in the same manner as Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage. Gimmicks, usable props found in battles like Samurai Warriors 3, can be used to assist the player.
 * Enemy generals can drop weapons and can be used by the player's character right after obtaining them. In Conquest Mode, these weapons have a chance of being the character's personal weapon of choice. Like all other weapons in the game, these can also be customized by the player in the middle of battle.
 * There are two types of support animals that can aid the player in battle: animals that follow the player and fight together and animals that can be ridden. Animals include horses, pandas, bears, elephants, wolves, falcons and tigers. Most of these mounts can be seen again in Dynasty Warriors Online. The rare horses are Red Hare, Hex Mark, and Shadow Runner with Red Hare being the strongest and fastest mount in the game. The ability to call horses to the player's side and the ability to jump while riding a mount remains from Dynasty Warriors 6.
 * The army morale gauge between the forces fighting in battle has been removed completely. Players can check on the status of their forces by listening to their fellow officers' reports.
 * Just like Dynasty Warriors 6, nearby ally soldiers will perform a victory shout and animation when the player defeats an officer.
 * Restorative items remain the same. Items that temporarily power up the character can now extend to their mounts.
 * Similar to the Dynasty Warriors Gundam titles, an arrow icon pointing towards enemy generals appears when the player nears them on the map.

Other Information

 * There is no Edit Mode in this title. An option of editing and creating an original introduction movie found in previous titles will not return. Secondary colors for the characters exist, but there is no color edit ala Samurai Warriors 3 in the game.
 * Lock-on mode ala Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce has been removed.
 * Rolling or evading from normal attacks ala Dynasty Warriors 6 has been removed. Special skills and Tomes do not make a comeback. Archery behaving in a manner found in older titles will not return in this title.
 * Trademark win pose screens found throughout the series will not appear in this title. The victory musical rift still appears in Conquest Mode.
 * Downloadable content is confirmed to include alternate costumes and music. Aside from the special offers made by early purchases, players can download costumes from Dynasty Warriors 6 to be used in this game. Costumes from Dynasty Warriors 4 and Dynasty Warriors 5 will also be available. Outfits that were previously exclusive to select characters in Warriors Orochi Z are available as downloadable content. New outfits for the entire cast are also planned. Other downloadable content will include different weapons, new models of already existing weapons, revamped scenarios from previous titles, or new stories for Conquest Mode. According to the producer, downloadable content is scheduled to continue to appear for at least six months.

Modes
Free Mode and Challenge Mode are not returning in this title. If there is a demand for their return, the producer might consider adding them again to the series.

Story Mode
The historical story mode that first follows the Three Kingdoms' stories. When these tales conclude, the player can then play the new Jin faction to end the era. Certain version of the game, such as the Australian one, it is possible to play Jin without having to finish the other three. Attempting to play Jin will only prompt but not force the player to to finish the other scenarios first before Jin. The Jin faction for this game includes generals who were historically with Wei and fought against Shu after Wu Zhang Plains. Like older titles, the Other characters will not have their individual stories in this game, but they will still be featured in Conquest Mode.


 * Shu Story Mode
 * Wei Story Mode
 * Wu Story Mode
 * Jin Story Mode

Although the series is reverting to faction stories, the player cannot actually choose which character they prefer in this mode and will need to work with the playable characters given to them at each stage. Some battles will be divided into two halves to provide players different character perspectives. For example, Chang Ban will show Zhao Yun's point of view in the first half and Zhang Fei's in the second. At least one stage in the game will be dedicated to one character, either in here or in Conquest Mode.

The producer was asked if the game will be exactly like Dynasty Warriors 4, and he answered that it would not be the same. The element of sub stages affecting the main battles from the previous title will not happen in this game. Characters will also be removed or added into Story Mode based on their historical exploits. That is the reason why Sima Shi and Cao Pi can remain with their similar personalities intact. Removing characters at specific times also helps "preserve" the desired image the developers strive to present.

Before the start of each stage in this game, there will be no briefing cinematics to introduce the player to the upcoming battle. Instead, they roam an ally stronghold and select when they wish to enter battle after preparing themselves with proper equipment. Players can chat with ally generals to hear their thoughts and opinions; the player can trigger a battle by talking to a key general in the vicinity. Weapons can also be purchased or sold at a weapons store by using Gold the player has earned from their previous victories.

According to the producer, each story faction will take at least four or five hours to complete. Based on his approximations, the entire Story Mode can be finished in twenty hours. Once Story Mode is finished, the player can go back to whatever stage they desire to replay it again. However, characters that are available for each stage will still be automated within this mode.

Conquest Mode

 * See Also: Dynasty Warriors 7/Conquest Mode

Called Chronicle Mode in Japanese, it is a new mode to the series which lets players explore another side of the Three Kingdoms era. Compared to Story Mode's fixed settings, Conquest Mode encourages freedom for the player to do whatever they see fit. Within this mode, players can earn the ultimate weapons in the game and unlock various playable characters. Specific stories and stages are set to be made exclusive to this mode. Two players with an online connection can choose to play through this mode together. Normal co-op with two controllers is also available. Similar to the Legendary Mode of previous titles, these preset scenarios are separated into three categories:


 * Romance of the Three Kingdoms themed events.
 * "What-if?" stories.
 * Side stories to showcase talents of individual characters.

Either interactive section in the mode can lead to more episodes or an ending in the mode. Once a stage is cleared, the player may choose to either move onto another episode or complete the same one again as many times as they like. Characters share their stats and strengths in either of the two playable modes. This means rewards gained in Conquest Mode can be used in Story Mode and vice versa. The player's character can also form friendly bonds with other characters in this mode for their everlasting support.

Gallery
Image, movie, motion, event, and voice gallery for the characters in the game. Includes hints for obtaining items and other treasures.

Encyclopedia
Features timeline and biographies like previous titles.

Options
Change settings for the game.

Tutorial
Explains gameplay mechanics and techniques. Both the director and producer explained this feature was made to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary with new fans of the series. Play as Guan Ping and learn the basic movements and controls of the game.

Characters
For the first time in the series, the Jin Dynasty will be featured as a main force. Characters are listed with their full name and style name on one header within the official Japanese website.

Expansions/Spin-Offs

 * Hyakku-mon nin no Shin Sangoku Musou - mobile social game using this game's graphics; available for Japanese networks on April 21, 2011
 * Dynasty Warriors 7: Special
 * Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends
 * Dynasty Warriors VS - for Nintendo 3DS

Related Media
Starting since the announcement press release, four members within the Yoshimoto Performance talent group whom like the Dynasty Warriors series will work together with Koei to promote the title. The members were present to do a short live gameplay demonstration at the initial press event. Their collaboration is dubbed the "Yoshimoto Musou Project". Participating members of the project will chat about the Three Kingdoms world and act out skits while simultaneously promoting this game. The members also chat about their thoughts in commercials for the game. As a parody of their Zhao Yun and Guan Yu skits, Japanese comedian License Inomoto "defeats" a group of Wei "soldiers" just by being himself.

Dynasty Warriors 7 will also do a special collaboration campaign with the DVD release of the Three Kingdoms TV series (known as Sangokushi Three Kingdoms in Japan). Other titles included with the campaign are Dynasty Warriors Online and Hyakku-mon nin no Sangokushi. A promotional video for this game will be included in the Japanese DVD releases for the drama. Entering a special code on the campaign page also lets players obtain a present.

When players purchase this title, they will also receive a special serial code for Hyakku-mon nin no Shin Sangoku Musou. This exclusive code lets players of the social game acquire the rare item, The Art of War authored by Sun Tzu. Playing through the mobile game may also unlock rare weapons for its next-gen counterpart.

A collaboration campaign with Lawson is also taking place through the usage of downloadable content. Wang Yuanji will have an original outfit and weapon made in Lawson's image. In addition to Lawson, Geo is also taking part of the early purchasing craze. By using Geo's service for the Treasure Box edition, players can gain all of the Lawson costumes. They will also receive a serial code to download Lu Bu's outfit from Dynasty Warriors for this title. Pre-ordering from Furu1online will grant consumers the chance to download Diao Chan's Dynasty Warriors costume. Taishi Ci's Dynasty Warriors costume is available for those who use Tsutaya's or Wonder Goo's stores to pre-order the game. For a limited time, consumers who use Gamecity's and other affiliated services will receive a code for Xiahou Dun's Dynasty Warriors outfit.

Mini figurines of the cast are currently being made by Cafe Reo. The same illustrator for the design of these figurines also took part in illustrating images within a similar style for thirteen microfiber towels. Bravia is developing a special television setting for their models that is dedicated to this game's graphics. Kabaya will be offering illustrated cards dedicated to the characters appearing in this title.

A character image song and character message CD for this title, Shin Sangoku Musou 6 Ouha - Kyouka Ranbu, has been announced and will be in stores on May 25, 2011. It will be out in stores on the same day as the third Samurai Warriors character image song CD, Sengoku Musou 3 Z Ten - Gouka Ougi.

Following suite with the Samurai Warriors series, a Dynasty Warriors voice actor event is scheduled to take place in Tokyo on September 11, 2011. Like other stage events a drama sequence, live performances of character image songs, and a talk show event for the series is planned. It's the series' first live stage event of this genre, often created for the Neoromance franchises instead. The name of the event is Shin Sangoku Musou Seiyu-Ranbu Autumn 2011. A DVD recording of the event will be available for purchase in Japan on December 21st.

According to Koei-Tecmo Dynasty Warriors 7 has sold 800,000 copies globally, a record breaking feat for the company. As a sign of gratitude to their fans, Gamecity hosted a survey for the fans' favorite characters in this title. Users who have a Gamecity ID can log in and check off their three playable characters of choice. The top three results received an original wallpaper and a customizable theme for the PS3 or PSP. Voting ended on July 21st and the results were announced on August 12th. Interested users can see the results and download the aforementioned images here.

Image Song

 * Time
 * Performed by KinKi Kids

* used for the game's credits and commercials. Announced during the one of the group's concerts. Domoto said he was a fan of the series, which the producer expressed his thanks in the Twitter page.