Warriors Orochi

Warriors (Musou) Orochi is a cross-over game created by Omega Force in which the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series are combined in a new parallel universe. It is the first title in the series.

Gameplay Elements

 * Warriors Orochi introduces three-man teams, where the player chooses three warriors to play as in-battle, though can only play one at a time. Switching to other selected characters is used on game consoles via back shoulder buttons. Inactive warriors recuperate health and Musou. Although the player chooses a team of characters, one man's death leads to a stage's failure.


 * Characters now have special attacks which can be triggered by pressing R1. Depending on the class of warrior, these abilities require Musou to activate. Up to two of these attacks may be attributed to each character. All personages playable are divided into three classes - Power, Speed, and Technique, which affect special moves.
 * The Power class will not be interrupted whilst attacking unless they are hit by powerful attacks. They only have one special move but it's usually quite damaging and often comes with invulnerability during its execution. These attacks also drain a hefty amount of Musou, which limits their availability.
 * Speed characters' special moves usually take no Musou to activate. Along with these attacks, Speed characters can use an "Air Dash". After a jump, in mid-air, players press the button to jump forward, which is useful for traversing long areas. They can also interrupt their attack string by jumping. Their special attacks can be performed pressing R1 by itself or by holding a direction while pressing R1.
 * Technique-class characters have special moves that drain Musou. Each character in this category has a special attack called an "Enhanced Strike". Basically, it is used during an attack string, as a undefined attack. During a attack, the player presses the special move button to activate the Enhanced Strike. When activated, the charge move is super-powered. For example, during Cao Ren's third undefined, he sends out several, pulsing shockwaves, which range from one wave, to three on the last pulse. But when used as an Enhanced Strike, he sends out three waves on all pulses. Some characters in this category possess a unique lone R1, different from their normal attack string. Tapping the trigger button whilst getting hit also allows this class to perform an instant counter.


 * The Musou gauge can only be refilled by picking up recovery items, by standing still and holding without a full Musou gauge, or by staying as a reserve party member. It cannot be refilled by getting hit, attacking, or by being low on health. Up to three characters can participate in a damaging attack called Musou Chain. While initiating a Musou attack, switch to another character and immediately press . If the timing is right, the following character will have a stronger Musou than before. Their attack gains a special property depending on the team's character class.
 * 2 or more Power characters: Multi, creates replicas of attacking character
 * 2 or more Speed characters: Agility, increases attack speed
 * 2 or more Technique characters: Absorb, restores Musou with each hit
 * One character from each class: Flash, enemy cannot block the attack


 * Growth Points, earned through completing stages, can be used to increase characters' levels and enrich weapons through Weapon Fusion.


 * Unique items are used to improve the strength of special attacks. Each character has his/her own item, and has his/her own requirements to unlock it. With special attacks, weapons can also be refined and upgraded, using the Weapon Fusion system. Elements, such as Fire, Ice, Multi, Agility, and Brave, can be added on using Growth Points. Each element has a special effect on a weapon, and with more of one component added on to one weapon, the more powerful that component becomes, and more often it comes. Level 4 weapons are obtained by playing through a level 3,4, or 5 stage on Hard or by clearing any stage on Chaos difficulty.


 * Horse calling, originally exclusive to Yukimura Sanada and Keiji Maeda, is now available to all characters. Horse jumping, a technique from Samurai Warriors, can also be done by all characters.


 * Special Requirements are needed to unlock the eighth Gaiden stage. These requirements will be done on the regular seventh level.


 * Characters can no longer use arrows, hit/reflect arrows back at opponents, or evade from enemy attacks by rolling. With the new team system, bodyguards have been removed. Features from Dynasty Warriors 5, such as Musou Rage and Weight system, were not included. Ninjas can no longer double jump and they can no longer use the ninja paths in the Samurai Warriors maps.

Characters
All major characters from past Warriors games appear, save for Fu Xi and Nu Wa. The two new unique characters are Orochi, the game's main antagonist, and Da Ji, his strategist. In the English game, Orochi's generic officers are named after snakes, an allusion to Orochi's mythological background.

Zuo Ci, Lu Bu, and Tadakatsu Honda, unlike any other Sengoku or Three Kingdom character, are not unlockable by completing a story mode. Zuo Ci can be unlocked by completing all four stories. Lu Bu can be unlocked by impressing him on all eighth Gaiden stages, while Tadakatsu Honda is unlocked by completing and impressing him all seventh Gaiden stages.

Once additional characters have been unlocked, replaying the main levels will often switch certain characters for select dialogue in the opening and closing cutscenes from among the unlocked characters. Which characters will be selected is random, and said character may not even be affiliated with that particular faction at all. This was done to increase replay value, help expand character interactions, and often for humor. An example of this would be the opening cutscene for the Samurai Warrior Honnoji stage: although Huang Zhong is originally the one to remark about Nobunaga's over-the-top vernacular, if one replays the level after unlocking more characters, Huang Zhong may be replaced with one of many other characters, each with their own response. Some, like Musashi Miyamoto, who canonically affiliated with the Shu Gaiden story, expresses great confusion at Nobunaga's words, while Lu Bu, who is supposed to be fighting for Orochi, threatens to kill Nobunaga if he continues to talk that way.

Shu Story Mode
From the introduction, Liu Bei was captured and supposedly killed while Zhao Yun is held in Ueda Castle where he loses all hope of any restoration of Shu. He is rescued by Zuo Ci, Yoshihiro Shimazu, and Xing Cai with Zuo Ci revealing that Liu Bei is still alive. Zhao Yun rejoices at this news and embarks on his journey to rescue his lord. During the course of the timeline, Zhao Yun receives news that his lord is at specific locations, though they turn out to be deceiving, which deflates the morale of the army. At Hasedo, after rescuing a captive Yue Ying, Zhao Yun finds out that Shu's former strategist Zhuge Liang works for Orochi, which confuses them. At Edo Castle, Shu unexpectedly battles Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei's oath brothers. The two reveal that they, including Zhuge Liang, fight for Orochi only because he keeps their brother captive. Though with hope and logic, they see that their tyrant is close to falling with multiple resistances, and join with Shu, to defeat Orochi. This ending is seen as the most canonical to the Warriors Orochi time line, as Liu Bei is rescued at the end, as he starts with them at the beginning of Warriors Orochi 2.

Starters

 * Zhao Yun, Xing Cai, Yoshihiro Shimazu

Unlockable

 * Ginchiyo Tachibana, Yue Ying, Magoichi Saika, Wei Yan, Yukimura Sanada, Meng Huo, Zhu Rong, Yuan Shao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang,Liu Bei,Jiang Wei, Pang De, Goemon Ishikawa, Masamune Date, Musashi Miyamoto

Main

 * Ueda Castle, Hasedo, Cheng Du Castle, Nanzhong, The Wu Territory, Edo Castle, Koshi Castle

Gaiden

 * Nanzhong, Shizugatake, Escape from Chi Bi, Jie Ting, Tedorigawa, Xi Liang, Mikatagahara

Wei Story Mode
In this story, Cao Pi takes command after his father Cao Cao has gone missing. As the new leader of Wei, Cao Pi agrees to form an alliance with Orochi after an offer sent by his strategist, Da Ji. Under this alliance, Cao Pi suppresses all rebellions under Orochi's command. Da Ji puts an unfriendly Mitsunari Ishida into Wei to keep an eye on Cao Pi. Throughout the early stages of this story, the latter makes a friendship with Ishida, and begin to creep away from Orochi's unfocused eye. Da Ji finds out once she sees Cao Pi let Sun Ce go, when he was supposed to be captured. With encouragement from Nobunaga Oda, Xiahou Dun, who led his own anti-Orochi force, joins Wei along with Xiahou Yuan, and Pang Tong. Near the end of the story, at Yamazaki, Dian Wei and Cao Cao appear to help the Coalition, and mold into the powerful Wei, greatly increasing morale, and deflating their enemy's. Wei eventually defeats Orochi.

Starters

 * Cao Pi, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang

Unlockable

 * Xu Zhu, Mitsunari Ishida, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Pang Tong, Huang Gai, Oichi, Nagamasa Azai, Gan Ning, Dian Wei, Cao Cao, Zhang He, Nene, Yoshimoto Imagawa, Diao Chan, Zhen Ji

Main

 * Kuzegawa, Tian Shui, Xia Kou, Yi Ling, Odawara Castle, Chen Cang, Yamazaki, Koshi Castle

Gaiden

 * Nanzhong, Ji Province, Saika, The Five Gates, Liang Province, Nan Zhong, He Fei Castle

Wu Story Mode
For the kingdom of Wu, Orochi blackmails the Sun family, as well as Ieyasu Tokugawa into servitude with the life of Sun Ce's father Sun Jian's, and Tokugawa officers' lives as the consequence. As a reward of sorts, every time Sun Ce completes a mission, Orochi releases one of his hostages. The first to rebel, Sun Ce encounters more conflict in the form of his disapproving siblings, who think that he is acting selfish, forgetting the price of disobeying Orochi. During the later course of the story, Sun Ce is attacked by his brother, Sun Quan, who repeatedly fails. For this, he and Sun Jian are designated for execution at Komaki-Nagakute, though Sun Ce successfully rescues them. In the story, fortunately, after reuniting, the Sun family leads Wu to defeat Orochi.

Starters

 * Sun Ce, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Hanzō Hattori

Unlockable

 * Zhou Yu, Ranmaru Mori, Taishi Ci, Kotaro Fuma, Lu Meng, Sakon Shima, No, Kunoichi, Sun Shang Xiang, Ina, Da Qiao, Zhou Tai, Keiji Maeda, Sun Quan, Sun Jian

Main

 * Mt. Ding Jun, Chang Ban,  Odani Castle,  Osaka Castle,  Sekigahara,  He Fei,  Komaki-Nagakute, Koshi Castle

Gaiden

 * Chang Shan, Jian Ye, Wan Castle,   Anegawa,  Osaka Bay,  Ji Province,  Chi Bi

Samurai Story Mode
Here, the three major daimyo Nobunaga Oda, Shingen Takeda, and Kenshin Uesugi each maintain a resistance force against Orochi but refuse to work with each other. Each daimyo, instead of focusing on combining to defeat Orochi focus on gaining more people for their resistances to make themselves more powerful. Throughout the story, Nobunaga predicts the future, making intricate plans that foresee and takes action with Cao Pi's betrayal of Orochi, and sending Sakon Shima to help Wu. Eventually, the three daimyo ally together to defeat Orochi. Afterward, the alliance splits, preparing for future war. Xiao Qiao dislikes the decision, but Nobunaga Oda comforts her with a pat on the head.

Starter

 * Nobunaga Oda, Mitsuhide Akechi, Hideyoshi Toyotomi

Unlockable

 * Guan Ping, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, Okuni, Xiao Qiao, Zhang Jiao, Lu Xun, Dong Zhuo, Ling Tong, Cao Ren, Sima Yi, Kanetsugu Naoe, Shingen Takeda, Kenshin Uesugi

Main

 * Jing Province, Honnoji, Kyushu, Tong Gate, Guan Du, Fan Castle, Wu Zhang Plains, Koshi Castle

Gaiden

 * Kawanakajima, Xia Pi, Si Shui Gate, Nagashino, Odawara Castle, Kanegasaki, Bai Di Castle

PSP
In this version of Warriors Orochi the only main difference is that it is on a hand held console. This game marks the first time a Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors game port featured full maps. Before this game, maps were divided into smaller portions that had to be taken over before you could move on.

This game features all of the characters and features from the original game with the addition of wireless multiplayer by using the PlayStation Portable's wireless networking.

PC
The PC version of this game offers the highest resolution graphics and additionally adds two more pictures for the characters' gallery sections. These images can be obtained when the character reaches level 30 and level 60. Many of these same renders later appear in the gallery section for Warriors Orochi 2.

Image Song

 * Zero No Kotae
 * Performed by UVERworld
 * * used for commercials