14 DAY TRIAL // Koei Tecmo kept its promise and announced Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires will be released this year. However, only players will be able the game starting December 23, 2021, as the publisher confirmed today.
The rest of the world will be getting Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires on February 15, 2022, two months after the game’s initial release in Japan. Developer Omega Force and publisher Koei Tecmo confirmed the game will be available for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles, PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, and digitally on PlayStation 5.
Since this a musou game, you should definitely expect to battle against thousands of enemies, although Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires promises to offer some additional tactical elements too. In Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, players must conquer ancient China by combining use of strategy and the sword.
According to Omega Force, battles have dramatically changed from previous titles in the series thanks to a new feature called Storming the Castle. The areas around castles have been turned into battlefields, while skirmishes will evolve into Storming the Castle encounters, with players battling to take control of the castle.
Additionally, players will be able to utilize another game mechanic called Siege Battles with Troops, which will allow them to invade the enemy’s base, taking advantage of siege weapons while giving instructions to troops during battle.
Once players break through an enemy’s gate, they will enter a so-called Decisive Battle and can claim victory after defeating the commander. Although all the enemy officers will re-join the battlefield for one last fierce resistance, players will have a chance to defeat and capture them.
Another element introduced by the upcoming game is the mysteriously named Secret Plans feature. Players can enable Secret Plans in the battle preparation phase, with each of these having its own conditions for success and failure. Once the success conditions are fulfilled, favorable effects on allies will be activated including “capture surrounding bases”, “defeat messengers”, “escort the engineers”, and more.
Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires shapes up to be an interesting title for fans of the series, especially since it brings so many new features into the mix. Let’s hope they will masterfully blend into the game’s winning formula.
