Dynasty Warriors 3

by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005RL4E
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 27, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,654 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #17 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Role-Playing
  • #98 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Action
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.com Review

A great showcase for the PlayStation2 platform, Dynasty Warriors 3 is both a terrific hole-up-for-the-weekend title and a good multiplayer party game. The developers must have been busy with many a user test and feedback survey form: most of the features people complained about in DW2 have been overhauled or tweaked. These improvements mixed with the addition of the two-player option make this a truly great PS2 title. If you liked the last version, you'll be enthralled with this combination of compelling story and complex martial arts action.

Parents--and anyone else interested in a game that's a little more socially redeeming than some of the current fare--take note: Dynasty Warriors 3 is loosely based on remarkable Chinese legends. The violence is well-done and subtle, and playing this game could actually cause your kid to pick up a book (something other than a strategy guide).

Here's what's different:

• New characters--and more characters--all with unique personality traits.
• Great new cinematics (they're better visually, and provide a more compelling story line).
• RPG-style weapons management and "found items."
• Two-player games, including cooperative musou and free mode, and combative single games.
• Fewer life buns, which means players must be more judicious within big battles (and you can no longer think of officers as food sources).
• Important updates are now spoken aloud instead of flashing by as screen text.
• More balance in the powers given to each character.
• Characters have been recalibrated so that individuals other than the big bruisers--including women characters--have their own advantages. (Zhang He may even be the first gay character in one of these games, based on his killer figure-skating attack.)
• Archers are now even more of a threat, and are reasonably indestructible.
• For many maps, you now have to be a general before even thinking of climbing on a horse.
• One word: elephants

Here's what stayed the same (some of which probably should have changed):

• Sparse maps that cause you to retrace your steps frequently.
• The stupid Limp Bizkit-meets-Yes soundtrack.
• The controls, which is only nice for those of us who built up calluses on the last version.

--Jennifer Hauseman

Product Description

A great showcase for the PlayStation2 platform, Dynasty Warriors 3 is both a terrific hole-up-for-the-weekend title and a good multiplayer party game. The developers must have been busy with many a user test and feedback survey form: most of the features people complained about in DW2 have been overhauled or tweaked. These improvements mixed with the addition of the two-player option make this a truly great PS2 title. If you liked the last version, you'll be enthralled with this combination of compelling story and complex martial arts action.

Parents--and anyone else interested in a game that's a little more socially redeeming than some of the current fare--take note: Dynasty Warriors 3 is loosely based on remarkable Chinese legends. The violence is well-done and subtle, and playing this game could actually cause your kid to pick up a book (something other than a strategy guide).

Here's what's different:

• New characters--and more characters--all with unique personality traits.
• Great new cinematics (they're better visually, and provide a more compelling story line).
• RPG-style weapons management and "found items."
• Two-player games, including cooperative musou and free mode, and combative single games.
• Fewer life buns, which means players must be more judicious within big battles (and you can no longer think of officers as food sources).
• Important updates are now spoken aloud instead of flashing by as screen text.
• More balance in the powers given to each character.
• Characters have been recalibrated so that individuals other than the big bruisers--including women characters--have their own advantages. (Zhang He may even be the first gay character in one of these games, based on his killer figure-skating attack.)
• Archers are now even more of a threat, and are reasonably indestructible.
• For many maps, you now have to be a general before even thinking of climbing on a hors

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yeah, I know, I've already reviewed this game but I'm back., November 23, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dynasty Warriors 3 (Video Game)

Some would claim that Koei's Dynasty Warriors 3 doesn't advance all that far beyond its predecessor. They point to the similar action-oriented gameplay, and graphical presentation that's fairly familiar. I dismiss their arguments with a wave of my hand, pointing my finger firmly toward the sight of Liu Bei striking down the ranks of his foes atop an elephant. Yes, you can now ride elephants in Dynasty Warriors. This is extremely cool.

There are more additions to go along with that, naturally, although the overwhelming coolness of the elephants dwarfs most other improvements -- even the new two-player split-screen mode. There are new characters, including Meng Huo and Princess Zhen (who is looking exceedingly fine, thank you), and much longer combo strings for taking out large groups of enemies. Basic combos now stretch out to as many as six hits, and you can chain the triangle-button charge attacks into regular combos for as many as eight or more. Other special attacks include passive maneuvers (indirect defensive attacks like the back-elbow in Double Dragon), and the "Power Guard" technique, which responds to attacks with a strong riposte. The key to victory is still teamwork, though, relying on support troops to back you up as you charge through the bad guys.

The environments are more varied and interactive in the sequel, to go along with the improved graphics. Textures and effects are brighter, especially when heroes finish off combos with big special moves (Zhen cuts loose an explosive energy halo), and the new attacks mean a wider variety of character animations. The battlefields are presumably bigger, although that kind of scale is difficult to judge, and there's much more variation in terms of scenery and elevation levels. There are more constructions like walls and bridges, trees and other background elements filling space, and more different landscape themes -- the effect is to provide both greater variation in strategies and more interesting backgrounds to look at.

The new split-screen multiplayer mode allows cooperative play in the main Musou mode and the kill-everything-that-stands Free Mode, as well as a variety of one-on-one Vs. modes. The Musou mode has also been spruced up with a variety of character development elements, whereby players can earn new items and weaponry for their characters. Defeat an enemy general who wields a famous sword and you can take it for your own, earning an attack bonus in future battles. Other items improve speed, defense, and the like. Items can also evidently effect your luck in finding and using a mount, be it equine or pachyderm.

New characters take the field as part of an entirely new army, although it will take someone with a bit more familiarity with the Three Kingdoms cast to peg them precisely. Sun Shang Xiang is one of them, though, and like the other characters, she's sporting at least two different costumes and weapons options (in this case, a long sword to go along with her old weapons from Dynasty Warriors 2).

The cast is likely to greatly exceed the original game, and there will be plenty of fighting to set them all to, especially in the multiplayer mode. Dynasty Warriors is still about the kind of fun you can have as a one-man army -- or perhaps a one man, one elephant army. Later this year, we'll be sure to make some time for a little more stomping across the battlefields of third-century China.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Games Ever!, December 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Dynasty Warriors 3 (Video Game)

First of all, this game deserves more than five stars. It is a fun, highly addictive game. It is literally possible to play it for very long amounts of time without realizing it.

Anyways, enough about the fact that it is good, let's get into why. If you've played Dynasty Warriors 2, nothing major has changed, it has only gotten better. For those of you that haven't played it, I will try my best to describe the game. This is a game where you enter battle in campagin (Musou) or one mission at a time (Free) modes then you choose from a list of historical generals from China's Three Kingdom era.

Before entering battle you can choose what your bodyguards are equipped with and you can equip your general with better weapons and items that increase have special effects, including raising your stats.

During the real-time battles, on a variety of battlefields, you fight hundreds, or if you choose, thousands of enemies with your primary weapon, bow, and special move. Your special move has a bar below your health that charges when you grab items, defeat enemies, and get damaged yourself. When you defeat gate captains (enemies who allow an infinite amount of enemies to spawn until they are killed) and enemy generals, you can gather objects that turn out to be weapons, equipable items, objects that permanently raise your attack, defense, max health, and max musou.

After battle your general calculates the experience he gained increasing the number and strengths of your bodyguards.

Other interesting points to this games including new additions from the previous include: you can ride a horse and an elephant, a new multiplayer function, more generals and if you use a memory card with old DW2 saved games, it transfers over some of your unlocked generals. The last good thing about the game I am going to say is that it is virtually only violence.

The bad parts about the game are small. First and foremost it starts harder than DW2, almost impossible, even on easy difficulty. Once you get better weapons it becomes easier. Another downside is you can only unlock generals and best weapons on hard mode. This can take hours, for hard is nearly impossible, even with maxed out characters.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!!, February 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Dynasty Warriors 3 (Video Game)

I purchased this game about a month ago, and I still enjoy it. With more than 40 characters and 20 maps, it has very high replay value. This game is based on famouse old Chinese story "Three Kingdoms", and if you read that novel, it will be easier to understand storyline and whom each characters are. It would still be fun to play without knowing story, because game itself is very fun and storyline in the game is good enough. For graphic, it's better than average although not on par with games like MGS2 and Final Fantasy X. Since this game usually displays about 20 characters on one screen, better grahic would cause more slowdown, or it might be impossible. Although not amazing, you will be satisfied with it's graphic. Cutscenes are very clean and real-like. Most fun part of this game is Musou mode, which is basically a storyline mode. You can enjoy it with variety of characters and it is also available with 2 players. Each character have different weapon and fighting style with different musou attacks. As you play more battles, you will get more powerful weapon, items, and your characters will become more powerful. I also have some part that I don't like in this game. It's voice acting is horrible, and some missions are as long as 90 minutes!!
Overally, I would recommend this game to anyone, especially for those who want different style of action/fighting game.

Gameplay: 10
Fun-factor: 10
Graphic: 8
Sound: 8
Value: 10

Overall: A-

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