Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires

by Koei

Product Features

• 4 scenarios to unlock, 6 in total
• 2-Player Co-Op in Empire and Free modes
• Meet with your war council and choose policies ranging from Government, Product Development, Diplomacy and Battle Tactics
• Implement 25 new policies - a total of 75 in all
• Issue direct orders to each officer or general commands to officers on the field. Take the offensive, defend your ground -- or have all officers rally to you for an ambush

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000EGDEC6
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 28, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,289 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

In Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires, the armies of the kingdom are at your command! Your ultimate goal is to conquer the 25 regions of Ancient China and build an entire Empire using cunning diplomacy and uncompromising force. Before each battle, the player will meet with the war council to decide upon military and political policies for the kingdom; then it's time for war. Issue direct orders to each officer or signal general commands to officers on the field. Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires gives armchair generals total control of their kingdom. Take control of 150 officers, entice captured officers into joining your service or expel them from your kingdom Change game dynamics by limiting the number of officers during play, adjusting time limits, and selecting battle conditions Unlock new items, strengthen your weapons, and much more Discover the history of the Dynasty Warriors with the Encyclopedia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DW Empires Strikes Back!, May 31, 2006

By 

Sun Ce (Seattle, Wa United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires (Video Game)

Let's get to the real point here. If you aren't a Dynasty Warriors fan, then the game isn't for you. If you want a decent game where you take over lands and create your own empire, the Romance of the Three Kingdom (ROTK) are far better. But then, there's no real action in that.

This game is a lot like DW 4 Empires. You choose a ruler, pick 2 generals and 3 lieutenants and slog your way taking over province after province. There are 6 stories in total (aka musou). 2 are open, the other 4 are unlockable.

Personally, I love the DW games. While you can use the characters that you've grown to love, the whole transferring data from a previous game is lost on me. It seems that the ONLY thing you actually transfer are the items/weapons/orbs/etc that are available to you. However, they all start at Level 1, including the characters! So while you may have maxed out Sun Ce in DW5, you have to pretty much start over.

The controls, graphics, art and gameplay are identical to past DW games. I would still love a 'roll' button like in Samurai Warriors.

Learning how to use the command features can be a bit tedious. All items must be produced and if you use them in battle, you have to produce them again. Which means, you waste a valuable command turn. (Of course, as you gain more lands, you get more turns/choices) In the beginning, it's nearly impossible to get your armies strong. You are able to train your officers, hire new ones, produce items, develop items (each state has their own items which must be developed so you can produce them), make alliances (or annul them), reinforce your officer's troops and a lot more.

The nicest aspect of the game is the EDIT mode. This is where you can create your own character(s). There are, iirc, 10 slots for your creations. I have 7 slots taken and I actually use them MORE than any of the characters already established! It's a different experience when you plug in your own characters as a starting empire to see if they can hack it!

DW games are known to be incredibly repetitive. The button control combos are the same over and over and over. But that's part of the mindless fun! While I don't usually gripe about it in the original games (DW w/o the Empires or XL tags), this game tends to feel a little old. Maybe it's because if you don't make alliances, you get invaded over and over and over again. So it's 1 battle after another.

Still, I love the game and it's just 'thinker' enough for me to really enjoy it.

And just a pointer. If you take out an Empire's Ruler (Cao Cao for example), you receive ALL the lands he has taken over. In the 5th scenario, I annulled Cao Cao, invaded him and took over 80% of the map. In fact, all I had to invade was Ma Teng in the upper left corner and Meng Huo in the lower left corner. That's the easy way. If you really want to slog it out for many hours, try to beat down a huge empire one state at a time!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good test of your knowledge in strategy and leadership., August 5, 2006

By 

C. R Sacks "White Wolf Pictures" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires (Video Game)

Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires is a very well made game. The objective is to unify the 25 provinces under your control. You really test your self, as in seeing how well you would be as a strategist (but of course almost all games that consist fighting have to do with testing strategy!) and how well you would be as leader of a dynasty. For instance, if you make good decisions for your dynasty; a good balance of improving the military and the economy conditions and developments, the people will approve and support your governing. If you make cruel, unfair and greedy decisions (such as focusing only on the military improvements and none for the economy), the people will fear you, and will welcome and even may fight along side with invaders of your territory. If you conquer a territory, you have a choice of deciding fates of captured officers, either hiring them (ranging between 400 to 4000 pieces of gold each), or dismiss them. This game also tests your humanity side as well.

Yes, some of the characters are unrealisticly powerful (such as those who do not wear much armor and/or who carry very light weapons), but compare the characters in the Dynasty Warriors series to some of the characters of the Chrouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon genre (if you have seen any of those films), which is likewise chinese-related.

This game is one of the most realistic games I have ever played. My reviews for its individual presentations:

Video:

Character Design :
Another thing I also like about the Dynasty Warriors series is that there are no overly "sexually attractive-designed" characters (if you get my meaning). Just like almost all games, there are a bit unreal sequences (such as a body part moving through fabric, but this problem can be very tricky to undo in character designing. Thus, what's the point of wanting to be perfect in everything?).

Environment: The Environoment was beautifully designed. The trees are wonderful, and the environment is not always enshrouded by mist, as opposed to Dynasty Warriors 4, giving another realistic performance.

Graphics - The graphics (just like Dynasty Warriors 4) were incredible. There was a major amount of detail in almost every plane of graphic design in the game.

Audio:
Sound - The sound contributed a good performance. The footsteps are one of my favorite sounds.

Music - The music as well was pretty good, some songs are more good than others. It's not too modern, which is appropriate for a period of history nearly 2000 years ago.

Voice Acting - The voice acting was likewise good, but there are several sequences when the actors didn't exactly "act into the moment".

Overall: This is a game I recommend to anyone who enjoys "historical games" or who study history in general, such as myself. It is a good game of testing your own knowledge in times of war, and how well of a leader you, yourself would be. If you do not agree, then at least it gives you a sign of how well you would do in war times.

Well this is my review to you. I hope I was of help. If not, then I apologize. Take care, and farewell/Zài jiàn.

4.0 out of 5 stars Addicting..., October 5, 2007

By 

M. B. Legaspi (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires (Video Game)

I've always enjoyed stategic games, but this game combines both strategy and hack & slash, which is an addicting combination. I've finished the game multiple times, but continue to enjoy as the opponents change and there is often the opportunity to unlock a new option in the strategic parts of the game or a character after winning a battle by recruiting him/her.

I recognize some think that the brand is getting old and that Koei should just stop. Personally, I like having new characters, moves, and the slight differences have been enough to keep me interested. (I originally had Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires which I also thoroughly enjoyed.) Ok--the strategic parts are not that challenging, but I appreciate that it's there. I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much if it was all hack & slash throughout--just need a break from that style of gameplay every now and then which the strategic parts of this game allows.