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Everything Should Be Dynasty Warriors

Everything Should Be Dynasty Warriors

My household has been consumed by Hyrule Warriors since it came out last Friday, so it’s been interesting to read the decidedly mixed reaction to the game online. It seems like it comes down to either liking or not liking the basic Dynasty Warriors formula. For those of us who do enjoy the unique combination of action and strategy that Warriors games provide, the Legend of Zelda take on the style is a good one, and I think it demonstrates that there’s room for more series to be given the Hyrule Warriors treatment.

What’s so great about Dynasty Warriors ? For the uninitiated, the games pit the player characters against hordes of enemies and challenge them to complete strategic objectives without allowing their home base to be overrun. To some, the games seem like repetitive button mashers, and they can certainly be played that way. Sure, you can just mindlessly mow down your foes and do the bare minimum you need to do in order to complete the story portion of the game, but the joy of the series and its spin-offs comes by completing challenges and mastering the levels. This involves making strategic decisions, actually becoming proficient at characters, and avoiding damage from enemies. It’s an interesting combination of action and strategy that can be quite enjoyable if you don’t expect the game to be something it isn’t.

Warriors games are also a lot of fun to play co-op. This is especially true for Hyrule Warriors , which uses the Wii U GamePad to avoid forcing you and your buddy into split-screen mode. In many co-op games, it’s too easy for players to get in each others’ way, even if they don’t intend to do so. Warriors games instead foster cooperation by giving players the choice of splitting up to clear levels more efficiently or working together to complete a difficult objective. It’s co-op play without the marriage-ending implications of, say, New Super Mario Bros.

Finally, Warriors spin-off games give players the chance to portray a wide variety of characters. I’m loving the opportunity to play as Impa or Sheik in Hyrule Warriors —in fact, my spouse and I argue over who has to play as boring old Link. This is a lot of fun, both because of the over-the-top attacks that the characters are given and the chance to be somebody besides the bog-standard heroic male character who stars in most games. Want to kick butt as the love interest? The villain? That weird chick who makes you collect bugs in a side quest? With their huge casts of characters, Warriors games allow for all of these things.

Everything Should Be Dynasty Warriors

What franchise should get the next Dynasty Warriors treatment? Many people have suggested Mushroom Kingdom Warriors , but what about non-Nintendo game series? Final Fantasy Warriors is such an obvious idea that I suspect Square Enix started kicking itself when Hyrule Warriors appeared. BioWare Warriors , combining Dragon Age and Mass Effect characters in a crazy mashup storyline, could be quite popular. Perhaps  Comics, cartoons, and anime offer a lot of possibilities as well. Marvel Superheroes have been showing up in a lot of different game types lately, so why not Marvel Warriors ? I enjoyed last year’s One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 , so of course it’d be fun to explore similar anime series like Fairy Tail. Avatar: The Last Airbender feels like a natural fit for a Warriors spin-off, with all its crazy bending powers and the war happening in its world. Perhaps we could even see some more out-there ideas like My Little Pony Warriors or KISS: Warriors of Rock . The possibilities are nearly endless.

If you’ve never tried a Dynasty Warriors game, Hyrule Warriors is a great place to start, combining Zelda -style bosses and several RPG elements with the enemy-smashing, keep-taking Dynasty Warriors formula. Perhaps you’ll get hooked on Warriors like I have, and starting thinking that everybody should be Dynasty Warriors too.

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