Mario Brash
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Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is part of an endless release cycle. As far back as Dynasty Warriors 4, Koei Tecmo has followed one mainline installment with a strategically oriented spin-off. The “Empires” name represents a branching lineage where players participate in the empire-building aspect of the three kingdoms romance. In many cases, it’s hard to discern which genre is better, the linear character progression or the branching kingdoms. Usually, it falls on the choice with more content.
When I checked out Dead or Alive 6 during the January beta, it felt different enough from my usual rotation of fighters to warrant a deep dive. I’ve had my share of NetherRealm and Super Smash Bros. rage moments, but Team Ninja’s tournament looked like an enticing new brawl. This would be my first jump into the series. While there’s a specific reason for that, I decided to enter with an open mind.
We are several generations into this franchise, and Koei Tecmo and Omega Force decided to try something new with Dynasty Warriors 9. In their latest iteration of the Three Kingdoms Epic, the developers opted for an open-world adventure where players can explore ancient China and partake in key battles and lay witness to the era’s pivotal moments. But how does the open-world formula translate to the typical hack and slash adventure? To find out, but also review the game properly, I had to distance myself from previous installments.
Hand of Fate 2 combines cards, fantasy, and storytelling to make a unique RPG experience, though not in the vein of Hearthstone. In this new adventure by Defiant Development, players travel the world with and through a deck of cards. Cards govern everything: gear, encounters, success. Quite a bit of skill and brain matter is required, but winning isn’t always a matter of “gitting gud.”