Tecmo Koei has just announced the next installment in their long running Dynasty Warriors series for overseas countries. Dynasty Warriors 8 will be the next game in the long running action hack n’ slash series by Koei and Omega Force. Released in Japan on February 28th as Shin Sangoku Musou 7, Tecmo Koei has finally announced a western release date of the game along with new screenshots, boxart and information regarding the game. In short, the new Dynasty Warriors game will include new story mechanics rather than implementing new dynamic gameplay to allow more content to be added and a larger focus on replayability.
Here is the official press release for the game:
As with previous titles of the series, Dynasty Warriors 8 follows the stories of the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin through the actions of historical military and political figures of the time as they fight to gain control over the Three Kingdoms of China.
However this sequel takes the much loved IP one step further, merging numerous replay elements like multi-endings and extra modes with synergies between action and game systems, making a game that people won’t want to put down.
Apart from the Story Mode, which comes with new episodes and characters and takes a deeper look at the drama that unfolds in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dynasty Warriors 8 includes all new ‘What if?’ scenarios. Breaking away from historical fact, this mode takes a look at what could have happened if famous characters had lived to fight another day. This way the story branches out to different outcomes providing variety in the course and ending of the game and giving the players the power to view an alternate version of history depending on their choices.
Dynasty Warriors 8 also boasts a vast number of new and returning playable characters, as the highly anticipated officers Yue Jin and Li Dian from the Wei Kingdom, who make their first appearance in the series, alongside more than 70 playable characters that fight to prevail in the battlefield.
Giving stronger emphasis in the stage of these epic battles and inspired by the landscape of ancient China to deliver a wide range of visual treats, Dynasty Warriors 8 will feature more than 40 completely new stages: verdant plains, desolate wastelands, sharp ravines, huge castles, and other breath-taking sites.
Since then there has been 7 main games in the series, with many rereleases that include new mechanics in the form of Empires. Koei has also made numerous spin-offs based on the combat system of Dynasty Warriors such as Samurai Warriors, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam and One Piece: Pirate Warriors.