Basis: You're playing as one character going through the story of either Wei, Wu, or Shu. I personally still have yet to finish the story but I imagine that they all intertwine with each other until the end depending on the faction you choose which will determine the ending. Starting off, you will have that coalition where all the factions are united, but later break off and you will eventually have to choose which one you will want to support.

Story: The story is a retelling of the typical Dynasty Warriors games where it stays mostly the same with the exception that you are now a whole new character helping out the coalition at first and then having to pick one faction. Your character does have their own little backstory, but it's relatively short. It's not so impactful in the main story you are partaking in though. Each faction will have their specific events that don't intertwine with another one of the other 2 unless specified such as Cao Cao's fight against Yuan Shao (little bit of spoiler, sorry). It's a pretty straight forward story and not a bad one.

Combat: It is similar in most other Dynasty Warriors game with light attacks and strong attacks mixed in. However, it adds a bit more to that with Martial Abilities which are attacks that use a button combination and you only have 4 to use based on how much 'Bravery' you have. To increase said Bravery, you just need to smack enemies around and/or parry attacks from officers. Musou Attacks from what I have seen have been changed a little. A standard Musou is a singular attack that has a big range and wipes out the mob around you. You then have the Ultimate Musou Attacks where you enter a Rage Mode and your attack is increased. However, when you enter said Rage Mode, your Musou bar starts depleting and at the end of it, you do what's called an Ultimate Musou Attack where it's similar to the standard Musou Attack you see in most other games, but still on the shorter end and it's got a bigger range. On top of that, you also have Musou Attacks that you can perform with your companion that you can choose at the beginning of the battle if you are given one and you both do a normal Musou Attack which wipes out a pretty large area of mobs.

Weapons: The weapons types you would be allowed to use are limited compared to other games such as DW8 which is a bit disappointing. However, you are able to change your weapon mid-game to any of the weapons that come from officer drops upon their defeat. I honestly really would have liked to have had more weapon choices as the amount you get in this game is quite lacking. Hopefully in future installations, that will be an option again.

Gameplay: The game itself is quite enjoyable from what I have experienced. It does have more of an RPG element to it where you have a fairly large open area and you roam around as the MC collecting materials to create gems that help increase your stats or to do side missions to increase your weapon proficiency, get more currency to buy new and better weapons, collectible currency, etc. There will occasionally be times where you see key characters show up and you can interact with them to increase your bond with them. It's almost like a dating simulation with them. There will be little cutscenes you can watch as you the MC will interact with them. When you get into a mission, you are typically met with a few large mobs throughout the map and then eventually you will go to the main battlefield where you are literally facing an entire army. There will be times when you are prompted to complete a certain task, otherwise the battle becomes much harder and your forces may end up losing quite a few key officers which then may result in defeat. However, completing the task will yield in a more successful outcome of the battle. This is kind of pressure allows you to actually focus on the mission a bit more as opposed to fighting an endless army and racking up that kill count. I personally enjoy the gameplay especially when it comes to that big fight towards the end because mowing down a large force just has that satisfaction of knowing you have the power to do so. Having that added pressure of the tasks that come up also makes it enjoyable because it presents a challenge that I usually am able to complete, but may struggle doing so which is typically rewarding to me.

Final Notes: Overall, I do very much enjoy the game. I have been playing this franchise ever since DW3 on the PS2 and this does a pretty good job of recreating that feeling of hacking and slashing through a large mob of enemies. The combat is enjoyable and can definitely be challenging especially when fighting certain officers (Lu Bu). The difficulty is definitely something to note as even in the standard setting, while I typically complete my missions successfully, there are times where I do fail and have to start at a certain point or all over again. The RPG element is definitely a nice touch and I don't mind it all too much as it kind of adds a bit of immersion to it. However, the lack of being able to choose which area of the story I want to play after the main story is done is quite disappointing and even more so that unlike other Dynasty Warrior titles, I can't really play as any of the other characters unless they are an option to be my companion, but even then, I only get to play them very briefly. I already mentioned that I would have liked more weapons to be implemented as the current selection is quite lacking. Even some of the non-playable characters are tied down these weapons and it kinda does take out that uniqueness from them which is a disappointment.

Overall, I'd give the game a solid 8/10. I honestly wouldn't buy this at full price and just wait for a sale. It's a solid game with great graphics. It feels smooth and satisfying and if you don't really care about the cons mentioned throughout the review, then it's definitely a game to pick up. Considering that this isn't a numbered release, it does KIND OF make sense that it does not play so much like traditional numbered ones, but I still would have liked to see more components of previous games incorporated to this one.

I am bit mixed about this game.

The good:
The combat is very fluid compared to previous DW entries.
Huge battles feel actually like huge battles
The story is good for a DW game
Overworld is cute
The characters look really pretty
The checkpoint system is great, where you can restart a failed battle at key events that happened during the battle.

If you like Fate/Samurai Remnant, you'll probably like this too - if romance of the 3 kingdoms is for you ofc. The game have a lot in common. Including the sidekick that chills at your inn.

Cons:
Just like Fate/Samurai Remnant, you can temporary switch to one of the heroes. And so far I had this option only for story battles.
The game has only story mode, there is no free battle or sandbox mode.

Closing words:
If you like the huge cast and the grinding of the previous games, this game isn't for you. You better stick to DW 8 Extreme Legends for this.

I hope KOEI comes up with a DW 10 that has this battle system and brings back the sandbox elements

The best Dynasty Warriors in recent years with battle innovation, multiple languages ​​and voice acting。
Good job KT, players want all other games to have multiple languages.