Spanning two decades from 1997 to 2018, there have been nine main video games in the popular Dynasty Warriors franchise thus far. The traditional one-on-one turned 3D hack-and-slash fighting game has continued to tweak, upgrade, advance, and evolve during its two-decade run to become a beloved title to rival such games as Virtua Fighter, Soul Blade, and more. With a 10th installment currently in development, the franchise looks to rebrand itself for a whole new generation. Moreover, Dynasty Warriors is the latest fight game to be adapted into a movie.

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While the first Dynasty Warriors game does not have a Metascore, the other main eight games in the franchise range in quality due to an increase in fluid gameplay, repeatability, enhanced graphics, overall entertainment value, and more.

Dynasty Warriors 7 - 58

Female warrior fends off fog monster attack in Dynasty Warriors 7

According to Metacritic, the lowest-rated game in the franchise so far is Dynasty Warriors 7. As one of the worst sequels of the classic game, it drew middling reviews for its boring repetition, undetectable upgrades, and tiresome fascination with the once-novel fighting game. However, the film earned praise for its minor gameplay changes and introduction of the new weapons system.

Although the Jin Kingdom was added for the first time in the series to expand the gameplay map, the majority of critics still found the game too similar to versions released 10 years earlier and recommended gamers look elsewhere for their fighting thrills.

Dynasty Warriors 6 - 60

Dynasty Warriors 6 marked a major gameplay shakeup with the inclusion of the Renbu system, which allows players a new way to fortify their attack combinations with a new power gauge that fills up on the completion of tasks. A new skill tree was also added to the game, allowing players to increase the Renbu rankings in the process. Poor graphics and lackluster performance led to criticism of the game.

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Despite the major gameplay overhaul, the game still drew mixed reviews across the board. The Xbox 360 release earned the highest praise, but even that version was bashed for featuring hour-long levels with no checkpoints which would only appeal to die-hard fans of the franchise.

Dynasty Warriors 9 - 65

Female warrior leaps in air while jousting a spear at her attackers in Dynasty Warriors 9

The most recent Dynasty Warriors game ranks in the bottom-third, per Metacritic. The ninth installment was redesigned by Omega Force to accommodate a sprawling open-world RPG setting, but the hack-and-slash game still earned mixed-to-average reviews. Praise for the game included its lush cinematic visuals, experimental ambition, and rich backstory of the Three Kingdoms.

In contrast, the game was panned by many for its muddled composition which alienated fans with its lofty RPG design. Several technical glitches were cited, including the AI pathfinding, poor aliasing, and clipping.

Dynasty Warriors 8 - 68

Dynasty Warriors 8 introduced the new Ambition Mode of gameplay to the series, which tasks players with erecting a tower for peasants to call home base by engaging in three types of battles. Despite the new mode, fresh mechanics, and upgraded weaponry, the game received generally mixed reviews.

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Hailed for its endless amount of content, countless mechanical upgrades, diverse fighting traits that include the affinity system and rage mode, and a truly engaging and educational historical narrative. Still, detractors cite its repetitive nature, minimal innovation, and inability to win over gamers who aren't already huge fans of the franchise.

Dynasty Warriors 5 - 69

With a 69 PS2 and 66 Xbox Metascore, Dynasty Warriors 5 is ranked right down the middle of the popular fighting game franchise. The awesome hack-and-slash game offers multiple gameplay modes that include Musou, Free, Challenge, and an expanded Extreme mode.

The game was lauded for ironing out some of the clunky game engines of earlier entries to provide a much smoother and more fluid experience. The endless hours of content and introduction of battlefields bases to protect and destroy were also praised. However, the game was also drubbed for its lack of camera control, repetitive fighting, lack of AI evolution, ability to play with only two players at a time, and generally being an inconsequentially average affair.

Dynasty Warriors 2 - 75

In the first entry to gain overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, Dynasty Warriors 2 was extolled for being a fun-filled, hyper-kinetic, and wildly intense action extravaganza. The game was redesigned from the one-on-one fighting template of the original and turned into a 3D hack-and-slash game that provided much more visceral enthrallment.

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Despite its cited simplicity and lack of plot, The Ps2 release of the game was complimented for its easy navigability, relentlessly chaotic fighting action, and smooth graphics. The lack of a multiplayer mode and overall replayability was criticized, but on the whole, Dynasty Warriors 2 remains among the upper half of the franchise entries to date.

Dynasty Warriors 3 - 78

With major upgrades made to the previous entry that included the introduction of a two-player mode, new levels, characters, music, arsenals, and attack modes, Dynasty Warriors 3 marked a major evolution in the franchise. As such, critics heaped positive reviews on the PS2 version of the game.

Despite a few glitches and hiccups, the overhauled design was generally perceived as an improvement. The gigantic size, scale, and scope of the game, the engaging environments and historical backstory of the various Chinese dynasties, and the ultra-violent thrills of the combat were also praised. The biggest upgrade cited by critics was the newfangled multiplayer mode, which increased the enjoyment level considerably.

Dynasty Warriors 4 - 78

Dynasty Warriors found the immersive gaming sweet spot in its 4th iteration, according to Metacritic. The game was hailed for its unparalleled depth, strategic gameplay, and unrivaled thrills for a hack-and-slash beat-em-up game. The undying, adrenaline-fueled action and upgraded graphics, fluidity, and neverending missions have kept players coming back.

While the customizations are limited, the biggest improvement to the game is the ability to create a player from scratch, something the franchise never afforded before. With more stages, game modes, quicker AI, and a slew of hidden characters, Dynasty Warriors 4 has been called one of the most replayable titles in the series to date.

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