A little while back, I played a little game known as Warriors of Fate, and I thought it was decent enough. It was your typical Capcom beat-’em-up, with nothing really changed gameplay-wise, and the only thing making it stand out would be with the style and the blood, but aside from that, if you had already played any other Capcom beat-’em-up at that point, you weren’t really missing out on that much. However, what I didn’t know at the time of me playing that game was that it was actually the sequel to another game known as Dynasty Wars, which I had no clue existed until the time I had finished the game and was writing the review for it. So… oops. But anyways, I am now here to fix that mistake, and I have now played through the game, and what do you know, it was yet another typical Capcom arcade beat-’em-up that does nothing too different from all of the other ones I have played so far. But I will admit, this game does have some significance that I will get into later, and some other features that differ itself from others, but you won’t be missing much if you decide to not play it.

The story is about taking out Huang Ching army, which is really about it, and it is based on a manga, so maybe there is some more info there, but I really couldn’t care less about the story this time around, the graphics are pretty nice for 1989, having that distinct style that Warriors of Fate would soon take up, so it is cool to see where it came from, the music is good, containing plenty of tracks that you would expect from this type of game, but there was nothing that really stuck out to me as great or terrible, the control is exactly what you would expect from one of these games, but it did get a little used to, considering the attack buttons control what direction you are facing, and the gameplay is also exactly what you would expect from this kind of game, but at least there is something there to not make it feel like a complete repeat.

The game is your typical arcade beat-’em-up, where you and a friend can take control of one of four Chinese warriors, take on a set of eight similar, yet lengthy stages, defeat any and all enemy soldiers and generals that will attack you as you make progress towards the end of the stages, using either regular or special attacks, gather plenty of points, health items, and powerups to help you out on your journey, and take on plenty of similar, yet challenging bosses that will halt you at every turn. Yeah yeah, you get the drill at this point, but there are some things that make this one stand out, like for instances, you are all riding horses! YAY!............... ok, no, but seriously, there are some differences about it.

Previously on this website, I have reviewed other Capcom beat-’em-ups like The King of Dragons and Knights of the Round that stand out from others of the genre by incorporating RPG mechanics into their gameplay, which did make you feel stronger as you progressed through the game. Before either of those games though, Dynasty Wars did this as well, and to my knowledge, this is the first game from them that uses this mechanic, so that is pretty cool to see. Not to mention, you do feel like you get stronger throughout the game, not just because of the leveling up, but also because of the numerous weapons that you can find to help you out in battle. Aside from that though, this game also innovates by having different forms of attack. You have you standard attack that you can spam to your heart’s content, but there is also a secondary form of that attack that allows you to charge it up and then unleash it to do massive amounts of damage. I didn’t really use this one much compared to the normal attack, but it does help out in bosses, and I appreciate that there is an option at all.

But, with all that being said, it is still your typical arcade beat-’em-up. You go through the levels, you beat up dudes, you feel bad when you lose, it is all exactly what you would expect from this type of game. Aside from the RPG thing, there is nothing that unique or new that this game introduces, especially when compared to the company’s many other titles in the same genre. Although, it can still be fun when you play it with the right person, and just because it is generic doesn’t mean that it is bad. So, if you were to play this with a friend, then I am sure that you two could have a good time. As for me though, I think I am just about burnt out of the beat-’em-ups from Capcom, and that is saying a lot. Maybe there are others that are improved, but for now, I don’t even wanna think about another one right now.

Overall, despite introducing what would become a staple in some of the company’s games from the same genre, and still being fun, Dynasty Wars isn’t really anything all that special when it comes to all of these beat-’em-ups from Capcom, and it really serves no purpose or reason for you to play it other then seeing what came before Warriors of Fate. I would recommend it for fans of the genre, as well as fans of Warriors of Fate, but for everyone else, you don’t really need to play this one if you have played any of the other very similar games that I have already covered. But anyway, I think now we have finally covered all of what this little mini-series has to offer. If I do find out though that there is a hidden third entry out there somewhere, I am going to be fucking pissed for at least a month.

Game #374

Plays a lot like a 2D belt-scrolling DYNASTY WARRIORS, if you can believe that. Sadly, it's pretty dull. You're on a horse the entire time (as are most of the enemies) and you kind of only have one attack besides calling in reinforcements for a super. There seems like a lot more going on, in that you have a charge attack, you level up, your weapon upgrades, and there are a few different assist attacks you can summon, but none of that really feels meaningful at all - just a bunch of fluff laid over extremely repetitive gameplay, even for an early brawler. You're really just hacking through waves and waves of soldiers with your one attack (with a button for doing it in either direction, which actually feels somewhat appropriate here because your guy has to turn his horse - the extra effort communicated nicely) and that is just notttttt enough. I wish there was something more to it, because the art is fun manga stuff and you better know I love me some Three Kingdoms.

My understanding is that the sequel is better. And Capcom gets a pass for this being their first beat-'em-up, especially given what their second one is.