This was the game that introduced me to the Dynasty Warriors franchise as a kid and I'm glad to say it still holds up years later. Apparently, this is something of a black sheep among DW games but for me its practically perfect. It nails the balance of speed & strength for both the player character and overall battle compared to later games, and has systems like bases and the renbu system which made combat much more engaging even against the fodder. And the freedom these levels grant you is really nice so the way you can experience every level is varied. You can be a one man army, or advance with your allies, or strategically take down bases and officers for whatever outcome you want.

The story structure of DW6 interests me because every cutscene feels so sparse at first but they build up and flesh out each kingdom's stories and the ideals that push them forward. I wish there was more inter kingdom interactions to add even more complexity to the ideas presented here but I'll take being amazed with what they did and how little they did it with.