Normally, this is the time of year where I would write my “Top X Dynasty Warriors Games of 2023” list (See previous examples: 1, 2). This started out as both a celebration of my love for Koei’s long-running action franchise and its many spin-offs, and also a gentle lampooning of the prolific production calendar of their Omega Force development studio. They usually release enough hack-and-slash action games each year that they can have their own entire game of the year list, and I was all-in for it both genuinely and ironically.
However, this year, Koei actually tried a different business strategy for once. They still put out a whole variety of games — but with a true emphasis on the word “variety.” The only game that aesthetically resembled a core Dynasty Warriors title was Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a Souls-like from the Nioh developers at Team Ninja. This game borrowed art and character design, world elements, and general Three Kingdoms-inspired plot details from the Dynasty Warriors franchise, but paired it all with the intense combat and progression mechanics that Dark Souls and Elden Ring fans have come to love.
It was a solid game, and also a surprising mainstream success thanks to its inclusion on Microsoft’s game pass service. It’s a great intro…
