Dynasty Warriors 7 (huge list of new shit)/Samurai Warriors 3 XL/Z

[Kane Knight]

Since the DW list I'ma post is long, I'll start with Samurai Warriors, but the DW bit is the meat of this.

Samurai Warriors 3 XL was released in Japan this month, along with SW3Z for the Playstation 3. This is good news for anyone who likes beating the fuck out of Japs but doesn't own a Wii. 3Z is like XL, only integrated into thhe original title because there was no base disc for 3 on the PS3.

No 360 version, but there rarely is in Japan. If it's released in the US, expect an XBox version to hit.

Now, DW7. After 6 gayed up characters and added that awful Renbu system, I was skeptical, but with this list of changes and features provided by Koei Warriors, I can honestly say this is the first Warriors title I've been truly excited for since the first SW.

Will it live up to the hype? Will it be a new experience? I don't know, but this is probably the boldest attempt Koei's made in years and years.

Most notable, before I go further, is the expansion of the storyline to the end of the RotK era and the inclusion of Jin as a faction. Prior to this, there have been the 3 factions (Wu, Wei, Shu) and "Other" (Lu Bu and co). The inclusion of Jin means new stories. Thank fuck.

Also, I want to fucking fight alongside a giant Panda.

http://koeiwarriors.co.uk/dw7-gameinfo.php

Story Updates

• The storyline surpasses 234's Wuzhang -one of the oft-complained points-, and now properly ends in 280: Jin's unification of China and end of the ROTK period
• The 晋 Jin Kingdom faction is newly added
• Story Mode is apparently kingdom-based, and will focus on the 4 kingdoms of Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin
• The Other force does not have a story mode, but players will be able to use the Other characters in Chronicle Mode
• You will be playing as different characters as you choose other stages, thus seeing the overall kingdom stories from different character perspectives. The character for that stage will be fixed
• For some important large battles, it will be split into two parts, so you can have two character perspectives (ex: Shu's Chang Ban, 1st Part: Zhao Yun, 2nd Part: Zhang Fei)
• The story events will be seamlessly incorporated into gameplay, similar to God of War 3
• To further reflect the seamlessness above, the usual pre-battle briefing menu is no longer here. Instead, the player stands inside a friendly fortress where they can buy new weapons and interact with other characters for storyline insight before beginning the battle
• There will be many interactions between characters that will make the storyline even deeper
• Each kingdom will have around 15 to 25 stages until their endings
• Jin's storyline will begin after the Battle of Wuzhang Plains ended, when the Sima clan starts holding major authority in Wei
• Wu's storyline is said to be focused on an early era rather than a late era
• Story Mode might be one-player only

Chronicle Mode (Conquest Mode for English version)

• This seems to be an individual, free-roam-China and create-your-own-destiny story mode
• You move across a hex-grid map of China
• In-between battles, you can visit cities to buy and upgrade weapons
• You can also interact with other unique characters, and depending on how you interact, you can unlock more playable characters from this mode
• When you join a faction you will be able to play in their specific stages
• Each characters will also have special stages unique to them, such as battles that take place in ROTK, or what-if scenarios; for example, Sima Yi's special stage is Battle of Wu Zhang Plains
• Other than the Weapon Blacksmith, there is an Item Peddler, a Restaurant, a Trainer and a Quizmaster in the city
• For the Quizmaster, apparently you can get various things if you can answer the quizzes correctly
• There will be also Gaiden / Side Story scenarios
• After fulfilling certain conditions, the same person as player character may appear in the battlefield, but with an alternate colored costume
• Chronicle Mode will have both Online and Offline (splitscreen) Co-op
• Some stages will have limitations, such as whether you can bring partners and support animals, or not
• You can re-battle the stages that you have already cleared

This shall be the basic flow of the Chronicle Mode

Characters
There will be more than 60 characters in total, new and returning

New Characters
Note: Seiyuu = Japanese VA. They are mostly consistent throughout the series unless there are major circumstances


司馬師 (子元)
Sima Shi (Ziyuan)
First son of Sima Yi. Assumed authority in Wei after his father's death. Died early in 255 due to complications of a swollen eye.
Main Weapon: Rapier
Seiyuu: Ryotaro Okiayu (aka. Orochi in Warriors Orochi, Chosokabe Motochika in Samurai Warriors, and Treize Khushrenada in Gundam Wing)


司馬昭 (子上)
Sima Zhao (Zishang)
Second son of Sima Yi. Assumed authority after his brother Shi's death. Father of Sima Yan, the first emperor of Jin who would finally unify China.
Main Weapon: Dao Blade
Seiyuu: Daisuke Kishio (aka. Taigong Wang in Warriors Orochi)


鮑三娘
Bao Sanniang
Fictional female warrior who would eventually get married to Guan Suo, fictional youngest son of Guan Yu, and would fight together with him in the battlefield.
Main Weapon: Bladed Yo-yo
Seiyuu: Ai Nonaka (aka. Fuko Ibuki in Clannad)


王元姫
Wang Yuanji
Wife of Sima Zhao and mother of Sima Yan. She is highlighted for predicting Zhong Hui's rebellion.
Main Weapon: Flying Daggers
Seiyuu: Kanae Ito (aka. Rin in Hokuto Musou)


諸葛誕 (公休)
Zhuge Dan (Gongxiu)
Wei officer who is also Zhuge Liang's cousin. He tried to rebel against Sima Zhao but failed.
Main Weapon: Feather Fan
Seiyuu: Takuya Kirimoto (aka. Agon Kongou in Eyeshield 21)


馬岱
Ma Dai
Ma Chao's cousin who joined him in serving Shu. Slayed Wei Yan when the latter was going to rebel.
Main Weapon: Magic Brush
Seiyuu: Osamu Ryutani (aka. Yuan Shao)


郭淮 (伯濟)
Guo Huai (Boji)
Prominent later-era Wei general who fought in many battles against Shu, especially during the Northern Campaign.
Main Weapon: Hand Cannon
Seiyuu: Satoru Kamata (Actor - not a seiyuu)


鍾會 (士季)
Zhong Hui (Shiji)
Wei officer. After Shu's fall, plotted with Jiang Wei to rebel against Sima Zhao but utterly failed.
Main Weapon: Floating Swords
Seiyuu: Ichitaro Ai


鄧艾 (士載)
Deng Ai (Shizai)
Wei officer who is most famous for capturing Cheng Du during the final Wei-Shu battle.
Main Weapon: Drill Spear
Seiyuu: Masato Obara (Actor - not a seiyuu)


丁奉 (承淵)
Ding Feng (Chengyuan)
Renowned later era Wu general. Known to have several clashes with Zhuge Dan.
Main Weapon: Claw Knuckle
Seiyuu: Ryohei Nakao (aka. Guan Ping)


賈詡 (文和)
Jia Xu (Wenhe)
Skillful advisor who first served Dong Zhuo. He later went to Zhang Xiu where he would trap Cao Cao in Wan Castle. He finally ended up becoming Wei advisor.
Main Weapon: Chained Sickle
Seiyuu: Hideo Ishikawa (aka. Toyotomi Hideyoshi & Mouri Motonari in Samurai Warriors and Zhou Tai)


劉禪 (公嗣)
Liu Chan (Gongsi)
Son of Liu Bei, and the next emperor of Shu.
Main Weapon: Rapier
Seiyuu: Taiki Matsuno (aka. Ling Tong)


夏侯霸 (仲權)
Xiahou Ba (Zhongquan)
Son of Xiahou Yuan. Would later defect to Shu, aiding Jiang Wei.
Main Weapon: Great Sword
Seiyuu: Kenji Akabane (aka. Kouji Kabuto in Shin Mazinger Shougeki Z Hen)


練師
Lian Shi
More famously known as 歩夫人 Lady Bu. Sun Quan's most beloved concubine, she was known for being courteous and never jealous.
Main Weapon: Bowgun
Seiyuu: Akemi Kanda (aka. Sanzang Fashi in Warriors Orochi and Sun Shang Xiang Gerbera in SD Gundam Sangokuden)


關索
Guan Suo
Fictional third son of Guan Yu who made much feat during the Nanman campaigns.
Main Weapon: Nunchaku?
Seiyuu: Hiroaki Miura (aka. Gan Ning)

Returning Characters

So far the confirmed ones are:
劉備 (玄德) Liu Bei (Xuande) - Main Weapon: Twin Swords
關羽 (雲長) Guan Yu (Yunchang) - Main Weapon: Halberd
張飛 (益德) Zhang Fei (Yide) - Main Weapon: Double-Edged Spear
趙雲 (子龍) Zhao Yun (Zilong) - Main Weapon: Spear
關平 Guan Ping - Main Weapon: Great Sword
(張)星彩 (Zhang) Xing Cai - Main Weapon: Sword & Shield
馬超 (孟起) Ma Chao (Mengqi) - Main Weapon: Spear
諸葛亮 (孔明) Zhuge Liang (Kongming) - Main Weapon: Feather Fan
姜維 (伯約) Jiang Wei (Boyue) - Main Weapon: Spear
(黃)月英 (Huang) Yue Ying - Main Weapon: Bo Staff
龐統 (士元) Pang Tong (Shiyuan) - Main Weapon: Staff?
魏延 (文長) Wei Yan (Wenchang) - Main Weapon: Double-Edged Spear?
黃忠 (漢升) Huang Zhong (Hansheng) - Main Weapon: Bow
曹操 (孟德) Cao Cao (Mengde) - Main Weapon: Blade
曹丕 (子桓) Cao Pi (Zihuan) - Main Weapon: Twin Swords
曹仁 (子孝) Cao Ren (Zixiao) - Main Weapon: Chain Mace
許褚 (仲康) Xu Zhu (Zhongkang) - Main Weapon: Club
夏侯惇 (元讓) Xiahou Dun (Yuanrang) - Main Weapon: Blade
夏侯淵 (妙才) Xiahou Yuan (Miaocai) - Main Weapon: Bow
典韋 Dian Wei - Main Weapon: Axe
張遼 (文遠) Zhang Liao (Wenyuan) - Main Weapon: Twin Halberds
徐晃 (公明) Xu Huang (Gongming) - Main Weapon: Chain Mace?
甄姫 Zhen Ji - Main Weapon: Flute
蔡文姫 Cai Wenji - Main Weapon: Harp
張郃 (儁乂) Zhang He (Junyi) - Main Weapon: Claws
司馬懿 (仲達) Sima Yi (Zhongda) - Main Weapon: Feather Fan
陸遜 (伯言) Lu Xun (Boyan) - Main Weapon: Twin Swords
孫堅 (文台) Sun Jian (Wentai) - Main Weapon: Blade
孫尚香 Sun Shang Xiang - Main Weapon: Chakram
太史慈 (子義) Taishi Ci (Ziyi) - Main Weapon: Twin Rods
周瑜 (公瑾) Zhou Yu (Gongjin) - Main Weapon: Bo Staff
孫策 (伯符) Sun Ce (Bofu) - Main Weapon: Tonfa
孫權 (仲謀) Sun Quan (Zhongmou) - Main Weapon: Blade
周泰 (幼平) Zhou Tai (Youping) - Main Weapon: Katana
呂蒙 (子明) Lu Meng (Ziming) - Main Weapon: Pike
凌統 (公績) Ling Tong (Gongji) - Main Weapon: Nunchaku
大喬 Da Qiao - Main Weapon: Folding Fan
小喬 Xiao Qiao - Main Weapon: Folding Fan
張角 Zhang Jiao - Main Weapon: Monk Staff
袁紹 (本初) Yuan Shao (Benchu) - Main Weapon: Rapier
孟獲 Meng Huo - Main Weapon: Claw Knuckle
祝融 Zhu Rong - Main Weapon: Throwing Daggers
董卓 (仲穎) Dong Zhuo (Zhongying) - Main Weapon: Chain Mace
呂布 (奉先) Lu Bu (Fengxian) - Main Weapon: Crescent Halberd
貂嬋 Diao Chan


Some(not all!) returning characters are gaining their old weapons from DW3~DW5 back due to the gameplay system reversal (eg. Zhen Ji's flute, Xiahou Dun's scimitar)

Gameplay Changes
Weapon & Moveset System

• The moveset system is back to the good old Charge-based system (DW5 and before)
• Characters now equip two weapons at once. Both of them can be changed
• Weapons can be changed even in mid-stage
• Weapons are acquired either by producing them through a blacksmith, or by sometimes beating an enemy officer. You can even immediately equip the weapon you've acquired through battle
• There will be about 360 different varieties of weapons
  (This does not mean there will be such amount of different movesets)
• Some weapons will have gender limitations (eg. Cai Wen Ji's harp will be exclusive to females)
• Some weapons will have aerial combo
• TheVariable Attack system (aka. Real Time Weapon Change), players can switch between two weapons anytime. The weapons can even be switched during a combo with a weapon without cutting the combo itself. To switch weapons, press R1

Weapon Expertise

• The weapons have expertise levels which indicate how comfortable a character is with the weapon type
• A low expertise level may give negative effects to the character's attacks, while a high expertise level will grant bonuses such as elements
• Characters will have special expertise in a certain weapon type, which will have an EX mark on it. When such weapons are equipped, they will be able to unleash unique EX attacks

Weapon Skills

• Each weapon will have a learnable skill (called 印 mark in JP version)
• As the player beats enemies with the weapon, the skill points needed to unlock the skill will increase
• When the skill point gauge is full, the skill will be unlocked and available to equip on any weapons

Character Growth

• The stat growth is using the unique-to-DW Item-based system rather than the common EXP & Level system
• As with previous DW games with this system, the more combo hits dealt to the defeated enemy who drops this item, the better the quality of item will be
• The raiseable stats here are Health (baozi box), Attack (sword) and Defense (shield)
• Musou bar and Moveset can be upgraded through a different system which utilizes 武功 Deed Points
• Deeds are obtained by beating enemy officers
• With enough Deed Points, you can use them to purchase the moveset upgrades and such

Support Animals

• There will be support animals which will aid you in battles
• There are two types of support animals: Animals that follow the player and fight together | Animals that can be ridden
• Currently confirmed examples are elephant and panda

Musou attack upgrades

• Musou bar is now stackable to 2 bars, allowing you to launch a Musou attack twice consecutively
• Each character will have 2 different kinds of Musou attacks
• All characters' first Musou attacks are normally executed with O button on ground
• For the secondary Musou attack, some characters will have either of the following:
  Alternate Ground Musou, by pressing R1+O on ground; or Jump/Aerial Musou, by pressing O while mid-air
• When using Musou attack, the character will be using their default weapon regardless of what weapons are equipped

Others

• Character portraits in battle messages have emotion changes just like other recent Warriors games (except SW3)
• Morale bar is gone, but the morale system itself still exists and will be reflected from officer messages and such
• Swimming, a feature from DW6, will make its return here

Other Known Information

• The game supports stereoscopic 3D mode, but it is optional and can be turned off
• Both consoles (PS3 & 360) will support the stereoscopic 3D
• There is no Edit Mode (aka. CAW)
• There is no Opening Edit feature
• There is no Free Mode.
• The masked dancer in the Opening Movie is a generic
• In Chronicle Mode, you can change the BGM mid-stage to another in-game BGM you've already heard
• There will be no "guest" original characters from any non-DW game, so no Ayane or Ryu Hayabusa, or Sun Wukong, Xiang Yu or Da Ji, etc.
  (To add to this point, that includes Fu Xi and Nu Wa since they are now considered as guest characters from WO)
• Rumor: will have support for the Playstation Move (Sony's motion controller). This is also optional, but not yet known how it will be implemented
• Some characters will have different facial features depending on the storyline progress, like two-eyed Xiahou Dun or non-masked Sima Shi
• DLC (Downloadable Content) is confirmed to be added. Details will be revealed at a later time
• There are no current plans for a PSP release
• Bonus for pre-ordering the game is a ballpoint with motif of one of the 4 kingdoms, randomly selected
• Bonus for getting first print copies of the game (buying it on release day / as soon as it's out) is a Download code for Zhao Yun's Dynasty Warriors 1 costume
• The Japanese version will have a sung ending song: Time by KinKi Kids (It is unknown though whether the same song will be featured in English versions or not)

Downloadable Content Information
Dates will be mainly based on Japanese release here
Mainly the DLC packs will consist of costumes, weapons, and stages
Some will be free, some others will be priced depending on the details of the DLC

1st Batch - 10 March (JP)
Shin Sangokumusou 5 (Dynasty Warriors 6) Costume Set
Price: Free

Others
First Print Bonus: Zhao Yun's Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warriors 1) Costume
Ordering from GEO: Lu Bu's Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warriors 1) Costume
Ordering from Lawson: Wang Yuanji's Lawson store clerk Costume + Lawson original Throwing Dagger Weapon