Latest Dynasty Warriors 9 Trailer Shows Off New Open World Features

There are a lot of reasons to be excited for the latest installment in the Dynasty Warriors franchise from Koei Tecmo. From returning favourites, new characters, and new adventures - there's a lot to love. Most notably, however, is that Dynasty Warriors 9 marks the first title ever to be open world, making it the largest game in the series' history. Today, Koei Tecmo has released some new information regarding the upcoming title, as well as a brand new video!

"In Dynasty Warriors 9, roaming off the beaten path opens up greater experiences outside of the main story line - allowing powerful enemies to appear and challenge players with their advanced abilities and skills. These formidable opponents come in the form of humans; such as bandits, or beasts; such as wolves, which will provide additional valuable items or materials as a reward upon defeat. It may be tempting to take on these foes to gain the plethora of takings, but the situation should be carefully assessed – as fleeing from battle may be the safer option."

In a recent press release, Koei Tecmo also gave a few tips on how to survive in the wild. Fans of the latest Final Fantasy can't get their Ignis on with a new recipeeeeh, because cooking in-game is a notable way to stay tough and be more formidable when going up against foes. Food can provide temporary buffs for things such as experience, strength, speed, defense, and much more. Having a hearty meal before battle could quite possibly mean life or death.

But cooking isn't the only means to stay tough:

"Another way of ensuring an edge in battle is through crafting new weaponry. These new weapons are crafted through scrolls – useful items which detail the required materials for a player to collect. To unlock the abilities to craft weapons, the required scrolls for each weapon must be collected; with some weapon's blueprints split across multiple scrolls. Players are rewarded scrolls upon completing missions or by defeating certain enemies, which will unlock a weapon which can only be crafted at a blacksmith. Gems and accessories can also be crafted, which provide substantial boosts to the player. Gems are also found throughout the world and are used in the weapon's forging process to provide additional effects – including a variety of different elemental abilities."

And if the term open world seems a little intimidating, no worries! Players can call upon their horse to travel quickly through the open world to take on greater distances safely and efficiently. Upgraded mounts can be purchased or unlocked throughout the game's many stables.

Interested? Don't forget to pre-order to get these sweet bonuses:

"Those purchasing the standard version of the game are given access to 3 Avatars - Lu Bu, Zhou Tai and Wang Yuanji, a bonus weapon - the "Black Dragon Fang", and the previously announced seven costumes for fan-favorite characters. The seven costumes are inspired by traditional Chinese undergarment styles and include an imposing Beijing Opera-style costume for Zhao Yun and six individualized costumes for Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, Lu Lingqi, Wang Yi, and Wang Yuanji. On the other hand, those who purchase the digital deluxe version are offered all of the previously mentioned items from the standard version plus the season pass, which will grant access to all future DLC for the title, and three original Dynasty Warriors weapons: The Amethyst Iron Blade, The Crimson Ring Blade and The Jade Splendid Swords."

Dynasty Warriors 9 will be available on February 8th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.