New Dynasty Warriors 9 Gameplay Footage, Open World Action

Over 30 minutes of new game play from Dynasty Warriors 9 has been released over the course of the last week, showing off returning characters and story arcs like that of the legendary Cao Cao. The ninth entry into the long-running game franchise boasts a beautiful open world with real-world locations for players to explore. The game also features a new and redefined action system, allowing players to take on hoards in new and even more creative ways than ever before. Check out all of the new footage from the Taipei Game Show below, then hit the jump for more details:

A New Open World Warriors Game

For the first time in the series, the expansive land of China is shown on a single map with the introduction of an open world format for diverse progression through the game. The ‘one vs. thousands’ exhilarating action of the Warriors series and the beloved characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms tale are carried over, but the freedom through an open world stage provides a brand new Warriors experience.

The map is displayed with beautiful graphics and features many different regions of China such as snow plains, jungles and deserts which reflect the passage of time and changing climate. Key cities and checkpoints, such as Luoyang and Hulao Gate, and landmarks such as the Yellow River and Mt. Song, are replicated, allowing for deeper immersion into the game world.

The epic tales from the Three Kingdoms through the eyes of new and returning officers

New comers like Cheng Pu, a Wu officer who supported the Sun family across 3 generations, and Zhou Cang, a Shu officer known for his fleetness of foot are two of the fascinating new characters. Experience the Three Kingdoms story woven through a vast roster of characters; included are all 83 officers from the Dynasty Warriors series, with new costumes.

A Redefined Action System

The new State Combo System reacts and responds to the surrounding conditions, building up on the base Warriors action system. The three core elements are: “Flow Attacks” that change depending on an enemy’s state; “Reactive Attacks” that optimally adapt to situations; and “Trigger Attacks” that change an enemy’s state.

The addition of Interactive Action allows players to take advantage of the surrounding terrain and environment. In addition to climbing mountains and swimming across rivers, using grappling hooks to climb walls and launching fire arrows into oil barrels to induce explosions are among the new actions for broader strategic gameplay.

Dynasty Warriors 9 releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 13th.