Story/Graphics/Audio
Tecmo Koei has spent countless years developing and releasing a long line of button mashers set in the feudal period of ancient China and Japan. The Dynasty Warriors series and its counterpart in the Samurai Warriors series provide a bit of fun, mindless lowly soldier killing a bite-sized missions. The Warriors Orochi line of games combines some of the best characters from both games and throws them into a fun crossover romp through time. We have now arrived at the 3rd game in the series and its current-gen port is truly the “Ultimate” rendition you need to adopt.
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate’s plot focuses on a mystical, time traveling adventure that features a huge array of Chinese and Japanese war generals. An eight-headed Hydra monster has wreaked havoc on the lot of them, which forces the remaining heroes to tap into the time traveling powers of the Moon Princess. Together, they all change the course of history, save their fellow warriors, amass an allied front and look to take down their dreaded beast. You won’t care too much for the story since you’ll be too busy hacking and slashing anyone dumb enough to stand in front of your oversized weaponry.
With the game’s move over to the PS4 and Xbox One, Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate arrives with improved visuals and some form of graphical polish here and there. These games have never been heralded for their graphics, but they must be complimented here. Nothing stands out about the visual sheen, but everything looks as good as it should be. You’ll come to encounter battlefields full of similarly looking warriors at every opportunity, which is a familiar trait of these types of beat ’em up’s. The cool factor of spotting a hundred or more soldiers and general doing battle is still present here, plus the power of the Xbox One and PS4 makes moments like this one appear even better.
The soundtrack is full of fan service. Series veterans will hear a bunch of throwback tracks from past games in the series, which is a nice touch. The Chinese and Japanese voice acting sounds great, plus it offers a degree of authenticity to the spoken dialogue sequences and FMV scenes.
Gameplay
If you’ve played any one of these Tecmo Koei feudal era games, then you know what to expect. There’s plenty of lowly soldiers to beat up and several stages that give you the chance to do so. What makes this “Ultimate” rendition of the previously released Warriors Orochi 3 is the addition of more warriors to take into battle. You’ll be amazed at the overall selection of over 145 playable characters and the dozens of weapons and items you can attach to them all. The fan service continues with exclusive characters such as as Sterk from Atelier, Kasumi from Dead or Alive, Xu Shu from Dynasty Warriors and Sophitia from Soul Calibur. There’s a new bit of fun to be hand here now that you can destroy some bums with a Ninja Gaiden character.
The basis of the Story Mode campaign centers on taking on various missions and saving the soldiers that are present within them. Even though you can’t rescue each and every one of the mat first, you’ll be granted the chance to save them in later side missions. This campaign structure is perfect for hardcore completionists who want to unlock each and every character there is. With over 50 stages to hop into, there’s never a lack of gameplay. You’ll grow addicted to upgrading your soldiers, granting them new weapons and taking advantage of unique 3-person squads through each level. The Online option provides the great multiplayer component needed for these types of hack and slashers, too.
Besides smashing up the A.I., there’s a cool mode that allows you to give that painful treatment to human players. The Duel Mode is a fun diversion that pits 3-person squads against each other in arena skirmishes. The Gauntlet, Musou and Free modes are also good in their own right. Creating your own missions and porting them online via the Musou mode is an enjoyable side treat. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is as fun as its ever been. If you’ve grown tired of these games, then this one won’t bring you back into the fold. But for huge fans of the game who’s followed each and every sequel and side game, then this one upgraded edition of Warriors Orochi 3 is worth delving into again.
Final Verdict
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate provides the Xbox One and PS4 with a much improved package of an already solid game. The addition of new characters from other titles within the Tecmo Koei line, the improved visuals and new missions make a return to this version a mission worth taking. The gameplay is as solid as ever, but its the same as it ever was. If this isn’t an issue, then you’ll most certainly enjoy killing hundreds of soldiers once again.