Warriors Orochi 4 receives an update that expands the already overwhelming offer of original game content. The heroes of the Chinese Three Kingdoms and the Japanese Warrior States return to the battlefield.
Although this text focuses on analyzing the expansion of Warriors Orochi 4, we cannot begin without mentioning that the Musou franchise is anniversary. And the next August 3 of this year 2020 will be no less than two decades of existence. Far away is the launch of Shin Sangoku Musou (renamed Dynasty Warriors 2 in the West), one of the first titles released for the overwhelming PlayStation 2. DW2 had its origin in a polygonal fighting game appeared on the first PlayStation (Sangoku Musou, Dynasty Warriors in the West), which was in turn adapted to the terrain of the action of the now veteran strategy saga Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which has been waging war (never better) since 1985.
The playable Dynasty Warriors 2 formula plunged its roots into the classic Final Fight or Double Dragon beat ’em up, although taking it all to the ground of massive battles between two great armies. The success of this title led to Koei opening a franchise whose entertainment is almost impossible to enumerate today. We have the Dynasty Warriors (with the ninth installment numbered as the most recent), the Samurai Warriors (four at the moment), the numerous expansions of these titles (encompassed under the Xtreme Legends and Empires headings), the spin-offs that adapt franchises of the Manganime world (Mobile Suit Gundam, The Fist of the North Star, One Piece, Berserk …) or other video game sagas (The Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, Persona …), and of course the series of crossovers whose last iteration This Reviews is the main feature: Warriors Orochi.
The number of titles released over the last two decades is such that the massive musou family has become a genre in itself. And of course the thing will not end here. There are even plans to develop a Star Wars-based musou, although since Electronic Arts currently retains exclusive rights to publish video games based on the galactic franchise, Koei Tecmo has no choice but to wait until the contract ends valid between EA and Disney.
Returning to the present, what now concerns us is Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate, title released on Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Available in both physical and digital (on PC we can only buy the downloadable version), with Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate we are presented with the expansion of the original WO4 launched a couple of years ago. To carry out this Reviews, we have received the Xbox One version of the title from Koch Media.
Back to the assault
At the outset, it should be borne in mind that Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate can also be purchased as independent downloadable content, which will be added to that of WO4 (if we already own it, of course). In this way we will save some money (about 20-30 euros) compared to the direct way of getting the full version of this Ultimate edition. In addition, there is the possibility of exporting a previous game of Warriors Orochi 4, something very grateful if we already had a good number of unlocked and developed characters. In case Ultimate supposes our first contact with WO4, we will start from scratch.
Entering the news that this Ultimate puts on the table, it is not that they are too large, and the amount of content that Warriors Orochi 4 already offered was overwhelming. Of the seven characters added there are some familiar faces that already appeared in Warriors Orochi 3, and that come from other titles outside the Dynasty / Samurai Warriors universe: Ryu Hayabusa (of Ninja Gaiden), Joan of Arc (of Bladestorm) and Achilles (of Warriors: Legends of Troy).
The other four debutants are new characters created for the occasion: Gaia (the personification of Mother Earth, according to Greek mythology), Hades (Greek god of the underworld), Perseus (demigods and son of Zeus. This character already appeared in the original WO4… more or less) and Yang Jian (character from Chinese mythology that could also be defined as a demigod). These new additions are added to the 170 warriors that already appeared in the original Warriors Orochi 4, taken mostly from the titles Dynasty Warriors 8 and Samurai Warriors 4. This leaves us with a simply huge and perfectly differentiated template.
Apart from this, we will find an expansion of the story mode, which will offer us more details of the argument and new challenges to overcome. We will also be able to reset the characters that have reached level 100 (this is already for those who threw a real wagon of hours to WO4), which will allow them to continue to evolve, and modify various parameters to more efficiently level each warrior.
Regarding game modes, we will find some additions in the section of the challenges that will extend this offer even more, as well as a complete novelty: the Infinite Mode. The philosophy of this modality, which we will not be able to access until we have overcome the main story, is similar in concept to what has already been seen in the challenges, although more elaborate and with a much broader path. In essence, here we have twelve towers to overcome, each corresponding to a sign of the zodiac, in which we will be presented with various tests and objectives. The difficulty of this Infinite Mode is remarkable, especially in the last towers, and will be the key to access the best rewards of the entire game.
Reinforcements are over
Well, having said all this, little else can be added. At the technical level, no improvement has been made, so we are faced with an efficient, but discreet, graphic section, more focused on managing with solvency everything that happens on the screen (which is not a little) than in showing visual flourishes or Patterns that take your breath away. At the language level, everything is still the same: voices only in Japanese and texts exclusively in English.
This causes us to be forced (unless we have the privilege of knowing the Japanese language by heart, of course) to continuously read the subtitles on screen while we fight, since the characters will continuously talk to each other while the battle goes on: offering clues about where to go, asking for help, pointing out objectives, etc. We are aware that doubling a game like Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate to a second language, with more than abundant lines of dialogue distributed between nothing more and nothing less than 177 characters (all with weight both in the plot and in the battles), is a Cyclopean effort that surely would not compensate for sales (musou family games are not usually sold well outside of Japan); but before it was done (Warriors Orochi 3 was the first game to eliminate the English dubbing of the equation), and it is something that has a negative impact on the gameplay, so there is no choice but to highlight it.
In this sense, it is true that the English subtitles of the dialogues are registered in the game menu, from where they can be consulted without having to be forced to fight at the same time. But, we repeat, these dialogues are constant, and it becomes too cumbersome and heavy to pause the game every few seconds to check what this or that character has said, and if such information is relevant to the development of the battle.
There is another aspect that also bothered the original Warriors Orochi 4, and that has not been corrected in this Ultimate version: the chaotic movement of the camera in certain situations, especially when we set a lens, since it will tend to focus on the ground and leave us sold if we are in a corner or a narrow aisle. At least, all the virtues already present in WO4 remain intact, such as the more than polished combat system, full of possibilities thanks to aspects such as the new powers offered by the sacred treasures, the three characters that we take to the battlefield and that we can toggle in real time, etc. The cooperative game for two people remains rewarding (not the competitive multiplayer, called Battle Arena, which remains unchanged and is more an anecdote at the bottom of the page than anything else), as well as the numerous options when it comes to improving skills and techniques of our characters.
Now it is up to the user to decide if the latest news is enough to justify the 40 euros that the expansion costs in case we already own the original title. In our opinion it is an excessively expensive price for what it offers, so we can only recommend this expansion to the most passionate players of Warriors Orochi 4 who have been wanting more. Another thing is that one comes to this WO4 Ultimate without having previously squeezed the original game. In that case, as long as one is aware of what the musou genre offers, the acquisition of the title (whose full price is about 60-70 euros) is recommended, since it offers a tremendous amount of content that will give us for Hundreds of hours of fun shortly after the proposal attracts us.
CONCLUSION
Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate expands the already enormous amount of content of the original WO4, launched a couple of years ago. The most significant novelties offered by this update are seven new characters (the template being closed in no less than 177 warriors), an extra game mode for when we finish the story mode, and various additions when developing the characters. In our opinion, the expansion is expensive (40 euros) for what it offers, especially considering that the edges present in the original WO4 are not polished (voices only in Japanese and certain problems with the camera), nor is it improved an effective but discreet graphic section. Thus, those who will end up getting more juice to this proposal will be those who have not played the original title. If that is your case, add a point to the final note and consider acquiring a game that will offer you a huge amount of hours of fun as soon as your proposal attracts you.
THE BEST
- The huge number of selectable characters
- The combat system: fluid, fast and rewarding
- After finishing the story, the new Infinity Mode will offer many more hours of play
WORST
- The price, too expensive for what it offers as an expansion of the original WO4
- The camera continues to play bad passes under certain circumstances
- Unless you master the Japanese language, it is difficult to follow the course of history during battles
Good
It meets the expectations of what a good game is, it has quality and does not present serious failures, although it lacks elements that could have taken it to higher levels.
