Early on, my concept of Dynasty Warriors appreciation was messing around on easy mode with the fat guy or the chakram girl or the claw guy who looked like Vega. Dynasty Warriors 5 turned me from a casual dabbler into a proper fan of the series and enthusiast for Three Kingdoms history and lore. The love remains strong a decade after its release.
I got many great pictures, a few small purchases, and more understanding of China’s industrialization, urban culture, and current challenges. I went through the Three Gorges Dam locks during a cruise ship beer bash. I learned to play mahjong with helpful onlookers backseating. I saw an acrobatics show with muscle men and motorbikes, opera music performed in a historic estate preserved among high rises, and a sex museum.
So you want to write a story with a lot going on under the hood, from characters’ goals and frustrations to greater challenges of society. These varied pressures can create a desirably layered narrative. They can also explode into a scattershot mess – or intimidate you into fearing the rigors of development.
With some thought and planning, you can sort out all these ideas and get them to play well together.
Seven years ago, I randomly spotted this crossover of Dynasty and Samurai Warriors during the obligatory mall visit Gamestop walkthrough. It was equal parts grandeur and absurdity, thoughtful craft and happy accident slapdash. It was a beat ’em up addiction with “it” factor rivaled only by my reigning personal KOEI Jesus of Dynasty Warriors 5.