Dynasty Warriors Next was an ambitious idea for the series, adding on touch and motion controls, but those same motion controls work to the detriment of the game. I also did get a bit frustrated at how often ambushes and duels happen, and how often allied AI partners get in the way of me trying to get on my horse. I would have liked an option to remove motion controls, as they get awkward and intrusive at times. Not a bad outing for the franchise, but go towards the traditional games, or Godseekers, if you want a better experience with Dynasty Warriors.

so i played it and loved it, until the motion controls. i didn't like it and i was clearly not getting used to it either. luckily there was an option to turn it off. then i found out that some enemies had this 1v1 system where u use heavy attacks and normal attacks. i didn't like it and i never did. it just feels kinda bad. not only can the enemy block and not you, the enemy can stun you with the blocks and the 1v1 system uses the touchscreen which **** because u are always going to overdo your swipes and then hit the enemy while they are blocking, which gets you stunned. if you look away from all of that then this is a really good game. i never thought i would spend more time on but that's because it has its moments and it still feels like a dynasty warriors game.

Dynasty Warriors is like the video game equivalent of pineapple on pizza: You either love it or you don't particularly care for it, nor do you really understand why some people do. This is why you'll never see a DW game get above a 70 from critics. The series has basically carved out an entire niche sub-genre of action games and they don't change much between iterations. However, if you're like me, you'll find a great deal of enjoyment in them. And if you've got a Vita, Dynasty Warriors: NEXT is a great place to start. DW: NEXT is essentially the only game in the franchise I've invested a significant amount of time into, but as I've been told, if you've played one, you've played them all. Every game is essentially a retelling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is a medieval Chinese novel that romanticizes the Three Kingdoms period in ancient Chinese history. You explore this history by taking the role of characters (most of whom are based on actual historical figures) and fighting your way through massive hoards of enemies in a quest to conquer the battlefield, usually while heavy metal plays in the background. The game basically makes you into an ancient Chinese Jedi as you hack and slash your way through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of generic enemy soldiers with the occasional officer thrown in for good measure. DW is often described as repetitive and derivative, and that's because it is. It's also highly satisfying if you're the right kind of person. It's hard to explain, but I actually consider the action rather ****. The typical objective in each scenario is to capture the enemy base camp while defending your own. You accomplish this by killing lots of people and capturing/holding other camps across the map. You don't HAVE to capture all the camps to take the main camp, but it's highly encouraged due to the benefits they provide. For example, capturing an armory provides you and your army with periodic weapon buffs. If left in enemy hands, however, they get buffs that will make their own weapons more powerful. Meanwhile, capturing a menagerie will provide you with a small army of animals including pandas, tigers, and wolves. Leaving it in enemy hands means you'll have both animals and soldiers to clash with. Some camps have mystic seals on them and cannot be captured until certain adjacent camps are taken. This is especially bothersome when the enemy's main camp is protected by a seal. And if one of the camps is re-taken, the seal goes back up. You also have the ability to deploy strategems before battle. These are various buffs and bonuses based on the officers you have in your army. You have monetary resources you obtain between battles that you have to spend wisely in accordance with your needs. Will you buff your main camp's defenses or strengthen your own character's attack power? Or will you risk going without a strategem to save up for the next battle? The level of strategy in DW: NEXT isn't anything along the levels of most tactical games, but it is there and it's important to your victory. The main two modes are Campaign and Conquest. Campaign takes you through the extensive history of the Three Kingdoms period and all of the battles that it consisted of. This is a great way to get accustomed to the game's mechanics and experience the narrative if you want it. It's not a very deep or well-acted story, but it's typical for DW fare. Conquest mode allows you to choose a leader and a group of subordinate officers from the game's extensive roster and try to conquer all of China, with you choosing how many factions will participate. You can also create your own officers and use/employ them in battle. The only real drawback here is the use of the Vita's touch and motion controls. They aren't bad, but they also aren't necessary. They really only serve as an annoying break in the action. Sometimes you'll be ambushed on the battlefield and have to use the gyroscope and touch controls to target and eliminate the enemies. Sometimes other officers or boss officers must be defeated in a repetitive touch-based combat mode reminiscent of Infinity Blade. It's not terrible and I admire the innovation, but again, it's unnecessary and the game would be better off without them. It wouldn't be an issue if you could turn them off, but you can't. Dynasty Warriors NEXT is a solid entry in the Dynasty Warriors franchise that is mildly encumbered by annoying Vita gimmicks. If you're already familiar with the series, you know what you're getting. If not and you think it sounds like a good time, consider making it your NEXT gaming purchase.