Dynasty Warriors 4

About Dynasty Warriors 4

Dynasty Warriors 4 is a 2003 hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force and published by Koei for the PlayStation 2. It is the fourth installment in the Dynasty Warriors series. An Xbox port followed later in the year as well as an enhanced port to personal computers in 2005 named Dynasty Warriors 4 Hyper. Similar to other titles in the series, Dynasty Warriors 4 is based on the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms written by Luo Guanzhong. Set in the Three Kingdoms era of ancient China, the game depicts characters that are based on real-life figures as well as fictionalized versions of historical battles.

The gameplay features hundreds of soldiers fighting on battlefields of varying sizes. The player controls a single officer and can engage multiple enemies at once, with the aim to defeat the enemy's general in order to win the battle. The main gameplay mode depicts the events of the historical novel with branching story paths that include alternate history scenarios for the available characters. Only nine characters are available at the start; playing through the story grants access to more characters. Additional modes include an edit mode to create unique characters, a versus mode for duels, and a challenge mode.

Only three characters are initially available from each of the Three Kingdoms: Liu Bei and his two sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, from the Shu Kingdom; Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan from the Wei Kingdom; and Sun Jian, his daughter Sun Shang Xiang, and Huang Gai from the Wu Kingdom. Additional characters in each kingdom become available after progressing through the Musou Mode of their respective faction.

Shu Kingdom characters include the generals Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Wei Yan, Huang Zhong and Jiang Wei. Other Shu playable warriors are the strategists Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong as well as Zhuge Liang's wife, Yue Ying, who is a new character to the series' roster. The Wei Kingdom includes Zhen Ji, the wife of Cao Pi, one of Cao Cao's sons, as well as the generals Dian Wei, Xu Huang, Sima Yi, Zhang Liao, Xu Zhu, and Zhang He. The new Wei character is Cao Cao's cousin, Cao Ren. The Wu Kingdom includes two of Sun Jian's sons, Sun Ce and Sun Quan, as well as Sun Ce's wife, Da Qiao, and her younger sister, Xiao Qiao. Other Wu playable characters include the generals Zhou Yu, Lu Meng, Gan Ning, Taishi Ci, Lu Xun, and Zhou Tai, who joins the playable roster this game.

The roster also includes several figures who featured prominently in various parts of the story grouped as an "Other" faction. The corrupt warlord Dong Zhuo as well as his courtesan Diao Chan and his traitorous general Lu Bu are accessible after progressing further through the story. Yuan Shao, the allied forces general and Cao Cao's rival, becomes available after completing the Wei campaign. The Nanman leaders Meng Huo and Zhu Rong first appear during the Shu or Wu campaigns and become accessible after they are defeated in a duel. After completing several different campaigns, the rebellious Yellow Turban leader Zhang Jiao becomes playable. Many other characters important to key events in the story appear as non-player characters during battles throughout the game (e.g., Cao Pi, Guan Ping, and Ling Tong).