DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 Empires
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 Empires
Game
Game2021
DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires
Developer KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
A new release in the Empires series, featuring a mix of thrilling action and country capturing simulation. Experience the human drama of the Three Kingdoms in a way only Empires can provide. Fight exciting Castle Sieges and manipulate the country's Politics. Welcome to the Empires experience! From the Steam store page
193 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 1, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
50
Mixed
83 positive · 84 negative
95% range 42–57%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 83 | 84 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 1 | 19 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
289 of 536 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
51% recommend · 85 yes, 83 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 168 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (964 of 1,955 positive).
Some players find the core gameplay loop enjoyable, especially for ruler play. [1][2][3] Many reviewers criticize the limited character customization and lack of content compared to previous titles. [4][5][6] Several players recommend the game only for die-hard fans or on sale. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
(i know this is kinda long for a review, but please bear with it as to spare you from the disappointment and the waste of money) DO NOT buy this game unless you're a die hard DW fans, this game has so much potential to become as great as the late DW7E, that is if the developers gave patches and contents in the game. so much potential yet so little to be delivered. i'm writing this for the sole reason to spare you …
- [13]
I needed to come back to this game's store page to make up my mind if I want to play it again. Yeah... DW9E is that type of game especially after DWO came out this year which blows this game out the water by a dragon ball Z level of margin if DWO is Goku, DW8E is Piccolo and this game is... Yamcha... DW9E actively is a downgrade to it's previous installment having only one battle type which is the siege mode where …
- [1]
Don't really understand the hate this game gets. Sure 9 was controversial and the open world was poorly done. But the gameplay and empire loop is fun, I personally prefer it to every previous empires game (except for 5E).
- [4]
CONS: -Maps are small, boring, and look the same. Because they used sliced sections of an open world map. -Character customization is insultingly limited, especially compared to previous titles, like DW8 Empires. Even other games like NiOh and Wolong, that use the same assets. -I wish I could get gems with attack speed boosts. I assume it's possible, since it was in DW9. THE OK: -Combo system is questionable. It's …
- [2]
It's fine as far as empires games are concerned. The "open world map" that everyone complains about doesn't have to be used, but if you do use it it's mostly for making money and rations by wandering around killing bandits and wildlife so it's not entirely useless. But it is mostly useless, so if you're looking for a rich open world you won't find it here. Despite this, the core gameplay loop is fine if empires …
Summarised from 34 of the 193 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires sits at 50% positive across 167 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 193 · most liked first(i know this is kinda long for a review, but please bear with it as to spare you from the disappointment and the waste of money) DO NOT buy this game unless you're a die hard DW fans, this game has so much potential to become as great as the late DW7E, that is if the developers gave patches and contents in the game. so much potential yet so little to be delivered. i'm writing this for the sole reason to spare you from wasting so much money for so little content. i've played many DW games…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR: If you’re a fan of the Warriors games you should NOT approach this thinking that it is like any of the old ones. If you like those kinds of games, don’t come here. Let me be clear: This isn't like previous, or even future, warriors games. This is not a compliment this is very much a strike against the game in my opinion. As much as I wish I could recommend this game to many others, especially fans of the series, they have changed too much about it to make it a recommended suggestion.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just a bit about myself, I've been a fan ever since DW3. That being said my review may sound biased as a long time fan. Now I enjoyed DW9:Empires way more than the base version and the previous 3 titles, 5 being the last decent one in my opinion. Also I did wait to buy this copy during a sale since I did read some mixed reviews for it. Rating 6/10 Open World Empires did away with the open world which I was not a fan of from the base version. Anything in the open world can be done from the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I needed to come back to this game's store page to make up my mind if I want to play it again. Yeah... DW9E is that type of game especially after DWO came out this year which blows this game out the water by a dragon ball Z level of margin if DWO is Goku, DW8E is Piccolo and this game is... Yamcha... DW9E actively is a downgrade to it's previous installment having only one battle type which is the siege mode where you storm the castle to kill the enemy leader by either breaking down the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Being a long-time fan of the Warriors franchise, I have to say I feel disappointed. DW9 and DW9E feel like they were guinea pigs for Koei to try something new that could possibly be the way the franchise was moving, but when they failed, they abandoned the games seemly for good. What happened to the once good developers that cared about what they were putting out? Now it just seems like they don't even care about the franchise that made them as big as they are today. I get that the VO…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So if you never played a Dynasty Warriors (empires) before. sure this is a fantastic game. it will get repetitive quick and you will notice the maps gets reused a lot. its great to play for only an hour a day. as to not burn yourself out. --- now if you played any of the Empire games before, this- is the worst. They stripped out So much function and items. There is no mercanary mode so being a vangrant is pointless and painful. being an officer and not a Ruler is also pointless and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm afraid I'm back in a Warriors game fixation ngl xD Been playing a lot of Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires the last two days, then I brought my switch to work to play some FE:W! I've got a long shift tonight bc of daylight savings but they are giving us a two hour lunch which I'll take :p
positive · AI labelView post →Buy this on sale. I've played 8 Empires for more than 200 hours so playing 9 Empires was a very welcome change but within 50 hours, you've experienced all that this game has to offer. Buy at 70% discount or more at your own discretion. I cannot recommend this game unless you're an extreme enthusiast of Musou games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy at full price, game has only received one update (english patch) and thats it, game is literally abandonware, get DWE8 has a lot more content than this one.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game, but a major downgrade from 8. They removed several of the weapons, and most of the outfits, making you buy them as DLC. They added an open world, but it is pointless and empty. The body adjustments have also been scaled down severely whether it be Bust size, weight, or height.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The most Trash Dynasty Warriors Empires Series, just go back to your old formula please..
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't really understand the hate this game gets. Sure 9 was controversial and the open world was poorly done. But the gameplay and empire loop is fun, I personally prefer it to every previous empires game (except for 5E).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →CONS: -Maps are small, boring, and look the same. Because they used sliced sections of an open world map. -Character customization is insultingly limited, especially compared to previous titles, like DW8 Empires. Even other games like NiOh and Wolong, that use the same assets. -I wish I could get gems with attack speed boosts. I assume it's possible, since it was in DW9. THE OK: -Combo system is questionable. It's not the best for crowd control, but you can combo enemies indefinitely. It…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a long-time Dynasty Warriors fan, I've tried multiple times to give this game a fair chance. Unfortunately, each attempt only makes me long to replay the earlier entries. Compared to previous titles in the Empires franchise, this game feels unfinished. The character creation system is underwhelming, and the removal of quests leads to a lackluster experience when playing as a vagabond unit captain. If you're looking for a game to dump mindless hours into, this might be for you. But if you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll keep it simple for the lazy readers. Game Is eye candy nice, but very very boring compared to previous Dynasty Warriors.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of my favorite game series. If you're into it, you're into it. If you've played 7E and 8E and milked everything out out them that you can, get this one. I think they spread themselves thin with all of the license properties and didn't give this one the love and attention it deserved but it's still not a bad game. Should it have been better? Absolutely. Should there be more Edit Mode options? So many more. I still don't feel like it is a terrible game. If you love the empires…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's fine as far as empires games are concerned. The "open world map" that everyone complains about doesn't have to be used, but if you do use it it's mostly for making money and rations by wandering around killing bandits and wildlife so it's not entirely useless. But it is mostly useless, so if you're looking for a rich open world you won't find it here. Despite this, the core gameplay loop is fine if empires style game are what you like.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't get me wrong I loved it and I had a lot of fun But it's empty. Each of their own of course, but for me, Custoimization is what and why I buy the Empire series, and it's pretty lacking. Based game and you barely have any armors to have a lot of custom characters, you'll have to buy the DLC. However while the DLC armors are cool, it makes it difficult to mix and match different set of armors. Children, they come after you finish a run, you cannot play with them during your campain,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've only dabbled in dynasty warriors and have only played DW8 before this, so this is my first empires game. The amount of hours I put into this has already almost doubled what I put into 8, only because its far more addicting to create your own empire with a custom character. You can do so much in it. You can make a custom game and start out as a ruler, or be an officer in a rulers kingdom and climb the ranks. You can play one of the campaigns and start out as a vagrant and make money by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DYNASTY WARRIORS 9: EMPIRES — 66 h played Score: 5 / 10 (Only for die-hard Musou collectors) Empires pares DW9’s bloated open world down to a castle-conquest loop, but shallow strategy, repetitive sieges, and production shortcuts leave it feeling more like a budget mod than a worthy sequel. STILL FUN, BRIEFLY • **Siege-centric battles** — Grappling hooks, rams, and catapults add momentary variety to the classic 1-vs-1000 formula. • **Custom officer editor** — Designing a personal…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So it's not TERRIBLE for a musuo/ dynasty warriors game. Game play is easy to grasp, the conquering system is actually well rounded, and appearance wise it actually looks pretty good. However. What this game lacks is a great many things to really consider it even close to a 5/10. I won't list the pros because it isn't that big of a list to warrant typing it out. Cons: - Lack of English Dub This isn't a HUGE problem but it becomes annoying that I can't hear and feel the emotion these characters…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is god-awful with very few redeeming qualities. outside of the common criticism that the game lacks many of the features of the previous titles such as quests, and that there are less customisation options, the game is borderline unplayable due to the fact that your allies are 100% useless, sure they were never the best and you still needed to do most of the work yourself in older titles as well, but this game takes the piss, you will constantly get messages that your officer is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is very decent Empire buildup, but sadly built on the worst Dynasty Warriors game. Dont get it for full price.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall the game is just same as usual but is downgrading from dynasty warrior 8 empires. Can you add back the side quest, banner customization etc and option to not join the war on the next update?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THE CUSTOMIZATION SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS........... Like actually horrible. It genuinely feels like they put zero effort into it...it really annoyed me cause i played 8 first an was expecting atleast something similiar but nope the rushed THE HECK out of it and gave us like 5 clothing choices..idk who said that was okay and approved it.... anyways. and you basically fight in the same place over and over which gets old fast… like ugh. NOW to be fair the fights are smoother, the game does look…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The cheapest to get it is just buy the base game and then do the season pass... you save about 10 bucks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dont buy this game. It seems unfinished w terrible mechanics, as a DW fan this game is very disappointing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i'm disappointed the last empire i enjoyed was dynasty warrior 6 once again there is no english voice acting can't even find a unoficial voice patch and the game is very expensive... lucky i got the key on sale and i still gonna try to play with ♥♥♥ voice but i really dislike be in the battlefield and have to read stuff for not i leave as negative .
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've long been a fan of the Dynasty Warriors series, having played almost every one since DW1 including the Empires and Xtreme Legends sub-series. This is, without a doubt, the worst of the Empires games. The conquest mode of this game, which is the core mechanic of the Empires sub-series, is basically a stripped down version of DW8 Empires. The open world from DW9 is still present and is even more pointless than it was before. I can use a month to go on a stroll and collect gold and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →only for die hard fan of warriors game with empire mode. bought it to replace 8 and it has better more user friendly controller support. if you are looking for strategy game then buy ROTK 13 with power up kit instead. this one is a hack and slashing game with minor empire management to give illusion of building an empire. season pass content is pathetic value wise additional scenarios only in deluxe is a disgusting practice. good thing gathering of hero is the only campaign worth playing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game isn't perfect, but it solved the number one problem with both Dynasty Warriors 9 and Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires, and that is how the battles were pointless in those games because you could just go run to the leader at any time and end the battle instantly. In this game, the actual flow of battle, as well as combat AI for both the player's forces and enemy forces, are much more engaging and make me feel like the moment-to-moment stuff actually matters. The campaign/map AI is also more…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like ruler play, this is probably the best empires. For officer and free officer play it's not great.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a mixed review, but I'll recommend to boost the current rating a bit. I'll start with the positives... + Performance and fidelity seem a bit improved over DW9, though still far from ideal on my system. On the other hand, seems like they may have removed some things to achieve that. Removed or reduced weather effects, smaller battles, something like that. It's hard to tell exactly. + Compared to 8E, I don't notice soldiers blinking in and out of existence nearly as much, so that's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great "Empires" experience. Combat is very smooth and fast, which is cool. Graphics are decent even on highest settings. Nothing crazy here, not hurting eyes either. Just finished my first run here, and enjoyed it as much as i did DW5Empires, DW6Empires and DW8Empires. Loving a lot the changes to the game related to economy. About battles - I do like a lot removing the "supply line" mechanic. Which was easily abused in battles in favor of player. Can't wait to play DYNASTY WARRIORS:…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a mixed bag. In a lot of ways, DW9E is an incredibly neutered rendition of earlier releases. And even more neutered of the main DW9 release. The "Open World" is only during the "Stroll" part, where you can interact with officers and grind out gold/rations/merit with mobs. All 3 of which are almost pointless, unless I'm missing something entirely. Aside from that, it's an incredibly simplified and "streamlined" take on the Empires title. They changed a lot, and removed a lot of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolute garbage game. It's basically 'create a character' with one mode attached to it. There's no custom scenarios, no quick play, no regular play and a good deal of the previous game's outfits are locked behind a DLC paywall. DW8:E has way more going for it than this and that's a PS3 port, which Koei Techmo were too lazy to upgrade to a PS4 port. At least with that game you could upgrade the graphics with a mod. Even with a 40% discount, I requested for a refund, this is the biggest con of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, I played this enough to know a few things. Its disappointingly almost the same as DW9, but actually has less going on in the open world. I personally was hoping that open world would be more than DW9 with being more full of life and the ability to single-handedly conquer a castle or important location via open world map that actually made a difference. You have all the same skins and extras for the most part. There is a little more of this & that, but at the end of the day DW9 Empires…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So much fun The only reason I can see for this game having mixed opinions is because of the bad rep DW9 Vanilla left. Sure, some complains (for those who had it continue) like the color palette, or the combat itself (specially for veterans) but I do enjoy it very much actually. The game is very focused on building your kingdom from the ground up. I decided to play as an officer (not a lord) so at the beginning my hand were tied on what I could do but it made the game a lot more fun now that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game lacks polish. I think this could be mostly because of the original DW9's state. Character models are fine for the most part, but textures of scenarios, ground, trees, animals, etc are very low res, probably looking as bad as the PS3 games of the series (and at that point, they were already average looking). For some reason, cutscenes are locked at 30 fps and feel very choppy (probably frame pacing problems), so looking at low res assets with such a bad performance isn't enjoyable at…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Streaming some Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires. Just some casual fun tonight. Hope to see you there. <3 www.twitch.tv/lildawgandli...
neutral · AI labelView post →I do not understand all the hate on the combat, sounds like skill issues. The combat is better, and the only difference between older empires and this one is that you can't just run to the leader and end the battle in 2 min. You still get the open field to the other bases and take them out like normal they just added a castle siege to it. You actually have to use a little strategy to get to the leader. Only thing I say is, we could use some more customization, I want more cape options.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →game good when brain off. game mid when brain on
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better off with DW8E honestly, some mechanics in this version just make it not enjoyable to rule or be an officer. You never have a good feel of resources and gold, and are always getting just enough to spend it. Always getting invaded with low food because you just invaded someone else and you cant deploy all of your men. And the random buffs armies get is sometimes unpredictable, making enemies not flinch and have way high defense, or buffing your guys and it feels like it does nothing.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cash grab with no support or two player split screen what a joke koei tecmo has become
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mediocre gameplay. Generic maps. Boring loops. KOEI needs to innovate or simply stop making these titles.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This isn't worth the money you pay for it. The only thing I like about it is that you can go out and interact with the other officers while on stroll. This game is lacking any good sort of game play. DWE 8 is a far better game with much more to do.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is this game really as soulless as mfs here say? No, its just like the other empire spinoffs, although a bit lacking. Takes ideas from DW6 - which was the last title focusing on sieges - and improves on them. Many kind of real time functioning siege assets, and what you dont have, you can craft through secret plans. You have a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of strategies at your disposal, giving you many many ways to take on castles and fortresses. Combat is better than previous titles, its complex highly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While I enjoy this game for what it is. In terms of being an "open world" game, it is dull, empty and dead. A lifeless and static world of nothing but scenery. So much more care and interest could have been put into the open world segments. In terms of a musou 1v1000 game it's serviceable, but only just. The maps are uninteresting and samey. Battles all go the same way with barebones "strategies". It feels very much like playing the same fight repeatedly with slightly different base placements.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →STEAM DECK USERS: Despite what the store page says, this game does work on the Steam Deck without much tweaking. It's not perfect, but it works and is playable using Proton 8.0-3. In the Advanced Graphics settings, set the preset to Low. You can also set the enemy count to max since I find that it doesn't affect performance too much. In the normal Graphics settings, set VSYNC to 1 (0 and 2 make the game stutter like crazy in my experience) and the resolution to 576p. These settings will let…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Highly recommended if you love roleplaying and creating your own adventure/story. One of my most wonderful experiences is creating a Malay mercenary (via character creator), and then joining up with Dong Zhuo, participating in near endless conflicts. Sometimes attacking, sometimes defending, all round chaos. Heck, I even became best buds with the big tyrant himself (Dong Zhuo) and battle bros with Lu Bu and Hua Xiong. As the wars waged on, I even met the icy beauty that is Wang Yi, and needless…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i would've preferred the open world mechanic with a game like this, i think it would've been a lot more interesting. i have very mixed feelings about this game - it's very hit or miss and i couldn't play it past earning all the achievements as gameplay can get quite stale after doing all of the scenarios. i also think the edit mode is egregiously lacking in options for armour pieces to the point where i just started playing as the original cast instead of making my own officer. still an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dating simulator -50.00% Leveling simulator -50.00% One button simulator -50.00% Total -150% (FFF)
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This one is a tough one to review. First off, I'm biased in a positive way towards it because I grew up playing the Dynasty Warriors series, starting with 2 as a young kid. I found Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires fantastic, and in my opinion 5 Empires is the peak of the franchise. This game however, reminds me of 6 and for those of us that remember the disappoint that 6 was compared to 5, they will know what I'm talking about. Positives: -No open world like the regular 9 game (outside of stroll…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy this game, it's one of the worst Warriors games I've played. This is my first "Empires" game. The idea of making my own officer and leading my own dynasty was exciting, but I was wrong, the game is trash. They explain nothing. There's a tutorial, but it only covers three things, (1) basic combat, (2) basic castle attacking and (3) basic castle defending. But everything else in the game just goes unexplained. Enemies are sponges, and you can't redo missions like in other Warriors…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is amzing, It's extremely daunting at first I was so confused and just shut off the game but after watching a short tutorial video that got me started I've been ABSOLUTELY ADDICTED. It would take me an incredibly long time to list everything but here are some highlights I enjoy in my first playthrough so far. 1. Create your own characters. The editor isn't the most flushed out but you can make some awesome warriors as well as upload/download other peoples characters online. So you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →yeah I buy rehashes of the same game, So what?! It's okay though
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not the best but is fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →first of all, It's nice and quite enjoyable. But after a few rounds of gameplay, I find it so very repetitive. Like it's all the same. Unlike the previous empires they all have quest wherein you can become a lone wolf or a free officer. And also this version downgraded their character customization and development. About the PC port, it's a disaster. It is not fully optimized for PC especially the textures on the cut scenes. It's like I'm watching a pre-loaded map. It is a shame that I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As eveyrone has said 8E is better, but I still picekd this up (e-begged my buddy for it) cuz I already played 8E on the 'box. Yknow like xbox, like master chief. ANyways the custom ♥♥♥♥♥♥ are ripped from nioh 2 but you got way less clothing options. The actual gameplay is worse than 8E because it's DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 (NINE). The worst playing dynasty warriors EVER. Yes it is worse far worse than 6 and if you say otherwise you should be bound to cinder blocks by chains and sunk to the bottom of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For example, the Switch version of Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires was always one of my favourite games but I recognised it was immensely flawed. Awful frame rates, cloudy visuals. Now on Switch 2 handheld it’s got a new lease of life. It’s almost like playing the PS4 version. Beautiful.
positive · AI labelView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
