This formula sees players selecting a hero and then embarking on a campaign to rid the land of an evil boss warrior (the one who works his peasants too hard and is mean to cute puppies). The storyline is, as usual, very thin, but the non-stop action is what has made the Dynasty Warriors series very popular (at least in Asia). You guide your hero through swarms of the opposing army's soldiers. Impossible numbers! Yes, you have other heroes in the same battle and troops of your own - as well as a personal bodyguard, but largely the gameplay sees you wading in with the cold steel to mow down five to ten soldiers at a time.

As you advance through the hordes you pick up power-ups for weapons and health regeneration. As you you kill off mid-level bosses you gain entry to other areas by opening gates, or taking outposts that act as generators for additional troops for your side. This is comprises the strategy element in the game.

Your final goal is to take down the end-of-battle boss through the combined strength of your combos, power-ups and accompanying bodyguard. The game campaign is a series of maps based on this formula, with spice added in the form of towers to destroy and bridges to cross. As each mission is completed you have the opportunity to upgrade weapons and heroes from the items you have picked up.

This game formula has remained largely unchanged throughout the Dynasty Warriors series and this latest title is no different (why change a winning formula?). There a 5 new heroes to choose and the bodyguard is slightly more useful than in the earlier versions, but overall it's the same game in new packaging.

One feature found in this latest release is the inclusion of more enemies on-screen at any one time in the game. Great, you think, massive battles! Unfortunately it doesn't quite work; the increased clutter sees you searching for your hero in a mass of on-screen activity. You flail about - simply to determine where you are rather than dealing death to the enemy. A useful feature would have been the ability to adjust the angle and zoom of your view. Certainly, with a game with a game featuring so much action the lack of such an option makes it difficult to determine what's going on outside your immediate area.

The graphics are pleasing to look at with some lovely opening sequences and weapons effects. A total lack of blood and gore and fallen bodies which disappear almost immediately give the battlefield an unsatisfyingly clinical feel. When power-ups drop they have a very limited pick-up range, i.e., you have to be right on top of them in order to get them. In the heat of battle they can be frustratingly difficult to capture - all the more so when it's health you're after. The sounds are good but limited, with some of the more common alarm calls becoming quite irritating after a while.

What is truly disappointing, however, is the shocking AI of the common soldiers. They stand in convenient groups (flocks) and submit to the slaughter once their nearby colleagues are all slain. Yes, the screams of the dying and the flying bodies are your allies! It's almost comical how they stand and await their turn for the big chop, or their trigger criteria are met.