Not Otome but... [Dynasty Warriors 7]

Okay, I know this is a place for Otome-related ranting / fangirling but.... Dynasty Warriors 7 DOES have some fangirl-able elements (honest!)

This is further explored in Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends, but I'd recommend playing both to get the 'full' picture (albeit a small one!)

So... what is Dynasty Warriors?

Effectively, a hack-n'-slash game set in Romance of the Three Kingdoms" China (This setting was popularised in book form but the games have been going for about 10 years, so they're becoming pretty established themselves!)

In terms of gameplay you are a one man (or woman) army who kicks ass (depending on how developed your character is vs. difficulty). This style of gameplay is a 'love it, hate it or never played it' type, meaning you'll either enjoy the cathartic experience of killing 100-odd people at a time, or, you'll find it boring / un-stimulating.

Personally, I enjoy DW games as a bit of light-hearted, mindless fun when I need to release some tension, or just want to feel mighty!


What does this have to do with Otome?

Okay, I don't know if it's because Koei realised that a large portion of the hack-n'-slash market is female, or they wanted to attract more women but, recent offerings do contain certain elements of a Otome-ish nature. For example, Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires gave you the option to marry fellow officers and, more recently, Dynasty Warriors 7 contains voice-tracks of a confessional nature (burly men confessing that you're they're reason for being, asking you to stay by their side and generally getting all mushy over you~). As I say, this is also present in DW7 Xtreme Legends where you can play the Legend mode and be subjected to even more lovey-dovey voice clips (such as; me want you NAO, I'm coming to your bedroom tonight :D and You're the most amazing woman -- I can't believe I just said that!!)

But I'm all about relationships blooming!

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend DW or it's sister franchise, Samurai Warriors (same idea, but Sengoku Japan), to anyone that is only interested in Otome / romance. This is an easy-to-access sort of game, but the focus is more on kicking various asses - not loving (various) asses...

I really appreciate the little 'nod' that Koei have given to Otome, some of the romance-y lines are really squee-worthy (especially when they're delivered by the almighty Daisuke Kisho <333333 ).

Anyway, as I say; not for the Otome-only crowd but for anyone that likes Japanese voices, burly men and a little bit of romance amidst their mass murdering should give this a try!!

(I'd also recomend Samurai Warriors: Chronicles on 3DS for the same reason, there's a bit more doki-doki in the form of Friendship Events, but it's still a minor part of the overall package!)

(^o^)/

~ Ji