The most obvious 'next-gen' difference is the graphics engine, which allows so many more characters on screen at once that you'll often be at a total loss to pick out your own warrior, leaving only the option of mashing the attack button while jiggling the camera around looking either for your floating nametag or one belonging to an enemy upon which to fix.

Not that it improves the scenery or level design. Compared to past chapters, this looks more like Half-Life 2. But compared to Half-Life 2, this might have been drawn on an Etch-a-Sketch. Squint a bit and you'll mistake it for Dynasty Warriors [insert number here]. And while the PS3 presentation is a bit cleaner than that of the Xbox (and levels pleasingly load while you're reading briefings at the outset) it also looks a little more flat and is subject to serious chugging when battles get really crowded. This happens often.

The best thing to say about Dynasty Warriors 6 is that it's an easy way to kill quite a few hours, but that doesn't make it particularly good. In much the same way, many people will salivate thinking about a can of Pringles, but that doesn't mean the reconstituted potato shingles are food.

Feb 21, 2008