Dynasty 3 Kingdoms Warriors is a traditional one-on-one fighting game
The player chooses a playable character and plays a number of levels representing particular battles in the Three Kingdoms period,
eventually defeating all other rival kingdoms and uniting China under a common ruler.
In this game mode, known as "Musou Mode",
the generals are usually chosen from one of the three kingdoms (Wu, Shu or Wei; however,
from Dynasty 3 Kingdoms Warriors: Xtreme Legends onwards, independent generals were given full stories as well).
Dynasty Kingdoms Warriors has two secret characters, Nü Wa and Fu Xi, that are not playable in Musou Mode.
In the console versions of Dynastys Warriorss, each major skirmish takes place on one massive battlefield,
and a typical level can take close to an hour to complete if you take your time.
However, Koei rightfully seems to have taken the portable nature of the PSP into account here by breaking up every big battle into many smaller parts,
represented on a tactical map with each node connected to other nodes by varying paths.
Each section of the battle has its own type, from fortress to supply depot to simple open field,
giving some areas a greater degree of strategic importance than others.
To some extent, you can choose the path you take through the battle by selecting which areas you want to attack next,
based on where the enemy's troops are concentrated.
However, you can also just plow your way through, without much consideration for strategy, by attacking the next available node.
Each minor skirmish is very brief;
you'll generally spend between two to five minutes hacking away at the enemy hordes before you've liberated that area and can move on to the next.
You can save after any of these quick action sequences, power off the PSP, and then pick back up where you left off at a later time.
Compared to the console Dynasty Kingdoms Warrior games, this version certainly makes it feel like less of a commitment to begin a new major battle,
though the brevity of most of the stages can occasionally make the action feel a little trivial.
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