Addiction Warriors 6: Empires!

Hack and slash is not something I tend to like. I'm highly intelligent. However, if you chuck in some emotive stuff (story) vague references to classical literature and one hundred weird characters with a table of biographies, I tend to completely immerse myself in some semi fantasy role play, even if the character design is super manga style. That's why I'm addicted to Dynasty Warriors. Taking command of a character who has god like fighting ability and faced with a ancient battlefield filled with enemy soldiers, repeatedly pressing square for hours takes on a whole new charm. It's very moreish.

Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires is basically the same game as Dynasty Warriors 6. More characters, more moves, more maps- yeah, but basically the same. The major edition is the fact that you can now take over China through a succession of battles on a satisfying map, fulfilling all your tyrannical needs. Uniting China gives you a real sense of meaning; something you can pass down on to other generations.

Whether you like it or not is irrelevant to me. The game is addictive even if it isn't good. It's Koei's highest seller and basically carries the company. The addiction factors are- leveling system- something that can keep you playing even the most banal rpgs: reaching the highest point of excellence open to a little pixelated illusion. Huge number of characters- basically multiply the levelling up element by a hundred. That's about it.

So regardless of what my girlfriend says, and ignoring the truth in the back of my mind that playing hours of this game is actually wasting my life, I will buy the next episode in a saga that seems like it will go on forever and continue to indulge in my unhealthy reliance on Dynasty Warriors.