Ranking Every Dynasty Warriors Game Worst To Best

9. Dynasty Warriors

For those familiar with the sprawling battlefield combat that the Dynasty Warriors series is known for, returning to the original 1997 title may prove quite a shock. Rather than a war simulator, with hordes of nameless soldiers to mow down in your quest, the first Dynasty Warriors game is actually a weapons-based fighting game that has more in common with Soulcalibur and Samurai Shodown than its own sequels. A defensive game, Dynasty Warriors' mechanical selling point was its unique parry system; rather than an all-purpose block or guard button, an opponent's moves were countered by executing one's own attack at the same height, allowing a player to execute a devastating counterattack.

Even so, the lack of kick attacks hamstrung the game's offensive potential, making fights shallower and less dynamic than its contemporaries. With regards to its placement on this list, however, the simple fact is that Dynasty Warriors has so little to do with the Dynasty Warriors series. The characters and designs are similar, but in an entirely different genre. The original Dynasty Warriors is an interesting curiosity for diehard fans to revisit, but it does little to sate the appetites of fans hungry for the now-famous Dynasty Warriors gameplay.