The sequel to Dynasty Warriors on PSX will be coming to the PS2 at launch. It is an action-based fighting game that takes place in China, during the three kingdom's age. It's an interesting concept because unlike the first game where you fought in a Street Fighter style tournament, players will be fighting in huge battles all around them and the game will put them in the thick of the action.

In DW2, players will assume command over one of the many choices of heroes to fight among legions of troops on huge battlefields. There will be nine to choose from the beginning but a total of 28 characters can be unlocked. To give you an idea of just how massive the levels are, if you translate it into real world numbers, each level would be 150 acres and can contain over 1000 characters within it. The hero you choose will have goals to achieve during each battle that will affect the overall outcome of the larger battle-taking place around you. If you fight very well and complete objectives quickly, then your allies will gain confidence and actually fight with more spirit. One of the very cool aspects of the game is how the player has influence over how the game unfolds. Depending on how well you do in battle will affect your reputation with allies and the enemies. If you are considered a skilled and bloodthirsty opponent for example, the enemy in the next battle will prepare stronger defenses against you. As time goes on your character also gains strength in his abilities.

On the battlefield your hero will be able to use a variety of ancient style weapons such as swords and spears. He can also pick up other weapons and things just lying around. You can even saddle up on a horse if you find one unoccupied. There appears to be a decent amount of combat maneuvers to keep the action interesting. You have different weapons to attack with such as guard, there are dash attacks, running attacks and even counterattacks. According to some of the import review accounts, as many as 30 characters have been seen on screen simultaneously without any slowdown. The controls are easy to learn and switching to the 1st person bow view is a breeze as well. All you have to do is hold down the R1 button, but you cannot move while in the bow view.

The graphics may be the best on the console so far and jaggies are almost unnoticeable. The character animations are smooth and fluid but the background graphics are somewhat underwhelming. Some background areas are interactive because there are sometimes troops hiding out that can be sniped with your bow. There is so much going on at any given time that you'll be thankful they included a map which you can easily use to distinguish your enemies from your allies. It also shows your current position and by pushing R2, you can zoom the map in to specific areas on the battlefield.

There have been a few complaints so far such as some minor clipping problems and the lack of control over the camera but nothing too serious. Overall DW2 looks like one of the more unique games on PS2 and is quite polished for a first generation title. DW2 and Kessen will be going head-to-head for your dollars this fall.