Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 68 | 10 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 30 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 66% | 65 | 837 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 69 | 3 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 90% | 84 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 12 reviews sampled · 12 total reviews in window · weighted 8.8 up / 1 down · computed 5h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (45)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 30
“Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires is everything a Dynasty Warriors hater thinks about the series made real. It's a contemptuously assembled recycling project, and I'm sick of it.”
read full review ↗ - 68
“Perhaps brush up on Dynasty Warriors 8 first, and if you like what it has to offer, then Empires might be for you.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Despite being a little overwhelming at first, Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires blossoms into an engrossing, addictive hack and slash adventure that fans won't want to miss. It's a shame that the game's bogged down by poor presentation and an unstable framerate, but along with the property's trademark combat, strategic elements add some variety to the mix, and the vast amount of customisation options and role-playing systems allow you to forge a legend that's more than worthy of the Three Kingdoms.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“At the end of the day, Empires mode is arguably where the crux of the experience lies and as such it really does add a lot of crucial depth to a series that is regarded in many circles as a largely one-trick pony. It's just a shame that similar evolutions aren't forthcoming in other areas of the game which, some nearly fifteen years on, are now starting to look really quite old in the tooth.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires feels about as much of an afterthought as you can get. Nothing about this game feels evolutionary. I have recently become more invested in the Musou-style games, but Empires feels like a lot of half-baked ideas that don't form a cohesive experience.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires breaks Omega Force's streak in releasing games that can change the minds of series critics. By reverting back to basics with so few modes, the title returns to something of a monotonous grind if you aren't playing as the kingdom leader. Campaigns blend into one another and have very few differentiating factors between them. The creation system is vast but not as much as the PS4 version, and the lack of modes makes the game feel quite small, even though the campaign can last countless hours. It spares Xbox One owners from dealing with a deluge of cosmetic DLC, and it doesn't have to compete with too many other Musou games on this platform. However, it is still the weakest in the series thus far and can only be recommended to lapsed fans and die-hard fans who play all of the entries.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In summary, Empires is yet another instalment in the Warriors franchise that provides hours upon hours of fun for those who enjoy its tried and tested formula. With that said, it fails to do anything that really pushes the series forward, borrowing heavily from previous games while adding a few extra bells and whistles. Although some will revel in the notion of building their own kingdom and conquering all of China, others will find Empire's repetitive mission grinding and narrow scope hard to overlook.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Almost exactly the same features as Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires, and although it's still more entertaining than the main game the lack of effort put in is downright insulting.”
read full review ↗ - 74
“This new Empire entry in the franchise enhances even more the possibilities of its predecessor, with new customization options. Unfortunately, there's room for graphics improvement and we miss spanish subtitles.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires satisfies a very small group of fans among the fans. It turns all the gameplay mechanics towards strategy and politics, leaving combat in a secondary place. Sadly, this makes battle feel generic and repetitive, abandoning the flavour of progress due to its tactical elements. ”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires doesn't want to innovate but it fails to provide long-time veterans with anything truly new and exciting. Even casual players will eventually be bored with the utter repetitiveness of combat.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires manages to mix two largely different gameplay types into one game and makes it work. There's a lot of content to play through, and a great amount of customization. It provides hours upon hours of content without getting too boring or repetitive.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
VGChartz
Push Square
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
TheSixthAxis
Metro GameCentral
Atomix
GamingBolt
GBAtemp…and 33 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update Information (2016/03/22)Mar 22, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Update Information (2016/03/22)Mar 22, 2016
- アップデート内容 Ver.1.0.4.0 (2015.7.30)Jul 30, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- アップデート内容 Ver.1.0.4.0 (2015.7.30)Jul 30, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- アップデート内容 Ver.1.0.3.0 (2015.4.27)Apr 27, 2015
- アップデート内容 Ver.1.0.3.0 (2015.4.27)Apr 27, 2015
- Update ver.1.0.2.0 releasedApr 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update ver.1.0.2.0 releasedApr 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- アップデート内容 Ver.1.0.2.0 (2015.4.6)Apr 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- アップデート内容 Ver.1.0.2.0 (2015.4.6)Apr 6, 2015