Tecmo Koei's long-running hack-and-slash series returns as players once again experience the drama, violence, and political intrigue of the Wei, Wu, Shu, and Jin Kingdoms in Dynasty Warriors 8. Gamers can take control of more than 70 different characters, including the new additions of Wei Kingdom officers Yue Jin and Li Dian, and try out the traditional Story mode, the return of Free mode, or the new Ambition mode. All of the modes use the new Rage, Storm Rush, and Variable Counter moves that add depth to combat and let officers take down hordes of foes extremely quickly.
In the Story mode players can witness monumental events from the perspective of many different characters, and they can also take on special hypothetical scenarios in which famous officers from the era live to fight more battles. Story mode also lets multiplayer fans join a friend for online or offline co-op action. The new Ambition mode puts gamers in the role of a young officer and charges them with constructing a tower and gaining enough fame and villagers to elicit a visit from the emperor. Players participate in skirmishes to earn building materials, go on raids to accumulate fame, and engage in large-scale battles to gain new recruits.