Koei expects multiplayer to give Dynasty Warriors: Strikefore PSP the edge

It worked for Capcom's massive selling Monster Hunter Freedom in Japan; now Koei's is banking on multiplayer features to make its Dynasty Warriors: Strikefore game a success.

As previously announced, Strikeforce takes the somewhat moribund 'one warrior against the world' gameplay of the admittedly million-selling Dynasty Warriors series and gives it a community spin thanks to use of the PSP's adhoc multiplayer connectivity.

Indeed, the game is a brand new creation that Koei tells us is;

"designed from the ground up for PSP with new play mechanics and new features that have never appeared in a previous Warriors game. It’s not a remake of any previous Warriors game and is actually the most different Warriors game since DW2"...

Hence not a remake of Dynasty Warriors 6 as we originally thought. Specifically this means the game's been designed to ensure you'll only be able to overcome huge fortresses full of nasty beasties, and defeat the end-of-level bosses by organising a group of warriors.

Up to four players can get together, but strangely there's no mention of a full online multiplayer mode, only local adhoc, presumably because of the cost of running free-to-play online servers.

There will be things to do in single player mode though. Notably these will extend to customising your character in a role-playing stylee, levelling up specialist attributes such as different Fury transformations, attack speed, healing powers, and flying abilities.

Aerial combat will be another first for the Dynasty Warriors games. You'll be able to collect items, swapping and sharing them between players in multiplayer too.