Ninety-Nine Nights [X360]

Fans of Dynasty Warriors-style games have gotten to be such a cult, they might as well file for tax-exempt status. Though most of us can agree there have been far too many of this type of game in recent years, none can deny the inherent fun of being an invincible hero walloping infinite enemies. Koei already ported Dynasty Warriors to Xbox with DW 5: Empires, but it was a nominal improvement done more for budget pricing than trailblazing. Phantagram, the developers of the respectable Kingdom Under Fire series, is -- with Microsoft's blessing -- putting the finishing touches on Ninety-Nine Nights for American release.

This is a great example of how graphics and hardware power -- as superficial as they may be at times -- can make all the difference in some instances. These types of games have always been hampered by sluggish framerates, not-exactly-MENSA-level AI, and a draw distance of a few feet. Obviously, using the power of the Xbox 360, Ninety-Nine Nights changes all that. You can now have more enemies than you've ever imagined, all duking it out smoother than any other game of this type. The framerate stays manageable and the draw distance is long -- though bad guys will still usually just stand there as you pummel them.

The moves with which you dispatch the hordes are pretty cool. Combos run rampant, becoming expanded or more deadly as your character levels up. Enemies will be mowed down like an unkempt lawn, and will actually stay onscreen after they're dead -- usually tossing their weapons and armor asunder as they go to the afterlife. They also drop red orbs for you to pick up. Fill your meter with them, and unleash a manic attack that makes you a virtual lightning bolt. Monsters killed this way drop blue orbs. As you can imagine, there's a meter for this, too; fill it, and you get an even more grandiose special move. Other notable gameplay/control tidbits include a user-friendly camera system, the ability to block, and the amusing way your character will bounce off peoples' heads if you jump into a crowd.

Phantagram's Kingdom Under Fire series was best known for its real-time strategy lean. You could order troops around, choosing their destination area and what to do when they got there. Ninety-Nine Nights uses some RTS elements, but not nearly as much. Your character is flanked by two guard troop divisions; summon them with the left and right bumpers, and get to attack or defend with the d-pad. The depth seems right down the middle between Dynasty Warriors (no commanding) and Kingdom Under Fire (perhaps too much).