Ever since debuting with 1997’sDynasty Warriors, Omega Force and Koei’sfranchise has amassed a dedicated fanbase who appreciate the license’s often simplistic but cathartic gameplay. There is just something satisfying about blowing away dozens of enemies with a single hit.
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While the main series definitely has its fans, theWarriorsformula tends to work better when someone already has an attachment to the characters. For those who are not particularly interested in theRomance of the Three Kingdoms, the spin-off games are a solid alternative. In celebration ofOne Piece: Pirate Warriors 4’s release, here are the franchise’s best spin-off titles.
Note:Samurai WarriorsandEmpiregames will not be considered for this list. Also, while quite similar,Dragon Quest Heroesis its own thing.
10Fist Of The North Star: Ken’s Rage 2
Prior to the vastly superiorFist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, theKen’s Ragegames offered fans of the iconic anime a relatively modern opportunity to step into Ken’s shoes for some good old fashioned brawling. Neither game is particularly excellent, butKen’s Rage 2is a serviceable experience for those already enamored with the license.
In terms of single-player content,Ken’s Rage 2does a great job of retelling the anime’s story, even if the game could have used a bit more visual flair to make up for the repetitive gameplay. The soundtrack is also fantastic.
9One Piece: Pirate Warriors
This list will generally stick to one entry per series, however,One Piece: Pirate Warriorsis an exception as its one of the more unique spin-off titles. Adding elements of platforming and boss battles that do not feel like slightly harder versions of normal fights, 2012’s title was a solid first entry in the pretty popular series.
Now, to be fair, the platforming is generally trash and the later entries have far better gameplay, butPirate Warriorsearns points for standing out from the crowd.
8Warriors All-Stars
Similar to theWarriors Orochiseries,Warriors All-Starsbrings together famous Koei Tecmo characters for a massive crossover. It is basically fan-service in video game form, albeit one that does the basics well enough to be worth recommending for those who want to seeNioh’s William share a screen withNinja Gaiden’s Ryu.
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Hero cards serve as a poor alternative to the standard weapons upgrade system, and the story is structured in a way that multiple playthroughs are required to see all the endings. Ultimately,Warriors All-Starsis fine but should have been much better.
7Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn
TheDynasty Warriors: Gundamseries has always struggled to impress critics, even when compared to the hardly loved mainline entries. Nevertheless, the games are intended to please fans of the iconic anime property, andGundam Reborndoes the best job of scratching that itch.
A robust campaign with branching paths and a decent customization system makesGundam Rebornone of the most completeWarriorsgames on the market.
6Arslan: The Warriors Of Legend
One of the lesser-known spin-offs,Arslan: The Warriors of Legendhas a fantastic story mode packed with well-made cutscenes, so even those not all that familiar with the (great) anime should be able to follow along.
The playable roster is relatively small compared to many otherWarriorstitles, butArslandoes allow each character to feel quite unique, even if their command inputs do not really change. Another awesome feature is the Rush attacks, which puts players in charge of a battalion to really score those huge combo chains.
5Berserk And The Band Of The Hawk
Fittingly, the game based onBerserkis the most violent of the bunch, even if depicting Guts as a force of nature who can mow down hundreds of enemies without breaking a sweat is not exactly the most accurate representation of the character.
Featuring some of the better boss battles in anyWarriorsgame and, naturally, a fantastic story,Berserk and the Band of the Hawk’s story mode is worth the price of admission. The secondary modes are hampered by a puny roster and little incentive to play through them.
4Fire Emblem Warriors
While still fundamentallyWarriorsgames, Nintendo’s spin-off titles do attempt to incorporate elements from their respective series.Fire Emblem Warriors' nods to the Nintendo franchise’s tactical roots add some extra depth to the standardDynasty Warriorsformula, with the Weapons Triangle system being one of the better additions.
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That said,Fire EmblemWarriorsbrings together two properties that have virtually nothing in command outside of large-scale battles, and it is rather difficult to recommend for fans ofFire Emblemwho are not familiar with theWarriorsformula.
3One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4
Any of the threePirate Warriorssequels could have earned a spot on this list, but it is difficult to look past this year’s most recent entry. Expanding the roster to 43 playable characters and boasting a colorful aesthetic that allows the locations and characters to pop out of the screen,One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4is not only a greatWarriorsspin-off but perhaps the anime’s best game.
The story mode is not great and requires prior knowledge of the franchise to have any idea what is going on, but the gameplay is perfect (for the series) and there is a ton of content to keep players entertained.
2Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
AsHyrule Warriorswas one of the few memorable titles on the Wii U, it naturally found its way to the Nintendo Switch. TheDefinitive Editioncomes with all the DLC, which further adds to an already quite sizable package.
Hyrule Warriorsis fundamentally just anotherWarriorsgame, but staples fromThe Legend of Zeldasuch as context-based weapons and light RPG mechanics do make an appearance. Legend Mode, which serves asHyrule Warriors' main campaign, focuses more on completing objectives rather than solely dominating the battlefield.
1Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate
Just beatingWarriors Orochi 4to the top spot,Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimatebrings together characters fromDynasty Warriors,Samurai Warriors, and various other Koei Tecmo properties. While the base game is fine,Ultimateoffers heightened replayability through a Gauntlet Mode that - while not as good asWarriors Orochi 2’s Dream Mode - offers a welcome change of pace to the main story mode.
The gameplay and roster compare favorably opposite any otherWarriorstitle, and the story mode’s individual storylines do a respectable job of highlighting different characters and giving something for all sorts of fans to enjoy.
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