Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Marks The Evolution Of Dynasty Warriors

The Dynasty Warriors series has long been known as the go-to franchise for hardcore, melee- and weapons-based carnage. Since its inception more than 10 years ago, there have been more than 20 sequels, offshoots and upgrades released on nearly every game platform available. Even Gundam – an anime series from Namco Bandai – was thrown into the mix for an unlikely (but ultimately rewarding) crossover. But as it turns out, the series' biggest gameplay evolution comes from Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll, a game that doesn't actually belong to the “Warriors” collection. Developed exclusively for Sony's SNE PlayStation 3, Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll is an action game with three distinctly different characters: Areus, Dagda and Selene. One is fast on her feet, one is an overgrown brute, and another could be described as somewhat of an all-around warrior. These are fairly standard archetypes within the action genre, but unlike most games, Trinity gives you the chance to take all three of them into battle at the same time. The results are gripping, engrossing, and at times all-around shocking. If you had started to think that the Dynasty Warriors-style of gameplay had lost its luster, Trinity will eliminate that thought immediately when you start to play. Mechanically, the game is easy to grasp, even for those who have never played a KOEI action game before. The X button is used to jump and the square, triangle and circle buttons are used to attack, while the left and right analog sticks fill their usual, respective roles as character and camera manipulators. Considered to be the leader of the group, Areus is described as a young half-elf. His attacks are swift and specific; he is fast and nimble but not as quick as his female comrade. With special metal plates on his hands that make brass knuckles look weak, Dagda is the strongest of his the bunch. His strength enables him to pick up large objects and wield them around with relative ease, allowing him to kill enemies faster and more forcefully than his slightly-weaker partners. Selene, the last of the three characters, is a tough fighter as well. She uses a dagger to cut deep into her enemies, can jump higher than the others, and is quite effective at unleashing a host of combo attacks. Together, the Trinity cast makes for a compelling collection of warriors in this game's action-driven environment. To be clear, this is not really an action/RPG – though Trinity has been described by some publications as trying to borrow elements from the genre (which it does in the way of magic and multi-character usage), this is not anything like The Legend of Zelda or Secret of Mana. Though you will spend some time chatting up the locals (a staple of any RPG), you won't have to hunt for them in a 3D world as you would in, say, Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Rather, the NPCs (non-playable characters) practically come to you by clicking through a simple menu-based environment. The actual gameplay, however, is all carnage with fast-paced combat and open-ended locations. Thus, if you want action – 100% action, with very few side elements getting in the way – Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll one of the more rewarding experiences you'll have on PlayStation 3.