The Dynasty Warriors series began its days as a one-on-one beat-em-up, but soon evolved to incorporate more complex and strategic elements of play. Dynasty Warriors 2 came along in the guise of a strategy combat game rather than a simple beat-em-up. Gamers liked this, which brings us to Dynasty Warriors 3, the latest update that follows its immediate predecessor's style. Like many games produced by Japanese developer Koei, Dynasty Warriors 3 is set in the ancient Chinese land of the Three Kingdoms. The story of the third epic instalment can be played through the eyes of any of 40 characters. Each character has thei own plot and the game progresses differently each time. In essence, Dynasty Warriors 3 is 40 games in one. This mode of play alone provides a great deal of longevity. There are also several new combat moves and battle features, some of which allow you to rampage across vast battlefields. Modes include 2-player coin op, which will be welcomed by arcade types, Challenge Mode, Time Attack and Endurance Mode - a game in which you fight for survival against hordes of oncoming bad guys. As ever, Dynasty Warriors 3's environments are lush and considerably larger than its predecessors. There's lots of onscreen action to grab your attention, but using the intelligently designed control method, players should be able to be manage their game quite well, given practice. A good game, then. Lots of action, plenty of options and great gameplay and visuals to match.