In second and third century China, three dynasties waged brutal war to determine the fate of their country. Eighteen hundred years later, Dynasty Warriors 3 uses the conflict as a backdrop for its combination of real-time strategy, RPG and beat-"em-up.

Although not everyone will jump at a game based on 600 year-old novel Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, the historical inspiration definitely adds a sense of authenticity and intrigue. You get to choose from 41 different warriors, each one blessed with the strength of a thousand troops.

The beauty of Dynasty Warriors is that it really makes you feel capable of taking on the world and winning. Your character hacks and slashes his way through anything up to 100 on-screen enemies. You start out with basic combat skills, which are then gradually improved through item collection.

With every kill, your character's Mousou bar increases. When it's full, you can unleash a barrage of hits ten seconds long, blasting your way through line upon line of enemies. It's a powerful and addictive feeling that will keep you glued to the controller. And after a few battles, smacking unfortunate enemies around with devastating attacks becomes second nature.

To prevent the game becoming too repetitive, there is an added tactical element to the carnage. Enemy generals make your general a prime target and, if he dies, it's game over. You often have to divert attacks to a different part of the battlefield to protect your superior or, in other situations, help out weakened units.

Dramatic but poorly voice-acted cut-scenes advise you where to go. If you need to move to the opposite end of the battlefield you can jump on a horse and charge through enemy lines.

You'll have to try and look beyond the functional graphics, too. It's immediately apparent that this is a straight port from the PlayStation 2 game. It's a shame, because the game is crying out for some bump-mapping and detailed graphical features. But there are a few new options in the Xbox version, including the ability to choose different bodyguards for your character and a new movie option where you can alter the three ending sequences.

Dynasty Warriors 3 is pure aggression and high drama. It's also huge, with masses of characters and battlefields. If any PS2 game deserves to be on Xbox, this is it.

1. A great feeling of ass-kicking power
2. Elephants squashing people
3. Co-op play is great

1. Awful voice acting
2. PS2-esque graphics
3. Cheesy-japrock tunes

Power
Clunky graphics and poor textures. Really could have done with an Xbox makeover.

Style
Vast numbers of weapons, ighting moves and characters add real depth to the game.

Immersion
After each battle you'll stand on your seat roaring, spinning a pad around your head.

Lifespan
Twenty two epic campaigns and thousands upon thousands of enemies to whack.

Summary
Look beyond the limited graphics to discover a tasty beat-'em-up with strategic elements on an epic scale.