Ordering around your allies is a carryover from Kingdom Under Fire, though it's been toned down in N3 -- presumably so the game doesn't come off too RTS-like. While I'm no fan of micromanagement, I think this mechanic was too pared down here. It just feels like you have a team of dogs that only know two commands: "come" and "heel." Aside from squad leaders, those troops flying your flag are pretty useless in a fight, too. They really like swarming the few remnants of a goblin squad and then standing still, making it difficult for you to complete your killing.

In regards to gameplay, I really can't see an entry in this genre controlling any better: Two main attack buttons are better than one, block actually gets used every now and then, and I'm happy to have control over the camera. Combos are predictably button-mashy, but at least the game makes some attempt at getting players to memorize input strings. While X-X-Y-Y may pop your character up into a whirling vacuum of pain, X-Y-Y-X may be more focused on chopping down tougher individual adversaries. Of course, for every other action subgenre, these have long become the standard. N3's different power-move meters are slick and represent some of the best big attacks in the genre. Par for the course, you'll find weapons and new items to equip. Again, this ups the enjoyment level slightly. However, once again, they don't make a huge impact.


If anything, Ninety-Nine Nights shows how behind the times these types of games are. It excels in everything you love about Dynasty Warriors and the like, but its ambition stops there. As a result, the fun you're having will stop far short of making it worth dropping $50 on. Its lack of multiplayer is especially disappointing. Dead Rising on the other hand, while also lacking in multiplayer, went ultra-creative with weapon types and the picture-taking mechanic; and as a result, became much more than any killfest or zombie game before it. Also, the enemies are supposed to act dead. From here on out, next-gen games are going to be separated into two categories: those that have evolved, and those that have not. Even though N3: Ninety-Nine Nights gives us literally 1,000 onscreen opponents, I'm afraid it sits firmly in the latter section.