A big problem I see most reviewers run into these days is they dismiss a game merely because of its nature and how easily it reflects upon that of another game. "It's a crappy clone," one may say. I'm not picking on video game journalism (we've had enough of that), but it's worth pointing out just because it's happening with Microsoft's N3: Ninety Nine Nights. Too many people are writing this game off as another Dynasty Warriors clone, but I see something different. I can see the ambition and desire the folks at Q Entertainment and Phantagram put into the game to make it unique. However, it certainly has its faults.

In regards to gameplay, Nights is somewhat better than Dynasty Warriors. The main combat, for example, includes leveling up. As you fight, you can snag armor and health power-ups to stay alive. That is familiar. But the combat system seems to run a little smoother than Warriors, with light and strong attacks that can be mixed together for a much smoother combat style. The characters also have a more interesting special attack method that works in a two-tier system. The first level is typical, where you keep mashing the attack buttons and come through with massive sword swipes and shotgun-like blasts to clear the battlefield. But it's the second level that's fantastic. Gather enough blue orbs during special attacks and you're able to unleash Gandalf-like devastation that can kill 500-plus in its wake. It's the kind of attack where you can yell "YOU SHALL NOT PAAASSSS!" and not feel so much like a nerd.

Now, that's not to say the gameplay is perfect. Repetition does set in even with the variety of combos because it's relatively easy to find a favorite and do it over and over again. But the real problem here, I feel, lies in the game's soldier AI. You're able to assign groups of soldiers (infantry, archers, etc.) to the left and right shoulder buttons on your controller, and then direct them on your D-pad. Pressing up is supposed to make them attack, while pressing down will put them in a defensive stance. The problem is they really don't respond that well. Soldiers have a terrible habit of standing around for several minutes at a time, surrounding themselves around a single goblin or another enemy. Then they just stand there and momentarily cheer before they FINALLY move on. You could be in the middle of an ambush with hundreds of goblins, getting blasted by magic spells from the goblin wizards, and they won't show up until you've managed to wipe out eighty or so. It kind of makes it pointless to have an army, and it gets real frustrating when they can't be relied on, especially if you're fighting a boss. Yeah, good luck with that. I get better response time walking into the GameDaily offices and yelling out "LUNCH!"

Another big dilemma that could've easily been fixed is the lack of checkpoints. Let's say you start off storming a goblin fort that has numerous levels. You kill the two goblin leaders at the beginning and access the first gate, then take out a couple hundred more soldiers at the second gate. Then you get to the fourth gate and die at the hands of goblin wizards. The game reloads and you start all the way back at the beginning. N3 would have prospered from some kind of checkpoint system, so you didn't have to take another thirty to forty minutes pressing on in the same place over and over again just because some lucky bastard got the better of you.

The game's story...well, it's there to piece together the action sequences. The introduction is decent, but then comes the first training mission. You take control of Inphyy, a powerful female soldier with wings strapped to her back for dramatic effect and the necessary cleavage off her chest plate. After she and her soldiers manage to defeat the enemy army, it's then revealed that she was actually fighting her brother, Aspharr. So, let me get this straight. She nearly beats this guy to death and THEN discovers that it's her brother? She didn't recognize him a little sooner? Er, right.