Dynasty Warriors 8: Jin Hypothetical route
I admit, I am biased. The reason that I really like Jin’s hypothetical route is simply because Sima Shi will be alive. In fact, I feel that while the original historical route is about Sima Zhao, the hypothetical route is pretty much about Sima Shi.
In the Jin’s route, I did not fulfill any stars in any of the battle, so I can basically say that I followed the history very closely. Therefore, I will talk about some of the earlier battles, the ones that shows how history is changing (so that we can lead to the hypothetical route)
Chapter Four X: Xiahou Ba’s journey
After Sima Shi defeated Cao Shuang, this would cause Xiahou Ba to flee due to fearing for his life, and this would cause him to join Shu. This battle let you stop him (although if you don’t fulfill the rest of the other criterias, he would still end up in Shu). But the interesting thing about this map is that it is very narrow, and you basically just charge down (as I said to my sister- even Ace in the Quin Rose series might be able to navigate his way without getting lost).
After the battle, the misunderstanding would be cleared, because Sima Shi would explain that he is not happy with Cao Shuang, but this has nothing to do with Xiahou Ba and his family.
Chapter 5X: Battle of New Hefei castle
In order to trigger this battle, you have to make sure that you managed to rescue everyone in the previous battle. The battle start with the people in Hefei castle being stuck in a siege and Sima Shi will actually have a talk with Zhuge Dan about what happened, saying that he does not blame him. Throughout the battle, you can see that Zhuge Dan is inspired by what was said and really sought to redeem himself.
After this battle, Sima Shi will have another talk with Zhuge Dan about not being bound by one’s name, and should focus on trying to be improve themselves, and that he himself is constantly doing this too. Sima Shi is actually really nice in that conversation and even though I don’t deny that there is the possibility that he is merely saying what the other wish to hear, I do feel that he does have certain affection for Zhuge Dan, in that he does wish to help the other. As for Zhuge Dan, he clearly respects the other and I think Sima Shi is definitely someone he aspires to be, someone that lives up to his family name. I think to have this person encouraging you and showing you empathy would definitely have an effect.
Chapter 8: Battle of Xuchang
In the historical route, Sima Shi would be injured before you can reach him, but obviously in the hypothetical version, you are able to rescue him. If you play as Zhuge Dan in the beginning, then he would comment that he must help Sima Shi as the other actually saved him in the mental sense.
After the battle, Shiba Shi would actually wear a mask, as this would be a symbol and reminder of his mistake. Because he is voiced by Fish-san, I cannot help but to recall Akuram. However, Zhuge Dan’s joy at seeing that he has recovered is really touching.
Chapter 9: Capture of Chengdu
Sima Shi will fight Shu and even though he does have a brief comment about Liu Shan clearly playing the fool, the interaction between them is not really done as well as Sima Zhao and Liu Shan. However, even though Liu Shan will surrender, Jiang Wei will actually still continue to fight
Chapter 9X: Defeat the rebels
This is a very interesting battle because we break from what Sima Shi and Sima Zhao is doing, and have Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua coming out. Basically, Zhong Hui has decided to rebel, and Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua will decide to interfere. Throughout the battle, Sima Yi will be commenting on how bad the rebellion is, even going to give examples of what he would have done. After the battle, we actually have the whole family talking together, and it is just a really nice scene.
Chapter 10: Battle of Jianye
This is a battle against Wu and I presume the idea is that by this time, Sun Quan has already died.
Chapter 11: Defending Chengdu
This is a siege due to Jiang Wei attacking, and sometime before or after the battle, Sima Zhao and Wang Yuanji would comment that Sima Shi seems to be acting as if he does not have that much time left. Sima Zhao would even tell Wang Yuanji that she seems to worry about his brother more (causing her to be flustered). I actually do sometime think that Wang Yuanji’s emotions for Siima Shi can be rather…unusual. Sometimes there seems to be an implication that she does like him more then a brother-in-law, while at other times she seem to be completely devoted to Sima Zhao and only see Sima Shi as a brother-in-law.
Chapter 12: Final conflict at Chibi
There is a sense of great irony with the final battle being in Chibi, especially considering that team light blue (Jin) are from team purple (Wei). In Wei’s route, Chibi is the battle that would have a very significant consequence. There is almost a sense of what Wei could not achieve, Jin managed to achieve. Or, because the people of Jin do still regard themselves as being part of Wei, they are going to succeed in what they did not before.
Much to my disappointment you cannot play as Sima Yi, although he would be in the battle as reinforcement. But surely this would be a battle of great significance to Sima Yi since he was someone that was in Chibi.
In the battle, Wang Yuanji would actually fight by Sima Shi, and would point out that this is partly because of Sima Zhao, and partly because she is also very concerned about him.
Jiang Wei is the final boss in this battle and all three member of the Sima family would actually tell him that he is foolish due to the way that he continues to fight for the past instead of focusing on the future. But after their victory, Sima Shi will actually collapse (when I first saw this cutscene, I really thought that he was going to die).
As mentioned before, I like how the ending cutscene is done, the cinematography is done really well. We see someone walking to the crowd that has gathered under the banner of Jin and upon cutting to Sima Zhao, the implication seems to be that this is him. However, the conversation he has with Wang Yuanji then imply that this is not so. We then see Sima Shi, having recovered and is the one that is acknowledged as the new ruler. We then have an explanation of how he has completely recovered and I think Sima Zhao’s words of ‘you did it, aniue’, pretty much summarized this route. Despite everything, Sima Shi managed to achieve what he wishes. I admit, I got very teary eyed whenever I see that scene of Sima Shi being the ruler of Jin, with the other retainers bowing to him.
In the Jin’s route, I did not fulfill any stars in any of the battle, so I can basically say that I followed the history very closely. Therefore, I will talk about some of the earlier battles, the ones that shows how history is changing (so that we can lead to the hypothetical route)
Chapter Four X: Xiahou Ba’s journey
After Sima Shi defeated Cao Shuang, this would cause Xiahou Ba to flee due to fearing for his life, and this would cause him to join Shu. This battle let you stop him (although if you don’t fulfill the rest of the other criterias, he would still end up in Shu). But the interesting thing about this map is that it is very narrow, and you basically just charge down (as I said to my sister- even Ace in the Quin Rose series might be able to navigate his way without getting lost).
After the battle, the misunderstanding would be cleared, because Sima Shi would explain that he is not happy with Cao Shuang, but this has nothing to do with Xiahou Ba and his family.
Chapter 5X: Battle of New Hefei castle
In order to trigger this battle, you have to make sure that you managed to rescue everyone in the previous battle. The battle start with the people in Hefei castle being stuck in a siege and Sima Shi will actually have a talk with Zhuge Dan about what happened, saying that he does not blame him. Throughout the battle, you can see that Zhuge Dan is inspired by what was said and really sought to redeem himself.
After this battle, Sima Shi will have another talk with Zhuge Dan about not being bound by one’s name, and should focus on trying to be improve themselves, and that he himself is constantly doing this too. Sima Shi is actually really nice in that conversation and even though I don’t deny that there is the possibility that he is merely saying what the other wish to hear, I do feel that he does have certain affection for Zhuge Dan, in that he does wish to help the other. As for Zhuge Dan, he clearly respects the other and I think Sima Shi is definitely someone he aspires to be, someone that lives up to his family name. I think to have this person encouraging you and showing you empathy would definitely have an effect.
Chapter 8: Battle of Xuchang
In the historical route, Sima Shi would be injured before you can reach him, but obviously in the hypothetical version, you are able to rescue him. If you play as Zhuge Dan in the beginning, then he would comment that he must help Sima Shi as the other actually saved him in the mental sense.
After the battle, Shiba Shi would actually wear a mask, as this would be a symbol and reminder of his mistake. Because he is voiced by Fish-san, I cannot help but to recall Akuram. However, Zhuge Dan’s joy at seeing that he has recovered is really touching.
Chapter 9: Capture of Chengdu
Sima Shi will fight Shu and even though he does have a brief comment about Liu Shan clearly playing the fool, the interaction between them is not really done as well as Sima Zhao and Liu Shan. However, even though Liu Shan will surrender, Jiang Wei will actually still continue to fight
Chapter 9X: Defeat the rebels
This is a very interesting battle because we break from what Sima Shi and Sima Zhao is doing, and have Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua coming out. Basically, Zhong Hui has decided to rebel, and Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua will decide to interfere. Throughout the battle, Sima Yi will be commenting on how bad the rebellion is, even going to give examples of what he would have done. After the battle, we actually have the whole family talking together, and it is just a really nice scene.
Chapter 10: Battle of Jianye
This is a battle against Wu and I presume the idea is that by this time, Sun Quan has already died.
Chapter 11: Defending Chengdu
This is a siege due to Jiang Wei attacking, and sometime before or after the battle, Sima Zhao and Wang Yuanji would comment that Sima Shi seems to be acting as if he does not have that much time left. Sima Zhao would even tell Wang Yuanji that she seems to worry about his brother more (causing her to be flustered). I actually do sometime think that Wang Yuanji’s emotions for Siima Shi can be rather…unusual. Sometimes there seems to be an implication that she does like him more then a brother-in-law, while at other times she seem to be completely devoted to Sima Zhao and only see Sima Shi as a brother-in-law.
Chapter 12: Final conflict at Chibi
There is a sense of great irony with the final battle being in Chibi, especially considering that team light blue (Jin) are from team purple (Wei). In Wei’s route, Chibi is the battle that would have a very significant consequence. There is almost a sense of what Wei could not achieve, Jin managed to achieve. Or, because the people of Jin do still regard themselves as being part of Wei, they are going to succeed in what they did not before.
Much to my disappointment you cannot play as Sima Yi, although he would be in the battle as reinforcement. But surely this would be a battle of great significance to Sima Yi since he was someone that was in Chibi.
In the battle, Wang Yuanji would actually fight by Sima Shi, and would point out that this is partly because of Sima Zhao, and partly because she is also very concerned about him.
Jiang Wei is the final boss in this battle and all three member of the Sima family would actually tell him that he is foolish due to the way that he continues to fight for the past instead of focusing on the future. But after their victory, Sima Shi will actually collapse (when I first saw this cutscene, I really thought that he was going to die).
As mentioned before, I like how the ending cutscene is done, the cinematography is done really well. We see someone walking to the crowd that has gathered under the banner of Jin and upon cutting to Sima Zhao, the implication seems to be that this is him. However, the conversation he has with Wang Yuanji then imply that this is not so. We then see Sima Shi, having recovered and is the one that is acknowledged as the new ruler. We then have an explanation of how he has completely recovered and I think Sima Zhao’s words of ‘you did it, aniue’, pretty much summarized this route. Despite everything, Sima Shi managed to achieve what he wishes. I admit, I got very teary eyed whenever I see that scene of Sima Shi being the ruler of Jin, with the other retainers bowing to him.