Hyrule Warriors has been one of the better spin-offs that Nintendo has put out, and a lot of other franchises could benefit from a game in the same vein. Taking familiar characters and giving them a game to show their combat skills in a flashy fashion is a good formula for most series out there. Warriors is a strong series, and plenty of IPs could benefit from their own entry.
The Warriors games are a series of beat 'em up and hack-and-slash titles. Beginning with Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors, games featuring Chinese and Japanese historical and mythological figures, respectively, the Warriors games offer large battlefields for players to fight through. One of the series' biggest draws is the large amount of playable characters, all with their own fighting styles and special moves, and Age of Calamity suring 3.5 million sales shows the potential strength of this spinoff. The series has branched out with Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors, showing how many characters and games can benefit from the formula.
A surprising amount of games could make for fantastic Warriors entries. In general, what one can expect from a Warriors game is a large cast of playable characters, a good array of environments to act as battlefields, and a lot of distinctive fighting styles with potential for flashy and powerful special moves. Since a lot of games and game series could provide this, there is no shortage of quality Warriors candidates.
Dragon Ball Warriors Would Fit The Series' Style Perfectly
Dragon Ball is one of the most popular anime of all time, and it has seen a lot of success in the video game sphere as well. survival game Dragon Ball: The Breakers is the series' latest foray into the gaming world, yet the best example of Dragon Ball's gaming success may be the Xenoverse games, which essentially let players play the most iconic arcs of the story. Considering the series' heavy combat focus, a Warriors title might be one of the most fitting next moves for Dragon Ball.
Dragon Ball has a massive cast of characters, and the rosters of the series' games have been showing that for years. Although most Dragon Ball fights are one-on-one, fans can easily imagine Goku and other warriors from the series fighting their way through scores of enemies like most Warriors titles thanks to the series' reputation for massive fight scenes. Not to mention, iconic moves such as the Kamehameha, which saw great use in Fortnite's character-heavy Dragon Ball crossover, would probably be able to look amazing on a Warriors-style battlefield.
A Warriors game taking place in the Dragon Ball universe would be an excellent fit. With over-the-top combat and a wide variety of fighters already major parts of the series, it might as well have been designed for a Warriors spinoff. With the elements blending together so perfectly, a Dragon Ball Warriors game may be the best announcement the franchise could make next.
Final Fantasy Warriors Could Make Use Of FF's Rich History
Arguably competing with Pokémon for the title of most famous JRPG series in history, Final Fantasy has a long and rich history across multiple consoles. With almost every game in the series taking place in a new land with a new cast of characters, there is little crossover between the assorted titles for the most part, even with innovations such as FF7 The First Soldier's playable Sephiroth mode. Final Fantasy has crossed over before, such as the Dissidia games and cameos in the Kingdom Hearts series, but a Warriors title would be the biggest crossover event for the series yet.
Final Fantasy has a lot of memorable characters, from the black mage Vivi to stern warrior Lightning. Although one cannot forget about Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7, who are among two of the most iconic video game characters in the medium. With the way that many Warriors games are set up, players could have the chance to challenge many of the series' villains on the battlefield. In addition, a Final Fantasy Warriors game would be able to adapt some of the series' most famous abilities, such as Cloud's Omnislash, and let players see them on a grand scale. Sephiroth might be Final Fantasy's weakest final boss, but he still has plenty of fans that would love to see him in another game.
Final Fantasy is a benchmark series in the gaming industry, and it will likely retain that status, especially where Final Fantasy 7 is concerned. It has provided some of the most memorable games and characters, and reached pop culture in a way that many similarly praised series have not. Final Fantasy Warriors could be an excellent celebration of the series, and would likely have something for almost every part of the fanbase.
Nintendo Warriors Could Be The Smash Bros. Of Action Games
Super Smash Bros. is one of the most successful IPs that Nintendo has come out with, and it's not hard to see why. A crossover including characters from several Nintendo series, along with a few third-party characters, to create an exciting fighting game with a huge and diverse roster. Even with some hiccups such as Ganondorf's need for a Smash redesign, the series remains one of Nintendo's best offerings. The exact things that make Super Smash Bros. great would also make for a perfect Nintendo-themed Warriors game.
It's already clear that Nintendo has enough viable characters for a Warriors-sized roster thanks to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, even discounting the third-party characters. Plus, a massive Nintendo crossover is already known as a successful formula, so a Warriors spinoff with the same premise would probably be welcome. A Nintendo Warriors game would also have access to a wide variety of maps from any of Nintendo's games to use as battlefields, putting those settings to the best use available.
Nintendo's rich history of characters and stories can make the perfect base for a new Warriors spinoff, especially with Tears of the Kingdom's release announcement giving a fresh boost to one of their biggest IPs. Not only would the game itself be exciting and dynamic, but it would be a way for players to play as these familiar characters in a way that they never have before. A Nintendo Warriors title could recapture the magic of Super Smash Bros. all over again for a new generation.
Warriors spinoffs may share a lot of gameplay elements, but it is a formula that works. Taking familiar characters and having them all fight together, especially with good gameplay and an engaging story, is a recipe for success. Hyrule Warriors has shown the heights that such games can reach, and one can hope that some other IPs will follow that path as well.
