Warriors All-Stars features a wide selection of fan-favorite characters from various KOEI TECMO Games franchises. Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden, Kasumi from DEAD OR ALIVE, William from Nioh, Yukimura Sanada from SAMURAI WARRIORS, Zhao Yunfrom DYNASTY WARRIORS, Horo and Oka from Toukiden, and Sophie Neuenmuller from Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book are among the many rivals who will contend for royalty in Warriors All-Stars.

Warriors All-Stars begins in a mysterious land brought to the brink of destruction when a magical spring, the source of its power, dries up after its king’s passing. Following a legend that calls for the summoning of champions from other realms in times of dire need, the young princess Tamaki performs a ritual that goes horribly wrong when her powers spiral out of control, scattering the heroes across the domain. Emboldened to restore peace to the world, Tamaki must recruit the best and strongest among these visitors to revitalize the spring – and crown the land’s savior as its new ruler.

The extensive battle system of Warriors All-Stars aims to encapsulate each champion’s unique charm and identity while augmenting the Warriors franchise’s trademark one-versus-thousands style with exciting new additions. For example, players can recruit up to four Warriors to fight alongside them and execute special attacks such as the thrilling Musou Rush, which can be used to rally support and clear the surrounding area of any opposition. Unique Hero Skills are also on offer, allowing players to summon a chosen ally and deal a special attack to enemy forces, or to provide defensive support in tight situations. Some Hero Skills can be used in tandem to create Combo Skills –a mighty force to be reckoned with.

Furthermore, players are able to call upon their allies during combos and chain attacks to inflict even greater damage! Hero Combos are executed at the end of a successful offensive sequence, uniting allied Warriors to unleash a synchronized attack that wipes out waves of oncoming foes, and Hero Chains link multiple Warriors together for powerful attacks while allowing the player to individually control any of the summoned heroes. These attacks increase the relationship between party members and in turn strengthen their abilities. Fighting alongside allies will also improve the player’s offensive and defensive capabilities by increasing Brave Rating. Once a player’s Brave Rating is at a high enough level, impressive Awakening Skills will be unlocked, which unleash a forceful barrage of attacks onto anything in its path.

Summoned from a diverse range of worlds and time periods to save a mysterious land at the brink of destruction, the champions of Warriors All-Stars find themselves in the middle of a clash for control. When a magical power source dries up after the king’s passing, princess Tamaki performs a ritual to summon saviors in times of dire need, but her power spirals out of control and scatters them across the domain. As the legend foretells that the land’s liberator will be crowned its new ruler, Tamaki sets out at once to seek the new arrivals and restore peace to the kingdom. However, so do her rivals Setsuna and Shiki – descendants of the royal family who also vie for the throne. Uncertain of their fate, the champions are split into three separate groups with no choice but to duke it out for dominance.

Within this volatile setting, the player must choose their allies carefully. By engaging in Key Battles and taking on Free Scenarios, players will gain access to their faction’s roster of warriors and craft a dream team. Character choices will affect the course and conclusion of the game, as their friendships are key to how the game’s story unfolds, which is further enhanced with the addition of the all-new Bond system. Relationships between characters can improve by fighting alongside one another and spending time together in the Barracks. The closer the Bond, the stronger the abilities unlocked to gain an upper hand on the battlefield. 

Fans who pre-purchase Warriors All-Stars ahead of the game’s release from Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop or EB Canada will get a selection of costume-swap to commemorate the game’s crossover capers, including a Kasumi-themed costume for Wang Yuanji, a Ryu Hayabusa-themed costume for Yukimura Sanada, an Oka-themed costume for Sophie Neuenmuller, a Millennia-themed costume for Horo and an Opoona costume for Marie-Rose. In addition, prospective players will also receive an early-unlock for the playable character Opoona!

Warriors All-Stars is headed to the PS4 and digitally on PC (via Steam) on August 29, 2017.