What Is a Musou Game?

This once niche type of game has been gaining some steam and it’s possible those unaware of the meaning might now hear a specific type of game referred to as a “Musou game”. We’re here to explain to you just what exactly a Musou game actually is.

Definition of Musou

The word Musou refers to the special attack of a character in any one of the games developed by Omega Force. Typically in one of their games, there is a special attack that must be charged through combat that when unleashed plays out through a short cinematic and decimates all the foes around them.

Definition of a Musou Game

While that is where the name comes from, it has grown out to refer to a specific type of game. A Musou game is one typically developed by Omega Force that uses the word ‘Warriors’ in the title, though there are been plenty of copies.

What typically makes it a Musou game is when you are a lone fighter against massive crowds of generic enemies in a game of primarily hack-and-slash combat. Mowing down massive crowds of enemies is typically what is most associated with the Musou label and there’s usually a kill counter on screen to keep track of the number constantly rising. Then when you get to use the Musou attack, it’s guaranteed to kill hundreds around you.

A Musou game is also broken up into missions that involve both sides having a health bar that you must lower by capturing enemy bases and killing certain special enemies that show up.

The very first Musou game was Dynasty Warriors, which came out in 1997 for the PS1. It has since spun off into the Samurai Warriors and Orochi Warriors games as well.

The Dynasty Warriors series was the start, and the game type has gone on (still developed by Omega Force) to crossover with other popular IP like Gundam and even Legend of Zelda with the Hyrule Warriors games.

All Musou Games

• Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
• Berserk and the Band of the Hawk
• Dragon Quest Heroes (1-2)
• Dynasty Warriors (1-9)
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (1-3)
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn
• Dynasty Warriors Next
• Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
• Fate/EXTELLA Link
• Fire Emblem Warriors
• Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
• Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage (1-2)
• Hyrule Warriors
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
• One Piece: Pirate Warriors (1-4)
• Persona 5 Strikers
• Samurai Warriors (1-5)
• Samurai Warriors Chronicles (1-3)
• Warriors All-Stars
• Warriors Orochi (1-4)

Now you should be able to confidently go forward knowing exactly what a Musou game is.