Playable as a standalone game, Dynasty Warriors 4 Xtreme Legends includes all of the characters from the original Dynasty Warriors 4, plus new elements, and new stages. DW4XL's Xtreme Mode features a series of randomly generated short stages, or "skirmishes" and new game play that hasn't been seen in any previous Dynasty Warriors title. The game's Legends Mode focuses on the fabled exploits of the 42 warriors, and shows off each commander's prowess in battle. Although each character has a unique scenario, Legends Mode will also include an officer editor and scenario editor. In the new "Arena" Challenge, players engage in a series of endurance style one-on-one duels and then are evaluated on their performance.

As a remix disc, DW4XL can power up the original Dynasty Warriors 4 with 4XL 's new features. Players can take characters powered-up in DW4XL and use them in DW4, discover new items, attain an 11th weapon level, and access "Beginner" and "Expert" difficulty levels.