Dynasty Warriors: Origins Review: Power and Perspective

Dynasty Warriors: Origins

Platform reviewed on: PlayStation 5

Pros

• Striking presentation
• Every weapon offers a different way to fight
• Can get lost in the protagonist's steely gaze for hours

Cons

• No multiplayer
• Companion gimmick feels shallow

ESRB Age Rating: Teen
ESRB Content Descriptors: Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
ESRB Interactive Elements: In-Game Purchases

Review code provided by the publisher.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is intense.

I’ve been into this franchise since I rented Dynasty Warriors 3 for the PlayStation 2. I’m what the kids call a “sicko.” I don’t refer to these games as “Warriors” – I call them “Musou” (the series’ title in Japan that’s used colloquially like a genre). I’ve played nearly every series entry I could get my hands on, including the ones based on an anime I’d previously never heard of, and whatever the heck Touken Ranbu is (I still don’t really know). I speak this language, and I’ve never had a problem with the series’ simple, barely-changing combat, grindy side-systems, or goofy voice acting. So, I didn’t need any convincing to check out Origins.

Going in blind for this new entry was the right call, because when Origins revealed its hand, it hit me like a truck. The camera no longer sits a safe distance from the action, observing from above with my character centered in classic arcade-like fashion. Instead, it’s pulled in tighter and just slightly over the shoulder – not quite the typical AAA video game camera angle, but similar. Everything is bigger, and I’m not as aware of my surroundings as I’m accustomed to. I’m just running down a hill with my old bearded buddy Guan Yu, nothing but enemy soldiers in my view. This is not what I’m used to, and the relatively simple change in perspective was simply exhilarating.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins

Release Date: January 17, 2025

Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series

• BuyPlayStation 5
• BuyXbox Series

When the action started, things were mostly the same, but still different. My field of view was much more crowded, a chaotic sea of bodies clashing and yelling, weapons everywhere, and the screen was flashing red. I was getting lit up by grunts, regular foot soldiers, in a Dynasty Warriors game, on the default difficulty setting. These dudes were fighting back, and the game was letting me know. I had to be locked in from the jump, constantly moving, dodging, reorienting, watching my health. Origins is presented with a new kind of intensity I’ve never felt from developer Omega Force before.

Clashing with Officers is no joke. They are aggressive, they will interrupt your button-mashing as they please, and they will kite you into enemy crowds like you’re a crab in Final Fantasy XI. Breaking through their defense, something these games have played with for a while now, is a must. Parrying gives you time to breathe and fight for extra damage, and more importantly, breaks Officer shields faster. Arts, special moves fueled by a Bravery meter, are flashy and fun to use. If an enemy glows orange, it’s about to smash you with something big, and your only option is to dodge or use an interrupting Art. You better have some meter left when you need it.

Outside of battle, Dynasty Warriors: Origins looks a lot more familiar. There’s a cute little overworld to run across, items to pick up, side missions to grind with, and sometimes characters to talk to or receive missions from. Stopping at an inn lets you read letters (some of which are very well-written and even harrowing, so don’t just ignore them!), and craft accessories. You can buy weapons in cities, and so on. We aren’t completely reinventing the wheel here, which is reasonable and frankly welcome.

Speaking of weapons though, this is the second area where Omega Force takes a big swing. Musou games generally play by the same rules. Hit light attacks a bunch, then strong when you’re ready to end your combo. The number of lights before the strong is how you pick your main attack, and each one has different properties and utility. Crowd control, singular damage, so on and so forth. That’s all out the window now, except for the sword.

Every other weapon you unlock has an entirely distinct set of mechanics, some of which even use more buttons than others. My favorite was the gauntlet, which has a variety of stances you trigger through different means as you level up. Each weapon is a totally different way to play Dynasty Warriors. It’s awesome.

There is a significant trade off, however. Origins is focused on the story, guiding you as a mysterious wanderer through the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, putting you in a sort of audience surrogate role. As a character who historically shouldn’t be there, you’re able to inhabit each scenario without taking control of any key players, and see everything from an outside perspective. Aside from being absurdly attractive and having a gimmicky backstory, there’s nothing interesting about Origins’ lead – but the story isn’t about you.

Luckily, it’s the most well-told version of this Three Kingdoms story to date (you know, in Dynasty Warriors, source material aside). The storytelling is given more room to breathe and slow down, fleshing out events like the Yellow Turban Rebellion that provide context, and making them interesting beyond being video game levels loosely based on historical events.

Since Origins is about you, an outside observer, witnessing these events and vaguely participating (outside philosophically, but you still throw hands), you are not playing as anyone else. All the larger-than-life generals series fans are used to tearing it up as? You don’t choose them from a menu before starting a battle. You’re just This Guy, and that’s it. With one exception. There’s another meter, that when built up, can shoot the controls over to a chosen Companion for a limited time. It’s almost like the gimmick in EA’s Star Wars Battlefield, when you can swap your stormtrooper (for example) to play as Darth Vader for a few minutes. These moments are wild, with each Companion’s stats, meters, and overall impact cranked way up, but they’re not happening often or really adding much to the experience.

Also, this is a single-player affair. For lots of fans, Dynasty Warriors’ appeal is its brilliance as a co-op experience, so this is a massive shift from the norm. It’s hard to even picture a Dynasty Warriors without multiplayer, despite one sitting right in front of me. I understand the vision here and hesitate to call this an “omission,” because co-op would probably disrupt the energy Origins is aiming for. However, it is perhaps the clearest sense of compromise that had to happen to get there.

Ultimately I’m of two minds about Dynasty Warriors: Origins. On one hand, it’s a re-evaluation of the Musou formula that’s persisted, and in many ways stagnated, over the years. The changes made to how Omega Force’s winning action formula are presented and executed are stunning.

On the other hand, sacrificing multiplayer and a character roster are dramatic compromises for this series, and are impossible to just brush aside. It feels like, in the pursuit of trying something different, something crucial was sacrificed. Origins is a fantastic action game by almost any measure, which will soak up dozens of gameplay hours with ease. But if multiplayer is part of your core concept of what Dynasty Warriors is, or the reason you show up, then you’re going to have to sit this one out. Or try it anyway, because it’s really good.