Dynasty Warriors: Origins Breaths New Life into a Legendary Franchise

Dynasty Warriors has always been a favorite of mine—like comfort food, it’s something I keep coming back to. The series, helmed by Omega Force, continues to retell the same epic story with each release, focusing on its signature “1v1000” battles. Ever since I stumbled upon Dynasty Warriors 2, I’ve been hooked, revisiting its vast ensemble of characters repeatedly over the last 25 years. Characters like the legendary Guan Yu have become familiar friends thanks to the countless hours spent with them.

When I started playing the tenth main game in the series, it was with genuine curiosity. Dynasty Warriors: Origins, as the title suggests, seeks to strip things back to essentials, marking more than just the minor tweaks fans are accustomed to. It’s truly a fresh take.

Origins turns its focus on telling a much richer, though more condensed, rendition of the well-worn saga. Instead of spanning the whole storyline, it delves deeper into just the first half. Traditionally, Dynasty Warriors games kick off with players quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion—a pivotal event setting off the tale inspired by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, an embellished historical account of ancient China. But Origins begins by charting the rise, corruption, and eventual fall of the Yellow Turbans, laying out a foundation for the saga we know, right from its roots.

Adding to the mix is a new protagonist, whom you can name yourself. This amnesiac traveling warrior slowly unveils their past as you play. You spend most of your time as this character, marking a big shift in how the game works. In the past, Dynasty Warriors let you choose between numerous officers across many factions, but now you guide this lone figure through a narrative that will have them cross paths with familiar heroes, some of whom will eventually join you.

This is a bold move for a game that aims to reinvent itself, and it changes the game’s dynamics. While it steers away from the open-world approach seen in 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9, focusing on a singular protagonist permits a more adaptable Story Mode. Rather than jumping from battle to battle interlinked by cutscenes, you explore an overworld between key missions, uncover secrets, adjust your gear, make allies, and engage in skirmishes to grow stronger.

This revised approach pays particular attention to combat, essential in Dynasty Warriors. While the beloved hack-and-slash core remains, there’s more complexity now. Elements like blocking, parrying, and evasion become crucial against bosses, and some battles feature mini-puzzles. Moreover, customizable Battle Art special abilities enable you to adapt your combat style with each weapon.

This doesn’t feel like change for change’s sake; it’s a confident stride ahead. You still get that quintessential feeling of being a near-superhuman from the 2nd Century, but with thoughtful, strategic layers added to it.

The way Origins balances familiar gameplay with new elements really stands out—this is unmistakably Dynasty Warriors, only with fresh ideas seamlessly woven into its tried-and-true formula. To put it another way, it’s still that familiar dish I love, but now with some exciting new flavors.