Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the tenth mainline Warriors game, but fans of the franchise know that’s a gross oversimplification. With countless spin-offs, including those based upon IP like Zelda and Persona, not to mention the Dynasty Warriors Empires games, the ever-propagating musuo genre has swelled to become almost impenetrable for newcomers, as it has decades of mechanical growth and experimentation under its belt. Set against this rich pedigree, Origins might not be the most experimental, robust, or feature-rich Warriors game, but it might be the best.
After Dynasty Warriors 9 attempted to alchemize the franchise into an open-world RPG, developer Omega Force had a decision to make: continue down this path, or return to form with a more stripped-back Warriors experience, focusing on the core strengths of the series. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is an amalgamation of these two possibilities; while it includes many of the action-RPG elements introduced in later games, it is also far more streamlined than long-time fans might have expected. There’s no multiplayer or alternate game modes, there’s only one playable character (technically), and forays into trends like crafting and resource management have been mostly abandoned.
It’s for this reason that Dynasty Warriors Origins may meet a somewhat mixed reception. On the one hand, it is arguably the perfect distillation of what makes the musuo genre work so well, with a blend of hack-and-slash action and strategy, but on the other hand, it’s an experience that could become trite or repetitive for players seeking greater variety. For those new to the series, or fans who can keep an open mind, however, Dynasty Warriors: Origins will be an easy contender for one of January’s best games.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Is an Almost Perfect Action-Strategy Concoction
Dynasty Warriors, and by extension, the broader musuo genre, is often criticized for being mindless, numbingly easy, and bland. While Origins isn’t going to win any awards for mechanical complexity, it’s a surprisingly effective response to such criticisms, injected with depth and versatility that isn’t often seen in the series.
At the risk of being reductive, Dynasty Warriors: Origins‘ gameplay lands somewhere between classic Dynasty Warriors and the Dynasty Warriors Empires games. Players still have that 1 vs. 1,000 intensity of earlier entries, but strategy and tactics also play a crucial role, especially on higher difficulties. Controlling the flow of enemy movement is essential, as cutting off enemy troops and capturing bases have massive impacts on the tide of battle. Through these methods, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat provides a rush that few other action games can provide.
This is thanks to the game’s morale system, which can have a transformative effect on any major battle. Taking control of bases, defeating enemy officers, and executing tactics will increase allied morale, which in turn increases the effectiveness of allied troops on the battlefield. Conversely, specific enemy actions, like defeating allied officers and reclaiming bases, can reduce morale. This lends battles a sense of precarious intensity while adding new layers to the player’s decision-making. For instance, if morale is low but the player is about to complete the battle’s main objective, they can either stick to their plan and risk the death of the player-character or a vital officer, or they can reduce the battle’s threat level by completing side objectives, thereby increasing morale. During more challenging fights, especially those where the loss state hinges on the survival of several allied characters, the morale system helps keep things dynamic, multifaceted, and remarkably flexible.
For those who like action-RPGs but have been turned off by musuo games in the past, I would recommend playing Dynasty Warriors: Origins‘ on Hero difficulty, as this provides the best balance of intensity and strategy.
These broader strategical considerations are buttressed by Origins‘ moment-to-moment combat, which is arguably the best in the series. The player-character elegantly glides across the battlefield, using strong attacks, perfect dodges, and parries to build up Bravery, which can then be used to unleash strong Battle Arts, depleting enemy Fortitude and opening up opportunities for devastating follow-up attacks. Combat is vaguely Sekiro-like, in the sense that you will be greatly rewarded for mastering the parry system, though this is not necessary for success. When it comes to pure hacking and slashing, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a massive leap forward from Dynasty Warriors 9 and simply feels better to play.
Special praise needs to be paid to the game’s technical achievements. Never before has the premise of one soldier versus thousands been so well-realized, as Origins leverages modern hardware to create battlefields populated with oceans of foot soldiers, like fields of grass waiting to be cut down by the player. Charging into these oceans on horseback, surrounded by the battle cries of your allies, is tremendously invigorating and never gets old. Dynasty Warriors Origins may not be the most visually stunning game, but it’s a perfect example of how a developer can use technological innovations to better fulfill a specific vision, rather than just make things prettier.
When it comes to pure hacking and slashing, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a massive leap forward from Dynasty Warriors 9.
A Brief Word On Dynasty Warriors: Origins’ RPG Elements and Progression
Unlike previous entries in the series, the Dynasty Warriors: Origins campaign is spearheaded by a single character. This character is leveled up by increasing the rank of each collectible weapon, of which there are a total of ten. Every rank requires more proficiency points to unlock, which incentivizes the use of new or underutilized weapons. Basically, the game rewards you for experimenting with different weapons and playstyles, which helps make the lack of other playable characters an easier pill to swallow. Plus, with each new weapon rank, new combos, special abilities, and Battle Arts for the given weapon will be unlocked, which should allay concerns about each weapon feeling too mechanically simple or similar to one another.
There are technically other playable characters in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but they function more like temporary buff modes. Essentially, certain battles will allow the player to pair up with a legacy character like Guan Yu or Xiahou Dun, and after filling up their musuo gauge, the player can control them for a few minutes. These legacy characters are immensely powerful, but don’t function differently from the player-character, as their weaponry and Battle Arts align with what the player already has at their disposal, which is a bit disappointing.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins’ Story Has Moments of Greatness, But Is Mostly a Slog
The narrative and overall delivery of Dynasty Warriors: Origins will be a mixed bag. In some ways, it’s the best single-player campaign the series has had in a while. It is vast and expansive, with the choice-driven plot offering a unique spin on the typical structure of previous entries. It is also presented far better than other games in the series, as cutscenes, though still stiff and conservative, are far more lifelike and dynamic than in a game like Dynasty Warriors 9, where they often resemble action figures posed in a diorama. Dialogue and voice acting are also strong for the most part, and the game’s pre-rendered cutscenes can be rather stunning at times.
But if you’re turned off by expository dialogue, then Dynasty Warriors: Origins could be tantamount to torture. Like in previous entries, players can nurture bonds with NPCs, though unlike a game like Metaphor Refantazio, these bonds aren’t enriched by strong side narratives. Speaking with the game’s many (and I mean many) NPCs is just that: speaking. They will tell the player about their life and troubles, and while these moments sometimes succeed in making these characters endearing or interesting, there is very little in the way of emotional stakes or tension, which makes it hard to stay invested over so many hours.
If you want to 100% Dynasty Warriors: Origins, be prepared to sit through countless boring, inconsequential meetings. If you’re familiar with the Three Kingdoms Era, either by way of real-world history, literature, or the previous Dynasty Warriors games, Origins‘ story won’t do much to deepen your appreciation of it. And if you’re not familiar with this chapter of Chinese history, then you may not see the appeal at all, as the narrative’s emotional heart, while existent, is certainly elusive.
There’s also the matter of the silent, amnesiac protagonist, who is about as charismatic as a sack of flour. Much of the narrative revolves around him uncovering his past as a Guardian of Peace, and I was actually pleasantly surprised by some of its twists and turns, but perhaps a more well-defined lead, maybe with a voice, would have made this aspect of the story more effective.
A mostly bland story and a lack of additional playable characters are the major faults with Dynasty Warriors: Origins. It is the most polished, mechanically rewarding, and technically impressive game in the series so far, and an easy pickup for fans of the franchise, provided they’re open to new ideas like the parry system and original, single lead. And if you’ve never been into Dynasty Warriors in the past, it’s worth taking the leap with Dynasty Warriors: Origins—you might just learn what all the fuss is about.
Reviewed on PS5
- Released
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January 17, 2025
- Great hack-and-slash combat
- Satisfying action-RPG progression
- Technically impressive battles
- A good mix of action and strategy
- A lack of alternate game modes and features from previous entries
- A dialog-heavy, unengaging story
- Missed opportunities with playable side characters
Dynasty Warriors: Origins will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 17, 2025. Game Rant was provided a PS5 code for this review.