Dynasty Warriors is a legendary IP for two major reasons. One, it’s an unparalleled action series that balances power fantasy and battlefield management better than anything else. Two, it’s the quintessential Three Kingdoms series, reveling in the romance – personality-focused and narrative-rich. But, given the series’ age, maybe you’ve felt a little daunted jumping in recently? That’s where Dynasty Warrior: Origins steps up to the plate.
The latest entry in the 27-year-old franchise, Dynasty Warriors: Origins does exactly what its name applies, throwing players headfirst into the saga of Three Kingdoms-era China. This starts at the very onset of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and concludes with a climactic battle that sets the course of China’s future during the Battle of the Red Cliffs. All the while, you meet pretty much every notable warrior and strategist in this period, the majority of which are able to juggle combo 50 dudes at once. That’s just how people were back then, don’t worry about it.
What’s unique about this entry and its retelling of the Three Kingdoms period are the eyes you view them from. You take control of a “nameless hero”, a mysterious amnesiac with martial skills and a bizarre ability to see things others can’t. Not only is discovering the secret behind your own history core to the story of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, your position as this roaming neutral party allows you to interact with everyone without fear of Cao Cao kicking your legs out for mingling too much below the river.
It’s a perfectly fine side story, one that asks the question: who in this era of China should rule, and will they actually make the lives of people better rather than prioritize personal glory? It’s the mistreatment of the people of China that led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, after all. This question permeates the game, and it’s something you’ll have to confront before ultimately picking a side in a nation-wide conflict. But, as with all Dynasty Warriors games, I felt that an emphasis continuously shifts towards the big players like Sun Ce, Cao Cao, Lu Bu, etc. Why wouldn’t it? They’re ultimately what people are here for.
Another thing you might be here for is a game you can sink dozens of hours into. Just like the legacy games in the series. And I’m happy to say that if you have a hunger for completionism – ticking off boxes and squeezing as much juice out of a game as you can – this game provides a brilliant sandbox you can gorge on.
There are three main campaign paths, allowing you to build bonds with a new cast of characters and tackle new battles (or ones you’ve done before, just from another perspective). I hit the credits for the first time after 28 hours, completing the Sun clan story. After you do this, not only do you unlock a timeline menu that allows you to go back and try out the remaining two paths, but you can jump to specific battles at a higher difficulty. Doing this provides the strongest equipment in the game, so it’s well worth doing if you’re fiending for a challenge.
But, even if you’re not fussed about overcoming difficult battles, there’s plenty to do. All weapons have unlockable special moves that can be mastered through repeated use, with some attacks locked behind bond levels you build by chatting to certain characters as you proceed through the story. That means, to master them all, you’ll need to complete all three major paths. Maybe you should go back and beat Lu Bu, maybe you’ll get something special for doing so. Who knows.
Add on top of that my primal desire to collect all the hidden coins, max out all the weapon levels, and max out all the bonds, and that 28 hours quickly doubles. Even triples. It’s good value for money.
One particularly cool feature is the occasional splitting narrative branch. Despite the Three Kingdoms being a historical tale that’s 1800 years old, I won’t spoil specific twists and turns here. But let’s just say that maybe you can save a life or two. One you couldn’t save earlier due to an optional secret boss that was too strong to beat the first time. Maybe after hitting credits and with a celestial sword sheated at your side, you can break through and change things for the better… or worse, if that’s your thing. I would have liked to have seen more of this, but I appreciate that adding a split path that deviates significantly would probably take more work than one assumes.
Instead, developement time has been dedicated towards making Dynasty Warriors: Origins a devilishly fun action game. All weapon types, from the simple sword to the most ostentatious spear, have interweaving attacks that differ just enough to make each weapon refreshing. Fighting itself is a cathartic romp of heavy hits and flying foes, where the right attack can send dozens (or, sometimes, hundreds) of dudes soaring through the sky. One-on-one fights with enemy generals don’t lose any of that pace or intensity, with far-sweeping blows taking a backseat to counters and punishes, which in turn allow for generous combo that’ll have you juggling blokes between a variety of attacks. It’s morish. So morish I found myself intentionally seeking out fights I didn’t necessarily need to complete to get a sip of that action.
But the game encourages a more macro playstyle than that. Your role in battles is one of a roaming support, jumping on your horse and rushing to allies in need, cutting off reinforcements, or quickly securing a base. Rarely are you on the front line. Rather, like a maestro of the murderous arts, you’re dictating where your allies can go and turning fights in your favour. On the occasion, when you are at the tip of the spear, you kick off the clash with a dynamic charge/ambush system which has you rush at full speed towards enemy lines, crashing against waves of soldiers in unabashedly cool large-scale engagements. It’s truly a satisfying experience, and makes for battles worth of the epic history it’s all based on.
I’m sitting here and thinking about what more I’d like from Dynasty Warriors: Origins and coming up short. There are nitpicks, yes. I think the overworld gets a bit bland after a while (there are only so many crystals you can pick up before you start fast traveling everywhere). For a while, I wanted to mess around with the big hammer, or fans, you see some enemy generals use – but to be honest the selection available to the player is more than enough. More outfits, maybe? I’m really digging around the bottom of the barrel here, and that is a compliment to the density of the game.
This is not only a great Dynasty Warriors game, but also a nice chance for historically-curious folks to hop on board. If you do decide to pick up Dynasty Warriors: Origins as your first title in the franchise, you’ll be introduced to one of the most enjoyable action series and historical stories out there. If you’re already a Dynasty Warriors fan, you know what you’re getting into. Roll up those sleeves buddy, China won’t save itself.
This game was reviewed on the PC, with code provided by the publisher. Dynasty Warriors: Origins releases on January 17 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
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