Dynasty Warriors: Origins (2025)

After Koei-Tecmo released Dynasty Warriors 9, it was received with most mixed reactions - due to bold, new game mechanics like all gameplay taking place in an open-world. The results felt lackluster when I tried the game, but I understood that this is a unique concept that is hard polish on the first outing. Questions rose whether KT would learn from the gameplay shortcomings and focus on their old winning formula, or take risks on incorporating the game's bold mechanics for either an improvement or a slippery slope of delusion.

4 years later after DW9: Empires came out, mainline Dynasty Warriors returns to the old formula but approaches on several new directions with Origin. While previous titles have gone bigger by the numbers and quality, Origin repacks the Dynasty Warriors to a relatively smaller scale, with a shorter but more condensed timeline. You primarily play as a fictional, silent protagonist - The Guardian of Peace - who carves his path in within China's long turmoil that marked the final period of the Han dynasty, while searching for the truth about his own past, the origin of course.

As I mentioned how condensed the timeline was presented in the game, it's worth mentioning that telling deep stories aren't something the Dynasty Warriors games have strived to pursue. Yet in Origin, the KT crew has invested more in the writing and fleshing out all the key characters involved. Some familiar characters even get overhauled in their looks and personalities, as if their exaggerated antics have been toned down to varying degrees - some have their quirks, but act more natural in their consistency. Much is brought out of them when you talk to grow the relationships. And as a long-time DW fan, I get the impression that some of them were written to be grounded and talk to me like I've been around them for a long time (as an observing fan). Also, be ready to be flattered (or weirded out) momentarily, because some characters that warm to you can give suggestive nods at most.

Between missions and interactions, I get the freedom of walking the 3D map to determine my next plan, including visiting both shops and inns in a city. The map does an excellent job depicting China's geography, helping me get better familiar with the country and the provinces dividing it.

The battle stages have got quite a facelift, with the fields looking expansive and rendering hordes of army soldiers into view from vantage points. I love the immersion, for what the game is about, and powerful attacks I get to unleash is unyieldingly satisfying. While playing as other officers is limited only through their companion roles, you get a window to be in their shoes briefly and go crazy with their powerful moves.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins marks a promising comeback through a familiar concept, with some major twists to refresh its running formula. The storytelling is quite strong by DW standards, the world building has a pretty overhaul, and the battles are kept engaging through both their tactical elements and the signature fight spectacle.

If you're going to binge-play through Origin, be mindful that the story scenes weigh more than previous titles and it may feel like it disrupts the flow between story and action. I would recommend to play the game in max 2 hour chunks and come back later with a fresh mind. All in all, I really like the direction KT was going with this and I look forward to play the next major DLC that expands the story choices.

It's a brand new era of Dynasty Warriors and for every step forward, there is a cost. I have loved this series and it's spinoffs and genre for two decades. I hung on through the hardest times and still took joy in it. that includes DW6 and even DW9. I played DW9 for over 100 hours, despite it's many many (many) flaws. There was still something to love in it. Mainly, I enjoyed that it tried to tell a more complete version of events and it divided battles into parts. the idea of riding into the battle as it happens in real time on a fully realized map was a good one. too bad the execution was awful. so awful it felt like the early build of a fan game, not a fully funded main series release that more than a handful of devs agreed was ok to release. I loved it anyway. it was an ugly child and I loved it. This is where I am coming from with this. Hold that in mind.

The thing i loved about 9 is done here in Origins, and better (surprisingly). to an extent. It tells a slower, more carefully unfolding story of events in which you actually get to meet and understand the players of this history before they play their significant parts. The most jarring thing about past games was that it would just throw you into the deep end of history and go here's this guy. he's doing this. this guy and this guy and this guy and this guy are forming a coalition to kill him. now go. here, what would have been the opening 20 minutes of an earlier game, consisting of a couple battles, is now hours and hours of set up as you meet people, go into smaller battles, see events happen slowly. for better or worse. It's a much more coherent story. if you're not as familiar with the text, you'll be able to understand more what is happening. and if you are, you'll get to witness more events from it. sure, the dialogue is bad. really bad. everyone is far too self serious and accidentally silly. It feels like the opposite of when a serious theater actor takes a role in a B movie. this is a serious attempt at a story and it's written and acted by people that could give a ***. oh well. it still feels nice.

But speaking of the story, here's the nice big horrible catch. your player character is a made up self insert with their own back story and it's a pointless and irritating one. every few miles we walk in the actual novel's events or actual history, we also have to be yanked back to a grinding halt to hear about the keepers of peace who your amnesia having character is one of. it sits awkwardly. it makes no sense. it's disruptive and annoying. While we're having a self insert character anyway, they couldn't just let you customize it. but they didn't. they had one bad idea of who you play and you're going to swallow it.

I could've done without it. but don't let it discourage you. it's still a good frame for the gameplay. and here's where we shine. combat has never felt this fun, this deep, this fast paced. it actually feels like a battlefield when you're in it. not the baby sitting quest of some of these games where you do everything and constantly save everyone, but one where allies do help and fight with you. that doesn't mean they don't need help. they do. your agency has to be important, so you do need to save them sometimes and foil tactics of your enemies. you can't just have a mindless hacking up mouth breathers kind of time. not always anyway. the battle flows with events. as you aid your allies to push the line, break down tactics, successfully execute your own maneuvers, you push the battle through the enemy and they crumble before you. it's very satisfying. you won't be running off alone to slay the enemy commander. though you can sometimes try if you're skilled. often there are gates and walls and you need yo help your army reach them so they can bring up a ram or ladders to help make it over. there's no jump climbing up the wall alone.

with the player character being the sole controlled officer, this isn't the typical experience. there aren't many playable characters. there's one. there's a handful of allies that can body guard you and you can switch to them for a moment to do a big attack. there aren't a ton of weapons. there's 10. they're more complex and have abilities to unlock. there's no empty open world. it's now an overworld map. there's a ton of side activities and small scale battles to do in between the actual battles. they're all very repetitive. but if the gameplay loop is satisfying to you, you're going to be grateful for the reasons to keep playing. it's all a trade off. this is a different game. but it's a good one.

at the end of the day, I have complaints. there are many things that could have been better. but this is the start to a new future for this series that I have loved for most of my life. and it's a hopeful one.