We haven’t had a new mainline Dynasty Warriors game since 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9. While it was fun, the open-world environment didn’t exactly give the series new legs like Koei Tecmo had hoped. If anything, the wear and tear of the series’ dated mechanics and graphics were showing as it failed to really impress. Clearly, a shake-up was needed, and thankfully, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is exactly the fresh experience that the series was begging for.
The most immediate change is noticed in the game’s wonderful opening, which puts the story mode’s nameless hero straight into the action before the Yellow Turban Rebellion begins. After you charge into battle alongside a bunch of warriors, you soon realize that defense is more key than ever before in a Dynasty Warriors as enemies — even on lower difficulties — are no longer simply standing around waiting to be pummeled upon. Instead, even the average soldier is aggressive, so players are forced to guard and use the game’s parrying system to gain an advantage.
An early boss fight against an officer makes the new combat system feel much more like a modern action game, especially if you use lock-on and strafe around your opponent. Past Dynasty Warriors games had more depth than the series often got credit for, but the difference was that you didn’t need to always actively engage and use it to get past levels unless you were on a higher difficulty setting. Here, you’ve got to be on your toes, and it makes for a much more rewarding experience, as attacks from enemy officers are as ferocious as they look and should be feared. Proper defense leads to pounding offense, though, as good parrying can result in a lot of openings and punishment opportunities that give the feel of some great boss fights within large-scale battles.
Initially, I was nervous about how the more involved combat would gel with the giant battles, but thankfully, I can report that there isn’t a clash. Instead, you still get the power fantasy, especially when you are able to change to a more powerful companion officer after filling up a gauge and are able to unleash deadly special moves, but the big battles are balanced between moments of charging in and then careful battles when you spot an enemy officer. These larger-than-life historical figures now feel that way inside the game, as when you see an iconic figure, you know a tough battle is coming.
I got to play the opening hours of the story mode, which seems extremely promising. While it does have a more limited scope — it will only cover half of the timeframe that the games typically span — this seemed more like a positive than a negative from what I’ve seen. Players get to know characters and officers on a ground level, allowing for more personality and personal interactions. It made me care for the characters beyond their look and weapons, which I can’t say a lot of the past mainline games did, and the more focused story reminded me of the excellent Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada (which focused purely on one clan).
I can’t wait to dive into more of the story mode in the future, but I did get to check out the skill tree and use the very charming overworld map, which looks like a diorama of China. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into all elements, as it’s a very polished game overall, from its gorgeous cutscenes to being able to start fights over from key points. Personally, I’d much rather the rest of the history get covered in an expansion or sequel than lose this level of detail.
Finally, I got to check out a battle from later in the game against Lu Bu. Despite a dozen attempts, I was only able to get the legendary warrior to his second “stage” of the battle a few times. He’s truly fearsome as he launches attacks that can nearly one-shot the player, and watching the battle meter suddenly tilt from my side being in control to being outmatched by one simple warrior was an incredible moment. You’ll need a good strategy and knowledge of your different skills if you wish to stand a chance. Even in defeat, I was having such a good time, and it truly felt like an epic battle — just like Dynasty Warriors has always aimed to provide.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins (PS5) Preview: Final Verdict
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the refresh that the series has long needed. It manages to stay true to the series’ core, allowing players to experience incredible historical battles and crowds of enemies while evolving the core gameplay to a more tactile and challenging combat system. Tactical play is more important than ever before, as any mindless button mashing will lead to quick, embarrassing defeats.
Make sure to check back soon, as we’ll have an interview with producer Tomohiko Sho.
Disclosure: Koei Tecmo provided airfare and lodging to help aid our Dynasty Warriors: Origins (PS5) preview.