Dynasty Warriors is a franchise with lengthy roots extending all the way back to 1997. However, the digital comfort food that is the Musou genre as we know it today did not come into existence until the 2000’s PlayStation 2 release Dynasty Warriors 2—interestingly enough, the original Dynasty Warriors was a fighting game more akin to Tekken. Since the series’ late-nineties inception, it has birthed numerous mainline entries as well as Xtreme Legends and Empires expansions and variants. That’s not even taking into account the great many crossover series, including the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors mashup known as Warriors Orochi, and the various other franchise spin-offs, featuring universes from The Legend of Zelda, One Piece, Fire Emblem and more.
Now Koei Tecmo has added a new mainline entry to the lineup. Dynasty Warriors Origins comes to us roughly seven years after the divisive Dynasty Warriors 9 release, and developer Omega Force is looking to both tighten up and evolve the longstanding formula in ways it hopes will please longtime fans and first-time players. To avoid burying the lede, I will come right out and say Origins represents the most meaningful and fresh leap, strongly executing the much-needed shakeup to revive the IP’s relevancy in modern gaming, without losing its established identity.
Dynasty Warriors Origins once again highlights the Romance of the Three Kingdoms storyline, this time opting to host only the first half of the tale with the player largely fixed on a single protagonist. These decisions capture the essence of Origins, which drills down on the meat of its Musou predecessors to provide a more focused and finely-tuned experience. That’s not to say that scaling back in some areas hasn’t come at the cost of mainstay features, because it mostly certainly has, but the end product presents a foundation upon which future Dynasty Warriors games could be built with an expanded scope.
While the latest installment covers the same narrative ground, the journey through that story is very different. This is due to the amnesiac protagonist at the heart of it all. Instead of playing multliple characters spanning a lengthy roster of recognizable characters, the player-named hero soaks up 99% of the spotlight as he sets off on a quest to bring peace and unearth his forgotten past. In doing so, he accompanies the likes of legendary combatants, like Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, now relegated to support roles. It’s a recognizable storyline that begins with the Yellow Turban Rebellion and their leader, Zhang Jiao.
The “blank slate” lead character provides a new perspective on these happenings, as battles are won and relationships are forged. And then there’s the protagonist’s personal background that is revealed bit by bit as larger events transpire. The amnesia trope is far from original, but it does add a bit extra to a franchise that has been confined to a certain mold for so long. Fret not, these changes haven’t scrubbed away the (admittedly charming) cheesy voiceovers pushing everything forward.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The characters may have iconic designs and hold a special place in our hearts thanks to nostalgia, but the driving force behind Dynasty Warriors is taking them into combat rather than watching them live out the same narrative for the nth time. When it comes to combat, Origins is an absolute treat brimming with epic clashes and over-the-top maneuvers, all of which look better than ever thanks to a graphical upgrade that takes advantage of current gen power. At its core, the name of the game is still wiping out hundreds of foes with the stroke of your blade. But it’s more nuanced and technical this time around. The rank-and-file fodder can still be felled with a slash or two of a sword, but the enemy officers sprinkling the battlefield add greater focus to one-on-one encounters. The fact that lock-on only becomes an option when these elite enemies are in the vicinity reinforces that point, enabling players to have intense showdowns in the midst of the broader clash.
A New Era
The protagonist can equip one of several weapon types, including swords, gauntlets, spears, wheels and more. Each weapon has its own proficiency and special abilities, some of which are weapon-specific and others that are universal. These destructive skills are fueled by bravery, a mechanic represented by nodes that fill throughout combat. As proficiency grows and rank rises, the player is encouraged to mix-and-match four abilities to define their playstyle. For example, I found much success by ensuring that I used a mixture of skills that helped push forward into heavy force clusters, sported AoE capabilities to clear dense formations, and focused on single-target damage for those pesky officers. Of course, I maintained the ever-useful parry ability that stopped officers dead in their tracks when they tried their hand at leveraging special abilities against me.
You see, the enemy officers on the field are equipped in similar ways to the player character. They, too, can burst through player defenses with their own special abilities. Some of these can be blocked, others cannot. Where the true flow comes into play, is identifying which attacks should be parried and which should be dodged. Fighting competently helps break down the enemy officer’s defenses, visually communicated as small shields. These shields can be fully broken, opening the opponent to a devastating assault, or flashy takedown if their health is low enough.
Depending on how formidable the opposition is, they may employ tactics to further whittle down the player and their accompanying army. These tactics can turn those generally cannon fodder soldiers into high-impact killers as they utilize effective formations. The strongest of adversaries can even issue Grand Tactics, powerful and wide-sweeping skills that can only be countered by completing certain conditions within a designated timeframe. For example, to avoid massive damage to you and your fellow officers, the game may require that 300 kills be accumulated within three minutes.
Being a master of war is key to success, as the game expects an understanding of both offensive and defensive options at your disposal. Not only is growing in weapon proficiency a must for those powerful abilities, but there are several skill trees that unlock with player rank over time. Investing in each grows your martial prowess, making you even more of a threat in the heat of battle. Increasing healing item quantity, defensive stats, health regeneration and tons more can be unlocked. Fortunately, there are tons of ways to earn those precious skill points needed to fill out those skill trees.
A vast overland map can be explored between missions to take part in optional missions to gain proficiency, gather loot and earn currency. The small-scale skirmishes are brief encounters that can be wrapped up in a couple minutes whereas missions are the medium-scale options that fall between skirmishes and the main missions that progress the story. This map also contains inns that act as small headquarters to swap out equipment, create modifier-imbuing gems and read letters sent from those met throughout your exploits. Additionally, there are resources, like pyroxene, and secrets, such as ability-gifting hermits, that can be found
There truly is a ton of content packed within Dynasty Warriors Origins. Our mysterious hero is equipped with a special sight that allows him to identify the sources of sorcery altering the area as well as peek in on the health of his buddies; developing bonds with allies is mutually beneficial; combat objectives can be accepted from characters for a pool of skill points. The amount to see and do is sure to keep players busy. And while much of it nails the highs of the franchise’s best, it also comes packed with notable detriments.
One is the Loneliest Number
In a move that I’m sure will upset longtime fans, Origins’ focus on a single protagonist means the removal of the former roster of ~50 playable characters. If you were hoping to ride into battle as Cao Cao, I have some bad news. A sole protagonist strips away this part of the series’ spirit, but it is worth calling out that it didn’t completely leave without a trace. Some missions allow players to designate a companion. Once in the fight, a meter begins filling that, once fulls, enables the player to temporarily take control of their powerful ally and wreak havoc on the battlefield. These moments are wonderful, but the brief taste may only leave you longing for more.
The other area where the new entry falls short is in the complete absence of co-op. We saw this happen with the poorly-received Dynasty Warriors 9 (although it was added later) and this design choice is a bit deflating. It’s another example of how Origins enhances its focus on the combat experience at the expense of stripping away other features to ensure it’s as tight as Omega Force envisioned. Who’s to say it won’t follow its predecessor and have co-op added down the road, but for now it’s hard not to imagine how great this new era of Dynasty Warriors would feel alongside a friend.
Dynasty Warriors Origins: Dynasty Warriors Origins is a strong return for the franchise, one that appears confident in its skin. Combat feels and looks better than ever, offering more nuance and tactical depth as swathes of foes are felled on the battlefield. The loss of the vast roster for a single playable character and a cooperative mode weigh heavy, but they are still outweighed by the notable accomplishments found everywhere else in Omega Force’s refinement of the series’ longstanding formula. – Joshua
Editor’s Note: Dynasty Warriors Origins was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.
