Review of Dynasty Warriors: Origins: A Successful Reinvention

After getting my hands on Dynasty Warriors: Origins last year, I found myself eagerly awaiting its release. Fortunately, Koei Tecmo exceeded expectations with their impressive revamp. Honestly, there’s really no downside to this game. It’s one of the most enjoyable action games I’ve played in recent years.

People often reduce the Dynasty Warriors series to mindless button-mashing, but that’s an oversimplification, especially if you’ve ever struggled through its higher difficulties. Dynasty Warriors: Origins significantly enhances the franchise’s gameplay. The enemy AI has been ramped up to be more aggressive, and mastering the art of parrying is crucial if you want to succeed in battles. Engaging with formidable historic officers now feels epic. Confrontations with opponents like Lu Bu are genuinely intimidating and test your skills to the max.

What’s fascinating is how this deepened combat seamlessly integrates with the series’ iconic battlefields. There’s a fresh strategic layer added, thanks to the main character’s ability to get a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield and use magical insights. You can easily assess how the battle is progressing and identify who needs assistance. There are also minor puzzles where uncovering the source of spells can turn the tide. This makes each battle uniquely satisfying, blending elements of character-action games with tactical depth.

The story mode is a joy, despite starting with a clichéd amnesia plot. Yet, this forgetful hero serves as the perfect gateway into the historical setting, meeting significant figures across a truncated timeline, leaving room for future expansions. The pinnacle of the story lies in its boss battles, which are truly spectacular and break away from the series’ usual conventions, adding a dramatic flair that was once exclusive to the spin-offs.

You might not have a ton of ways to customize the protagonist, but you get varied strategic options in battles. The game offers an array of weapons to learn and master, just like its predecessors—though I shamelessly stuck to my trusty longsword. You can also level up horses, enhance skills using various trees, craft stat-boosting orbs, and purchase items to give you the upper hand.

As you progress, you unlock companions to join you in battle. You can switch to these powerful allies, showcasing the series’ power fantasy that fans adore. While I enjoyed the new main character, commanding the legendary figures from previous titles was a real thrill.

Visually, the game is presented beautifully. You explore an adorable diorama-style overworld, discovering items and optional skirmishes to level up your character. It gives you a sense of China’s vastness without getting tangled in a sprawling open world, keeping the focus on the battles themselves—a smart pivot from the previous title’s overly ambitious open-world attempt.

So, here’s the final word on Dynasty Warriors: Origins: this is the franchise’s apex. Despite lacking some multiplayer features and customization options that might annoy long-time fans, the enriched story mode and dynamic combat more than compensate. Whether you’re deeply familiar with the series or a total beginner, Origins is absolutely worth checking out. A standout game for 2025.

To wrap it up, I should note that this review is based on a PS5 version provided by the publisher, and it was played on version 1.001.000.