Dynasty Warriors Origins review: it'll turn into a battlefield blitz

As someone who hadn’t played a Dynasty Warriors game before, I was sceptical on whether the series would be for me, but I can confidently say Dynasty Warriors: Origins is not only a great game, but a great starting point for those new to the series like I was.

Hack-and-slash games are almost always a good time, though I think it’s far too easy to call them simplistic or boring. To be fair you do spend hours mowing down the same hordes of enemies with the same weapons, so you’d be forgiven at first glance to believe that’s all there is to it.

Check out Dynasty Warriors Origins below

You’re dead wrong though, or at least you would be if you said that about Dynasty Warriors Origins.

During my preview for the game I was informed that this entry in the series is a fresh-start, and a way of onboarding players who want to give it a go but don’t know which game to start with. All Dynasty Warriors games are retellings of the same story, but Dynasty Warriors Origins dives deeper into this story than ever before, but leaves enough out to warrant a sequel further down the road…

It’s told in a way that lets newcomers like me understand the lore, and get invested in the characters and battles you’ll cross in your adventure.

Unfortunately, your character is predetermined from the start and you’re locked in as a dark-haired, silent male protagonist. This was a tad disappointing for me;it would have been nice to at least customise the appearance or change the gender entirely, but it can be overlooked.

After a brief tutorial level, you’re thrown into a colossal storyline about several warring factions, each with their own leaders and motivations. Players will want to pay attention to these, as you're presented with a choice on who you want to support later in the story.

Koei Tecmo

Diving into the meat and potatoes of the game though, the battles. These instantly hooked me and had me locked-in for hours, as there was a surprising amount of depth and challenge to each one.

I loved the variety of the weapons and combat skills, making it a genuinely exciting moment when I unlocked a new one in the middle of a fight, like when I picked up the Circle Blades and instantly knew they’d be my weapon-of-choice for much of the game. I did switch weapons quite regularly and the only one I wasn’t keen on were the fighting gloves, which shocked me as I usually love hand-to-hand weapons in games, like the Caestus in Dark Souls.

The skills were also fun to use, and I thoroughly enjoyed selecting ones that complemented each other to create some powerful combos, many of which came in clutch during boss battles where every hit counts.

The battles themselves generally played out the same way. Your objective usually boils down to killing a specific character on the field, but you have to fight through an entire army to get to them, and sometimes they won’t even enter the battlefield until you’ve fulfilled a certain requirement. My approach to fighting was very gung-ho, as I quickly came to terms with the flow of battle and didn’t feel I was being challenged by the majority of enemies, all of which can be parried and stunned accordingly. Eventually this cavalier attitude was my downfall though, when I realised that the lose requirements were just as important to look at as the win requirements. My eagerness to win left my allies open, many of which came under attack while I was on the other side of the map and couldn’t offer assistance.

This meant that even though I could hold my own and tackle the main threat myself, it didn’t mean I should and it was this style of gameplay that gripped me in my playthrough.

Dynasty Warriors Origins- Credit Koei Tecmo

You have more control over your allies than you’d think, as not only can you switch characters for a bit you eventually unlock the ability to give orders, like having your troops fire a volley of arrows. You can also direct them to take down structures for you, or just let them run off and do what they like. If one of your main allies gets low on health, showing up to assist will heal them as you take on the threat together, even with some flashy combo animations mixed in for a cinematic feel. I quickly felt a bond with some of the first warriors you meet on your journey, like Liu Bei and found myself going out of my way to help them whenever possible.

There’s more to Dynasty Warriors Origins than battles though, as the world map offers you the chance to do a bit of exploration, partake in side missions, collect materials used for crafting and more. Occasionally you’ll find a character who has an item of interest or could teach you a new skill, and it’s good to visit the weapon shops as much as possible to ensure you’ve got suitable gear for the challenge ahead. That said, there are several difficulties to choose from, and there is a Historian mode for those who’d prefer to experience the story with minimal challenge.

The last thing I wanted to touch on was the overall presentation of Dynasty Warriors Origins. Upon booting up the game you’re asked if you want to have the audio in English or Japanese, and I’d urge you to go with the latter with subtitles. During my preview session I played with English dialogue and commented on how the English voices didn’t quite match up to who I was being shown on screen, but this time around everything just jelled better.

Overall, Dynasty Warriors Origins is a fantastic starting point for those new to series like I was. The storytelling felt concise and easy-to-follow, the gameplay was endlessly entertaining, and it never felt like I was stepping into unknown territory, so I could learn and experiment with no fear.

Pros: Great for beginners, entertaining and flashy combat, easy-to-follow stories, decent amount of side content

Cons: Some customisation wouldn’t hurt, veterans of the series might feel like it’s a step back

For fans of: Dynasty Warriors, Hyrule Warriors, Persona 5 Strikers

Score: 8/10 - Excellent

Dynasty Warriors Origins will launch on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 (version tested), and PC on 17 January. Review code provided by the publisher. Find a complete guide to GAMINGbible's review scores here.