Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the tenth main line Warriors game, but fans of the franchise know that's an oversimplification. With countless spin-offs, including IP-based Zelda and Personnot to mention Warriors of the Empire Dynasty in gaming, the ever-expanding musuo genre has become almost impenetrable to newcomers with decades of mechanical growth and experimentation behind it. Against this rich pedigree, Origins may not be the most experimental, reliable or feature-rich Warriors game, but it could be better.
After Dynasty Warriors 9 trying to alchemize the franchise into an open-world role-playing game, developer Omega Force had to make a decision: continue down that path or return to form with a simpler Warriors experience, focusing on the main advantages of the series. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a combination of these two possibilities; while it incorporates many of the action-RPG elements introduced in later games, it's also much more streamlined than longtime fans might have expected. There's no multiplayer or alternate game modes, there's only one playable character (technically), and forays into trends like crafting and resource management have largely been abandoned.
This is the reason Dynasty Warriors Origins may meet with a somewhat mixed reception. On the one hand, it's perhaps the perfect embodiment of what makes the musuo genre work so well, with its mix of action and hack-and-slash strategy, but on the other hand, it's an experience that can become trite or repetitive for players looking for more variety. However, for those new to the series or fans who may be open-minded, Dynasty Warriors: Origins will be an easy contender for one of the best games of January.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a near perfect action strategy game
Dynasty Warriorsand by extension the wider musuo genre, are often criticized for being thoughtless, mind-bogglingly light and bland. For now Origins won't win any awards for mechanical complexity, it's a surprisingly effective response to such criticism, filled with a depth and versatility not often seen in the series.
At the risk of being reductive, Dynasty Warriors: OriginsThe gameplay is somewhere between the classics Dynasty Warriors and Warriors of the Empire Dynasty games. Players still have the 1 vs. 1,000 intensity of previous entries, but strategy and tactics also play a crucial role, especially on higher difficulties. Controlling the flow of enemy movement is essential, as cutting off enemy troops and capturing bases greatly affects the course of battle. With these techniques, wresting victory from the jaws of defeat provides a jolt that few other action games can provide.
This is thanks to the game's morale system, which can have a transformative effect in any major battle. Controlling bases, defeating enemy officers, and employing tactics will increase allied morale, which in turn increases the effectiveness of allied forces on the battlefield. Conversely, specific enemy actions, such as defeating allied officers and recapturing bases, can lower morale. This gives battles a sense of wobbly intensity while adding new layers to the player's decision-making. For example, if morale is low, but the player is going to complete the main objective of the battle, he can follow his plan and risk the death of a player character or an important officer, or he can reduce the threat level of the battle by completing side objectives, thereby increasing morale. During more complex fights, especially those where losing depends on the survival of multiple allied characters, the morale system helps keep things dynamic, multi-faceted, and extremely flexible.
For those who enjoy action RPGs but have been turned off by musuo games in the past, I would recommend playing Dynasty Warriors: Origins' on hero difficulty, as it provides the best balance of intensity and strategy.
These broader strategic considerations are reinforced Origins“momentary combat that is arguably the best in the series. The player character elegantly glides across the battlefield using powerful attacks, perfect dodges and parries to build courage, which can then be used to unleash powerful martial arts, draining the strength of the enemy's force and opening up opportunities for devastating follow-up attacks. Combat is unclear Sekiro-like, in the sense that you'll be greatly rewarded for mastering the parry system, though it's not necessary for success. When it comes to pure hacking and slashing, Dynasty Warriors: Origins it's a big leap forward from Dynasty Warriors 9 and just feel better playing.
Technical achievements of the game should be noted separately. Never before has the message of one soldier against thousands been so well realized Origins uses state-of-the-art equipment to create battlefields populated by oceans of foot soldiers, similar to fields of grass waiting to be mowed down by the player. Dashing into these oceans on horseback, surrounded by the battle cries of your allies, is extremely exhilarating and never gets old. Dynasty Warriors Origins may not be the most visually stunning game, but it's a great example of how a developer can use technological innovation to better realize a specific vision, rather than just making things prettier.
When it comes to pure hacking and slashing, Dynasty Warriors: Origins it's a big leap forward from Dynasty Warriors 9.
A quick word about the RPG elements and development of Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Unlike previous entries in the series, Dynasty Warriors: Origins The company is led by one character. This character is leveled up by increasing the rank of each collectible weapon, of which there are ten in total. Each rank requires more mastery points to unlock, which incentivizes the use of new or underused weapons. Essentially, the game rewards you for experimenting with different weapons and playstyles, which helps make the lack of other playable characters an easier pill to swallow. Additionally, with each new weapon rank, new combos, special abilities, and martial arts will be unlocked for that weapon, which should allay concerns that each weapon seems too mechanically simple or similar.
Technically there are other playable characters Dynasty Warriors: Originsbut they function more as temporary boosting modes. Essentially, some battles will allow the player to pair up with an obsolete character like Guan Yu or Xiahou Dun, and after filling up their musuo gauge, the player can control them for a few minutes. These legacy characters are extremely powerful, but do not differ in functionality from the player character as their weapons and martial arts match what the player already has at their disposal, which is a bit disappointing.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins' Story has its moments of greatness, but it's mostly sleaze
Narration and general presentation Dynasty Warriors: Origins will be a mixed bag. In some ways, this is the best single-player campaign in recent memory. It's huge and sprawling, with a choice-driven plot that offers a unique twist on the typical structure of previous entries. It's also presented much better than other games in the series, as the cutscenes, while still stiff and conservative, are much more realistic and dynamic than in a game like Dynasty Warriors 9where they often resemble action figures placed in a diorama. Dialogue and voice acting are also strong for the most part, and the game's pre-rendered cutscenes can be overwhelming at times.
But if you're turned off by explanatory dialogue, then Dynasty Warriors: Origins may be tantamount to torture. As in previous entries, players can develop bonds with NPCs, though unlike a game like Refantazio metaphorthese connections are not enriched by strong side narratives. Talking to many (and I mean many) NPCs is just talking. They will tell the player about their lives and problems, and while these moments sometimes make these characters endearing or interesting, they have very little emotional stakes or tension, making it difficult to stay engaged for so many hours.
If you want 100% Dynasty Warriors: Originsbe prepared to have countless boring, irrelevant meetings. If you are familiar with the Three Kingdoms era, through real-world history, literature, or previous Dynasty Warriors games, Origins“the story will not help to deepen your appreciation for it. And if you are not familiar with this chapter of Chinese history, you may not see the appeal at all, for the emotional substance of the story, though present, is elusive.
There's also the matter of the silent main character with amnesia, who is as charismatic as a sack of flour. Much of the story revolves around him revealing his Peacekeeper past, and I was actually pleasantly surprised by some of his twists, but perhaps a more well-defined lead, perhaps with a voice-over, would have made this aspect of the story more effective.
The mostly bland story and lack of additional playable characters are the main drawbacks Dynasty Warriors: Origins. It's the most polished, mechanically useful, and technically impressive game in the series to date, and it's easy for fans of the franchise to pick up, as long as they're open to new ideas like a parry system and an original, solo leader. And if you've never been to Dynasty Warriors in the past, it's worth taking the leap Dynasty Warriors: Origins— you might just find out what all the fuss is about.

Reviewed on PS5
- Released
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January 17, 2025
- Great hack and slash combat
- A satisfying progression of an action role-playing game
- Technically impressive battles
- A good mix of action and strategy
- Lack of alternative game modes and features from previous entries
- Heavy dialogue, unattractive story
- Missed opportunities with playable side characters
Dynasty Warriors: Origins coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 17, 2025. Game Rant received a PS5 code for this review.