Way back in 1997, Dynasty Warriors was just a decent 3D fighting game, but after the release of Dynasty Warriors 2 in 2000, it started to take shape as a wildly chaotic hack ‘n slash adventure. Set on the historic battlefields of China, the series offered a front-row seat to epic engagements with hordes of enemy soldiers. In the two decades since, the franchise has seen staggering highs, but has admittedly grown stale in recent years. What a surprise then, that Dynasty Warriors: Origins, a brand new reboot of the series that no one saw coming or really asked for, is by far the best entry in the series to date.
One Man Takes on Three Kingdoms
Like the rest of the franchise, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a re-telling of the classic Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which details the fall of the Han dynasty circa 184 AD. What starts out as a united rebellion against a tyrannical leader turns into a fight for power, with multiple factions all eager to prove their worth. In stark contrast to the other games, however, Origins puts you in control of just a single, mostly silent protagonist, with no loyalty to any given master. As such, you’re free to participate in battles as an independent party, explore the countryside, and meet loads of characters, learning plenty of lore along the way.
Playing as the silent protagonist definitely offers a new perspective in the story, but there are some flaws, especially early in the game. In the starting chapters, you’re often subjected to long-winded exposition dumps from every character you meet, and your dialogue choices barely make a difference. Eventually, you are given some significant agency over the path of the narrative, but this doesn’t occur until nearly halfway through the game. Thankfully, these somewhat frequent storytelling woes are easily forgivable, since the combat and moment-to-moment action is more exciting than ever before.
A One Man Army
In the context of the story, your player character is a skilled warrior of legend, foretold to save the land from turmoil through your strength, agility, and deadliness on the battlefield. If there’s one thing that Dynasty Warriors: Origins does better above all else, it’s making that fantasy a reality when you’re in control. The basic flow of battles remains the same as previous Dynasty Warriors games: you move around the battlefield slicing through thousands of enemies as you siege enemy bases, defeat bosses, and overwhelm your opponents through sheer aggression and a bit of strategy. However, Origins increases the speed of combat, as you can effortlessly dash, parry, execute special moves, and leap through the air without a second thought.
You start out equipped with a simple sword, but as you win battles, explore the hub world, and visit shops, you’ll amass plenty of other types of weaponry to use. There are nine weapon classes in total, including spears, throwing wheels, twin pikes, staffs, and more, with each class offering a distinct play style and special moves. Apart from the general fun of experimenting with these new toys of war, Origins encourages you to keep trying out new gear, as various characters will dish out weapon challenges that yield further rewards. The game also contains light RPG-style leveling, as you can spend experience points to gain various passive abilities, steadily growing stronger and giving you little hits of dopamine along the way.
There’s so much more to discover in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and it’s better left unspoiled, so we recommend you give the game a shot, especially if you’re a fan of hack ‘n slash games. Dynasty Warriors was long overdue for an overhaul, and although Origins doesn’t radically change the format, it’s overflowing with potential and is super fun to play. After sinking dozens of hours into this reboot, I’m eager to see where Dynasty Warriors goes next, as Origins is a massive leap in the right direction, and has completely restored my faith in the future of the franchise.
