Dynasty Warriors: Origins review – If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the tenth instalment in the franchise and the first entry since 2018 and, despite a few rough edges, it’s a triumphant return that should please both longtime fans and newcomers.
The Dynasty Warriors series has been immensely well-received over the years, becoming developer Koei Tecmo’s most successful franchise and selling more than 21 million copies as of February 2020.
Despite its name, Origins does a great job of bringing the series firmly into the 2020s, expertly blending the hallmarks of the previous games with new mechanics and features.
Heading back to 183 AD, the sixth year of the Guanhe Era and more than 150 years since the start of the Han Dynasty, the game expertly blends the historical with the outright bonkers to create a heady experience that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins screenshots & details
- Price: £64.99/$69.99
- Developer: Koei Tecmo Games Co
- Release date: January 17, 2025
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Reviewed on PC
There’s still a lot of hacking and slashing
Dynasty Warriors players are usually in it for one feature – the ability to cut through swathes of enemies with godlike ease. Fortunately, Origins takes that premise and dials it up to eleven, easily outperforming its predecessors in scale.
The game features regular battles and skirmishes that allow you to move through the map, cleaving everyone who dares to get in your way. At certain points, generals and commanders appear, with increased health and high-damage attacks. It’s here where the challenge comes in. You’ll quickly find yourself cycling between cutting through minor enemies to fill your combat meters to dispatch elite units.
Variety plays a major role as well. Not long after the introduction, you’ll pick up your first spear, which offers a new way to fight your foes. Additionally, abilities are a big part of your overall prowess and change depending on which weapon you have equipped. For example, the longsword has more localized, quick slash abilities like Falcon Flurry, while the spear has more flexibility, with excellent AoE and wave clear.
Once you increase your proficiency with each weapon type, you’ll unlock powerful new moves. unlocking new moves as you do. Without the deep RPG elements of a game like Elden Ring, it’s this streamlined system that fills in the gaps. While your character does have skills that improve your efficiency, they don’t allow for unique builds.
Combat can also become a little janky, especially if you let the enemies stack up too much. While it’s tempting to get the most people possible with your abilities and strikes, it’s easy to glitch and get locked into a group with little way of interrupting their attacks with blocks or evades.
Nevertheless, rushing into a huge horde of enemies and clearing them out is undeniably a ton of fun. It’s the ultimate power fantasy and is immensely silly, but the experience is all the better for it.
The developer hasn’t shied away from the series’ roots, and it’s difficult to see how Origins would be anywhere near as good if they had.
The narrative does what it needs to
As mentioned earlier, the game is set almost two thousand years ago during China’s Han Dynasty. Without treading too far into spoiler territory, the early story follows the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a culturally significant peasant revolt. Zhang Jiao returns to the series as the head of the group, this time with a far more sober outlook and a steely determination to bring down the ruling family.
Individual battles may come across as silly and over-the-top, but the inspiration and history are treated with genuine respect and care, making it a highly refreshing world to inhabit.
Koei Tecmo/DexertoHowever, there are some drawbacks. Though the narrative starts very cohesively and works through its opening salvo at some pace, there are points where it becomes convoluted. Equally, while the personal character elements of the story are interesting, they can occasionally feel like an annoying aside in the more exciting narrative thread of the conflict between the Han Dynasty and Yellow Turbans.
None of this is groundbreaking, and the story often takes a backseat to the adrenaline-fueled action, but it gets the job done and offers enough intrigue to keep you playing.
Nevertheless, these are minor gripes in an otherwise solid effort from Koei Tecmo, and it’s certainly the best work they’ve done in this department since Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends.
Dexerto Review Score: 4/5 – Very Good
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent combat | Some combat glitches |
| Intuitive skill systems | Occasionally convoluted |
| Memorable story and characters |
Dynasty Warriors: Origins manages to tread that delightful line between nostalgia and a genuinely impressive technical offering. It retains all of the magic that makes the series so immediately recognizable while taking advantage of current-gen tech to blow previous efforts out of the water.
As longtime fans will expect, the combat remains the highlight and it’s just as bonkers as ever. Bombastic fights wait around every corner, and you’ll never get tired of seeing which bizarre weapon the enemy general has brought to take you out.
There is enough depth to the character and weapon systems that experimenting will quickly become one of the most rewarding things to do, and finding the weapon and skill combo that suits your playstyle is undoubtedly a thrill.
Sure, massed enemies can be a little glitchy and the story can err towards the convoluted at times, but it’s nothing that keeps the game from being enjoyable. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or tempted to jump in for the first time, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a very early contender for hack-and-slash game of the year, and you could do far worse than spending your time working through its epic tale.
For more information on how we score video games, check out our scoring guidelines here.