Dynasty Warriors: Origins Review – A Compelling Reboot

If you’ve been hesitant about trying out Dynasty Warriors, the game Origins provides a compelling reason to delve into the renowned musou series. As its title hints, Origins serves as a reboot for the franchise, offering an immersive origin story set in the Three Kingdoms era, seen through the perspective of an unnamed protagonist. This game provides an excellent starting point, and the main character’s amnesia and trope-filled backstory make it particularly welcoming for new players.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins sets its stage at the genesis of the Three Kingdoms legend, as the Yellow Turban Rebellion flourishes and the demise of the Han dynasty looms. Unlike other games in the series, this installment is heavily story-driven and personal, which at times resembles a Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG). Features such as an amnesiac protagonist, bond events, and a branching narrative in the latter half are present. Despite this new direction appearing limited and still in its infancy, it’s a refreshing change given the quality-over-quantity issues seen in recent titles like Dynasty Warriors 9. This game offers a more focused experience, allowing for moments of respite and avoiding overlooking intimate character interactions. However, fear not, experienced Musou warriors, as this game retains its difficulty level, providing depth and challenge suitable for long-term players, albeit with some aspects that may irritate.

In a disappointment for both veterans and novice players, the gameplay is exclusively offered from the viewpoint of an undesignated protagonist in Origins. Regrettably, this character cannot be tailored or personalized by the player, nor can they be self-created. Surprisingly, despite the open invitation with a blank slate, Origins lacks any form of character customization altogether. However, the unnamed amnesiac is able to utilize up to nine distinct weapon types, each with unique abilities and combo moves. At least there’s some diversity in terms of weaponry.

With up to nine unique weapon types at your disposal, each handles distinctly and comes with its own techniques and combination moves, ensuring a rich and diverse gaming experience.

Similarly, the skill tree offers players the flexibility to focus on the preferred combat approach. For instance, if you prefer a tank role with high DPS (Damage Per Second), the Podao’s immense power combined with defensive equipment and skills can transform you into an unyielding fortress. I must say, each weapon type offers a distinct feel, and the Podao, despite its sluggishness, carries a weight that mirrors its destructive potential. Additionally, the unique abilities associated with the spear make you feel like a soaring dragoon, as demonstrated by its aerial javelin tricks. Moreover, the ability to swap weapons during combat is beneficial when a chosen strategy isn’t effective against an enemy force.

Although there are ample customization options, it’s disappointing that we don’t have full control over multiple heroes as we did in previous versions. In this game, Origins, you’re given the chance to command nine historical figures if they join you during certain battles. However, your command of them is limited. For instance, Guan Hu or Zhang Fei can stay with you throughout Liu Bei-related battles, offering support with occasional attacks. When the officer swap meter builds up sufficiently, you can momentarily take control, using special abilities and a powerful Musou attack at the end of your two-minute spree. And indeed, this is a rampage because these nine companions can significantly change the course of the battle when it’s your turn to command them. They strike twice as hard as the protagonist, and their ultimate attack obliterates hordes of troops and bosses in a single strike.

Once the buddy gauge is full, you’ll get a short period to command them. Utilize special abilities and save the powerful Musou Attack for the finale of your exhilarating two-minute spree.

These fleeting moments of ‘heroism’ make you crave for more, but alas; our unnamed character remains entertaining to manage, despite the limited options for customization and frequent character switches. Fortunately, there’s a decent amount of diversity in his gameplay style, which is something that many recent Dynasty Warriors titles have been lacking, even with their 90-plus roster of officers.

Although Origins might not boast an impressive list of officers, it excels in character development and depth within its cast. The figures from the Three Kingdoms legend are portrayed exceptionally well here, with a careful attention to detail that brings out each character’s unique personality and backstory. This game offers an unparalleled level of intimacy and depth into these cherished characters compared to other games in the series, making it stand out in the gaming world.

This offers one of the most personal and extensive insights into these cherished game characters within the gaming world.

In this single-player experience, you establish connections with various characters, each revealing unique aspects of their persona. The voices for these characters are in both English and Japanese, with some dialogue appearing only as text during certain instances. Zhang Fei stands out as particularly well-executed, exhibiting a rough charm and often reluctant to acknowledge the depth of his affection for his fellow sworn brothers. Numerous heartwarming scenes left me grinning or chuckling; many of these were triggered by bond events within the game.

In essence, while the bond system in this game offers some engaging character interactions, it falls short when it comes to providing meaningful choices or a friendship progression path. Instead, it’s more of a collection of brief social scenes that enrich the narrative and develop these beloved characters. The bonds also affect the gameplay by offering tasks from characters, which can be seen as lists of tasks or mini-battles. However, don’t anticipate these tasks to be particularly complex or rewarding.

In chapter 3, the forked routes signify a choice-driven gameplay experience that traditional bonds do not offer. Specifically, these three paths represent the nascent kingdoms governed by Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and the illustrious Sun Jian.

“The branching paths presented in chapter 3 fulfil that decision-based gameplay that bonds don’t.”

Supporting a growing kingdom unfolds a distinct narrative and gameplay journey, even unveiling a hidden ‘true’ ending. Although my relationship with Diaochan didn’t significantly alter the outcome, choosing among three kingdoms certainly did. While it seems many would align with Liu Bei’s amiable group, the well-crafted characters of Cao Cao and Sun Jian left me conflicted about whom to ultimately support. In conclusion, the game succeeded in making me genuinely care about the fate of Cao Cao and Sun Jian’s forces, prompting me to contemplate siding against Liu Bei and his sworn brothers. This demonstrates the exceptional character development during the early stages of the game.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins offers a good level of replayability, as completing the main route takes approximately 20 hours, and other routes can increase that playtime significantly. The game’s streamlined design is one reason for its 20-hour length, as it avoids the expansive open-world found in games like Dynasty Warriors 9. Instead, battles and events are accessed through a condensed overworld, where you can walk or ride to story battles, skirmishes, challenges, bonding moments, and towns (for buying, selling, and resting). The game does require some grinding in certain areas due to its difficulty curve, but the repetitive combat doesn’t feel too tedious.

“battles and events are navigated through a compact overworld.”

You won’t find a lot of variety in terms of exploration here. There are pyroxene and old coins to gather – items that enhance accessories and boost bonds – but aside from reaching your objectives within the overworld, there isn’t much else to engage with. Navigating between provinces on the map menu screen could be smoother, as scrolling with the cursor can sometimes feel awkward. The battle and character tabs are useful additions, and fast-travel is certainly convenient, but not having a province tab seems like a minor oversight that’s worth noting.

In your downtime from participating in smaller skirmishes or interacting with characters, you’re likely involved in epic story battles, which are the main focus of Dynasty Warriors: Origins. These battles offer plenty for both veterans and newcomers to appreciate and critique. This game is a classic 1-vs-1000 musou style game, similar to others in the series, with some minor improvements. One such improvement is the ability to command a small group of troops during battles, adding a strategic element to the hack-and-slash gameplay. I wish there were more opportunities to use this squad feature, as it can be fun and helpful, but it doesn’t quite address one of my main concerns with the game: dealing with desperate situations effectively.

In a critical struggle, an officer may encounter a life-threatening scenario against an adversary. Swift action is typically necessary to avoid defeat in such situations. Frequently, you’ll find yourself darting from one end of the battleground to another, rescuing fellow officers on the brink of losing. Thoughtful strategizing and positioning can minimize the need for constant assistance, but it often demands prior knowledge of the battle to determine the best defensive points.

A desperate fight occurs when a comrade encounters a life-threatening situation against an adversary. If you don’t act swiftly in such circumstances, it often leads to failure.

In simpler terms, I appreciate the strategic aspects of this game, such as arranging troops and maintaining morale on the battlefield. However, constantly running to different spots to help in battles feels more like tedious chores than clever tactical moves. It would be great if I could remotely reinforce my troops in various parts of the map, but that’s not an option. Instead, I can only command my squad locally for most of the game. On the bright side, you do get a horse to traverse the battlefield, although it isn’t available until later in the game. The upgrades and mobility benefits of the horse are nice, though.

In this game, running aimlessly around the map resembles a chicken without its head, and it’s not just an occasional blunder. It also uncovers another issue: the haphazard placement of checkpoints. The game, Origins, offers players the chance to restore the battlefield following defeat. Restoring the battlefield provides a clear view of the terrain, troop locations, and a playback of the action sequence. More importantly, it allows you to decide which specific checkpoint to resume from after a restart. While this concept seems beneficial at first glance, the problem lies in the fact that these checkpoints frequently overlap, causing confusion.

Reconstructing the battlefield allows you to visualize the terrain with troop placements and a sequence of events. Crucially, it enables you to pick the exact spot where you can rewind the action.

Checkpoints in battle can lead to headaches since making a mistake or trying out different strategies might force you to restart from that point, potentially putting you at a disadvantage. Even when a checkpoint is strategically placed during the fight, such as after a trap is sprung or an unexpected attack on the flank, losing a commander or moving between bases can reset the checkpoint, marking your new location. Although I acknowledge the usefulness of mid-battle checkpoints, the automatic overwriting of checkpoints and the requirement for a game-over to activate them often made starting from scratch more appealing. In combat, you only have the option to retreat completely. The problem with the checkpoint system isn’t so much its existence as it is the inconveniences that come with the intense struggle during battle.

In newer games, officers frequently find themselves engaged in intense battles more frequently because crowds of enemies can pose a genuine threat, unlike in previous games where large groups could often be easily eliminated. It’s no longer feasible to simply obliterate massive gatherings like they were ants. Timely parries can sometimes clear out a large group single-handedly, but your team can also lend a hand with volleys and charges, making for an exciting experience. The mobs have been designed to be challenging yet manageable due to their inability to disrupt your combos. While battles may still feel repetitive at times due to grinding and the frustrating morale monitoring, it’s not as monotonous as previous installments.

One reason officers frequently encounter life-threatening situations is that large groups of troops can pose real dangers.

I really appreciate the strong focus on teamwork within this game, even though there are a few minor annoyances. The massive assaults are incredibly exhilarating. Riding alongside Sun Jian and hundreds of his soldiers, charging against a sea of shield-bearing troops, is reminiscent of my “Lord of the Rings” Helm’s Deep dreams becoming reality. The Hu Lao gate charge is one instance that truly encapsulates the best of “Dynasty Warriors”. With more characters on-screen than ever before, and no drops in frame rate, “Dynasty Warriors: Origins” offers some of the finest musou gameplay in the series to date. Plus, with well-developed characters, it’s an excellent starting point for those looking for more personality amidst all the spectacle.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

2025-01-13 15:42

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