Dynasty Warriors Origins review: a thunderous new beginning
Comment information
Reviewed platforms: PS5
Available for: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
release date: January 17, 2024
In many ways I’m very happy Dynasty Warriors Origins. The revival of a series that had become very tired was largely successful, modernizing its gameplay elements while retaining what made it so special in the first place. You can’t get that massive “1 vs. 1,000” power fantasy anywhere else, and Dynasty Warriors Origins Do better than ever.
Rest assured that in most cases this is still a Dynasty Warriors The game is played throughout. You’ll rampage across vast battlefields, seizing key positions and driving enemy officers off the battlefield to gain an advantage – often wasting thousands of soldiers unlucky enough to get you from point A to point B.
But the gameplay loop has evolved in many ways. For one, weapon types aren’t just different ways of hitting the same normal/strong attack combo in sequence, but offer unique mechanics that set them apart from one another. New elements such as grand tactics and ambushes also add a fantastic cinematic feel to when battles take place, ensuring there’s something exciting happening on almost every map.
And then there’s the story, which also takes quite a turn, which I have mixed feelings about. Going with a sole playable protagonist is a pretty bold move for developer Omega Force, and while the other officers have limited playability (and extremely powerful) abilities, it might make it a point of departure for long-time fans hoping to get their hands on the series Feeling disappointed. Keep returning to favorites.
Return to the Three Kingdoms
as always, Dynasty Warriors Origins” The story is based on “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” by Luo Guanzhong. As the Han dynasty’s influence began to wane, three different factions became locked in a power struggle, each trying to unify China under one banner.
origin’ The story is presented slightly differently. Although it is still set against the background of major events of the era such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo’s tyranny, and the Battle of Chibi, we still tell it all from the perspective of the original protagonist.
the best bit
When you are about to gain the upper hand, you will often have the opportunity to join forces and launch a frontal charge against the enemy. These moments always feel wonderfully cinematic. The camera pans back to give you a wider view of the battlefield, the screen shakes slightly, and the thunderous roar of the troops echoes through the air. This moment is the highlight of any map in the game, especially when the music enhances the whole experience.
This approach has its own successes and drawbacks. Through networking events and optional battles, you gain a lot of agency among the officers you want to get to know better, especially late in the game when you need to decide which of the three factions to join. This in turn can change the second half origin Very importantly, you can have different battles and armies based on your choice. This naturally creates some replay value, as you can go back and explore other routes via New Game Plus.
On the other hand, the move to a single playable protagonist has its fair share of flaws. First, the hero has an extremely gentle personality. He has almost no expression in cutscenes and has no lines of his own during battles other than background text. Plus, his story isn’t very interesting, as the amnesia narrative ends up with a fairly predictable payoff.
It ultimately doesn’t add much value to the timeless and still very engaging Three Kingdoms plot. I do feel like there is an option to create your own character – just like other Koei Tecmo games, e.g. Nioh 2, Wolong: Fallen Dynasty, and Rise of the Ronin – can solve this problem to a certain extent. At least then, we’ll be able to apply some sort of identity to our protagonist, especially since you don’t get many opportunities to play as other iconic officers – but more on that later.
an army
So although Dynasty Warriors Origins” The narrative changes ultimately left me feeling a little underwhelming, and I wouldn’t say the same for its gameplay. origin is the best feeling warrior game ever made, even taking into account some of the fantastic spin-offs, e.g. Hyrule Warriors and Dragon Quest Heroes 2. Origins There’s a level of AAA quality the series has never seen before, and it brings a ton of changes and additions that help keep the experience from getting stale.
For starters, each of the game’s nine weapon types feels distinct and a far cry from the usual mediocre to strong attack combos we’ve typically gotten from the series. The style remains with the basic sword weapon type, but I find almost every other weapon more interesting.
For example, dual spears deliver a more devastating blow when you land a strong attack input at the right time. The spear, meanwhile, lets you take a hit by holding down the power attack button to unleash a devastating attack at full strength. My favorite is the Gauntlet, which allows you to assume a variety of stances for a variety of different attacks, both for crowd control and single-target damage.
Weapon types also rank the more you use them, unlocking more moves and abilities. Higher levels will in turn unlock new sets of nodes on your skill tree, further increasing your power as you redeem skill points earned through combat and tick off optional training objectives assigned to you by other officers. In addition, Brave skills and tactics provide a wider range of abilities, including powerful defense-breaking attacks and volleys to suppress enemy forces.
There may be fewer weapon types overall compared to older versions warrior Well, this allows Omega Force to really flesh out their move set, resulting in a more satisfying overall experience. What’s great is that the game also incentivizes you to try out all weapon types with the aforementioned training objectives and an ever-changing set of moves as you level up.
It’s not just the protagonist that you can control in combat, though. You can also team up with another iconic officer as a companion. You can temporarily switch to them when their meter is full. These officers, including series characters like Xiahou Dun, Guan Yu, and Sun Shangxiang, are deliberately overpowered and can turn the tide of battle in an instant.
It does feel great to be a companion officer, tapping into your own abilities and the art of bravery. I have mixed feelings about the whole mechanic, though, as I would definitely prefer the option of playing them directly in addition to the protagonist. if origin is your first warrior The game, however, as a long-time fan, I can’t help but miss being able to freely play as a wider variety of Three Kingdoms heroes.
A truly modern matchless
I think it’s fair to say Dynasty Warriors Origins It definitely achieves its goal of reinvigorating the peerless experience for modern audiences. It gives me that same “nothing can get better than this” feeling Dynasty Warriors 5 Back when I was a teenager. Nothing is more obvious than this origin’ Exciting massive battles.
If you’re familiar with the Musou format, the general gameplay loop remains largely the same. Most maps will have you taking out enemy officers, capturing key bases, or escorting troops to a specific location. However, with the power of current-gen gaming systems, Omega Force is finally able to make these battles feel truly large and cinematic.
This is driven by one major new feature: fees. When prompted, you can head to the location on the map where your troops are gathered to launch a forward charge. To me, this is the highlight of any battle, because as you charge head-on into the enemy army, the camera pans back to provide a wide view of the battlefield. Subtle screen shakes and the brave screams of the infantry further highlight the moments as hundreds of soldiers clash against each other in the ultimate confrontation. It’s a moment that feels very rewarding and satisfying, and it’s unlike anything I’ve seen in any other action game, let alone any other action game. warrior title.
This incredible demo is backed by some pretty impressive visuals and yes, that trademark Dynasty Warriors The soundtrack’s brand of hard rock. Perhaps most surprisingly, though, origin Able to maintain a stable 60 frames per second (fps) in default performance mode. There are also options for 30fps and 120fps modes, but the trade-off here is either inconsistent performance or excessive loss of visual clarity. The 60fps mode offers a very good sweet spot, and is the mode I recommend to players who don’t have a high-end PC or who don’t have a high-end PC. PS5 Pro.
Should I play Dynasty Warriors Origins?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility
Dynasty Warriors Origins There are some useful accessibility options, including three “color awareness” settings for color-blind players. The settings are unhelpfully labeled Settings “1, 2, and 3,” so you’ll need to switch between each option to find the one that best suits your needs. You can also resize the subtitles and choose to use a boxed subtitle background for easier reading.
Other than that, there’s not much to say other than the usual camera sensitivity and shake adjustment settings. But it’s worth noting that the three difficulty levels can be swapped between the campaigns themselves, so there’s no need to commit if things get too easy or too hard as you progress.
How do I review Dynasty Warriors Origins?
I play Dynasty Warriors Origins Thirty hours of play on PS5 took me to the end of the main campaign. However, when I return to New Game+ and try other routes to unlock the game’s “true” ending, expect the playtime to increase.
I played it in 4K LG CX OLED TVmainly used DualSense Wireless Controller to experience origin’ Its use of tactile feedback is rather sparse. I often compare it with JBL Quantum 910P Gaming headsets deliver a rich audio experience.
The first review will be in January 2025
