If you’re an avid gamer, you’ve probably heard of the Dynasty Warriors series at some point. It drops players into the era known to novel lovers as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the latest game in the series that started nearly 30 years ago. It’s an interestingly fun entry into the series and one that has the potential to build new fans to look forward to more in the future.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the latest release in the series, hitting stores on January 15, 2025. It features much of the same type of action that fans of the series know. One warrior stands in front of hundreds of soldiers, slashing them down in superhero fashion. The battles feature some strategic elements as players must move around the map from point to point – making quick decisions about objectives to take on. Do you save an ally from a fight they are losing, or charge to attack the main enemy to take them out before reinforcements arrive? It’s fun to dive back into missions to take them on in different ways, seeing if the outcome changes or makes the battle more difficult along the way.
Take part in the biggest of battles
The Dynasty Warriors battles always featured large amounts of soldiers on screen, but this iteration of the game pushes things to a new level. There are moments when the camera pans back to show two armies charging at each other and nearly 1,000 characters are shown on screen. These characters are discernable from one another, as you can see each of their faces, weapons, etc. In previous Dynasty Warriors games, it was easy to charge ahead into battle and fight back hordes of opponents without any worry. That’s not true for Dynasty Warriors: Origins. If you make that mistake of going too far out and taking on too much at once, your character will get crushed; especially when facing some of the main units and their armies.
The boss battles are a fun change of pace. Instead of smashing away at the buttons, you’ll have to pay attention to character queues before attacking or your life bar will quickly be depleted. They are a fun way to switch up the action when needed.
The battles are fun and it’s easy to lose hours in the warfare. The main line fights can easily take 20-30 minutes that fly by from start to finish. The past games could be considered button-mashing fests, but Dynasty Warriors: Origins is quite different. There are several weapons to master, each with their different play styles. You can go with the standard sword which is the middle of the pack. The gauntlets which are powerful but close-range. The spear is slow but can come in handy when it calls for crowd control. Or you use the wheels which fly in and out of your hands with quickness.
There are a variety of combos you can unlock throughout the game. While fighting, you’ll have to pay attention to break opponents’ attacks, parry, and dodge to stay alive when it matters the most.
The action is fun, but the story doesn't deliver
While the action in Dynasty Warriors: Origins is fun, the story lacks. It’s set in the first half of the novel and follows the same path as the other games. Players control a nameless and voiceless character. He has his own elements of a story, but nothing that truly pulls you in and makes you desperate for the next scene. You’re here for the battles and will probably find yourself skipping the dialogue to get to the next big fight.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a fun action game to start 2025. If you’re a fan of the previous entries in the series, this is a great pickup to continue the momentum. If you’ve never played a Dynasty Warriors game, Origins can still be fun but you may want to wait until it’s available on sale. The action will keep you hooked, but you’ll want to look away from the screen during the boring story scenes. 2025 is set to be a big year for gaming, and Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a great way to start things off.