Omega Force has been chasing the ultimate one-versus-1,000 power trip since the release of Dynasty Warriors 2 on the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Nearly 25 years later, Koei Tecmo has returned to the drawing board. Every mainline entry in Dynasty Warriors following the second installment has followed a cookie-cutter campaign, similar to the Dragon Ball Z series of video games. Dynasty Warriors: Origins breaks the mould—and the foul taste Dynasty Warriors 9 left in fans’ mouths—by returning to its roots. Dynasty Warriors: Origins captures everything right about Koei Tecmo’s hack-and-slash franchise while offering a fresh perspective that revitalizes the mainline Musou series for the first time in over a decade.
The story of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been rewritten, with Origins placing the player in the shoes of an isekai-style protagonist in the Han Dynasty. You play as the amnesiac main character who, despite being nameless, quickly becomes well acquainted with the heroes of the realm through battle. Your journey begins in a small village plagued by hunger and mistreatment by the ruling class. Dynasty Warriors: Origins opens with a familiar tone but takes a more empathetic approach to the first major antagonist of the game.
In this version, Zhang Jiao is portrayed helping to feed the poor villagers and spreading his Way of the Great Peace doctrine. Origins is set during a turbulent period in ancient Chinese history, 150 years into the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the ruling class’s neglect had driven its subjects to the brink of starvation. True to rebellion stories, Zhang Jiao begins as a well-intentioned reformer but becomes drunk on power, ultimately falling victim to the same corruption he sought to overthrow.
“Combat is fluid and responsive, and despite 200–300 enemy soldiers often appearing on screen simultaneously, the PlayStation 5 handles the workload superbly.”
This new, empathetic portrayal of Zhang Jiao is a notable improvement. Previously depicted as a madman, seeing him care for his subjects shows the Way of the Great Peace in practice before the Yellow Turban Rebellion and adds much-needed context to humanize the antagonist.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins (like other games in the Musou series) follows a familiar storyline based on the historical period known as the Age of the Three Kingdoms, specifically the Records of the Three Kingdoms compiled by Chen Shou in the third century. A historical fiction novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, emerged from these records in the 14th century, offering a more dramatic and entertaining rendition that further humanizes its characters. While Omega Force has previously allowed players to control legendary warriors from this era, Origins delivers the story from a fresh perspective.
The importance of the protagonist’s point of view cannot be understated. Instead of playing as a main character during the turmoil of the Three Kingdoms, you take on the role of a side character involved in every major event, allowing the narrative itself to take centre stage. This approach lets players witness events as though they were in the room, without being tied to the role of a central figure. Koei Tecmo’s decision to introduce a character with no established roots, rather than focusing solely on a legendary warlord, immerses players in the story more deeply than ever before.
“Dynasty Warriors: Origins cleverly integrates its tutorial into an in-game mission, making the learning process seamless and engaging.”
This innovation is a crowning achievement in a Musou series that had begun to feel repetitive—much like the Saiyan Saga in Dragon Ball Z games. Origins also expands on background events and battles that were only briefly referenced in previous games, such as the Suppression of You Province. These additions flesh out ancient China in greater detail than ever before within the franchise. Hats off to Koei Tecmo and Omega Force for taking this bold new direction with Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
You begin as a fledgling fighter with only one weapon available for combat. Dynasty Warriors: Origins cleverly integrates its tutorial into an in-game mission, making the learning process seamless and engaging. Combat is fluid and responsive, and despite 200–300 enemy soldiers often appearing on screen simultaneously, the PlayStation 5 handles the workload superbly. In my 20-plus hours of gameplay, I have not experienced a single frame rate dip.
For the first time in Musou history (excluding Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty), defense is as important—if not more so—than offense. Blocking is incredibly reliable and feels smooth compared to previous entries like Dynasty Warriors 5 through 9. Similar to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, parrying plays a key role in combat. Enemy units can launch unblockable attacks, requiring a precise palm strike technique to knock them off balance and reduce their bravery. Bravery functions much like posture in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and breaking an enemy’s posture allows for significant damage. In addition to managing an opponent’s bravery gauge, players must monitor several other gauges and battlefield conditions to maintain high morale.
Morale is the backbone of Musou and Warriors titles. When morale is blue, allied forces perform better in battle; when it’s red, enemy forces dominate. Mastering this gauge is crucial to success, and in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, its importance is elevated. During certain battlefield quests, events called Tactics occur, requiring the nameless warrior to resolve challenges mid-fight.
While fighting alongside warlord Dong Zhuo’s forces, I was tasked with leading a charge. Successfully completing this Tactic boosted our morale significantly, severely weakening enemy officers. Choosing not to charge with Dong Zhuo, however, would have increased enemy morale. Similarly, stopping an enemy charge is vital, and failing to plan for it can cause your own morale to plummet.
The ultimate attack, known as a Musou, gains new depth in Origins. These attacks can be deployed in collaboration with allies, resulting in pure devastation. Using an Ultimate Musou with Guan Yu, my body count jumped from 233 to approximately 700. The carnage was visually striking, with human debris flying across the battlefield, making it feel like the attack genuinely felled over 400 soldiers in one meteoric strike. In Dynasty Warriors: Origins, you wield true power in the heat of battle.
“All these systems combine to make Origins feel like a Musou action-RPG, a design step in the right direction for the franchise.”
Another useful addition is the Origins version of Eagle Vision, known as Eyes of the Sacred Bird. By pressing L2, players can view the flow of battle and detect potential magical blessings empowering the enemy. This mechanic is especially helpful when unsure of the next objective or when critical elements are hidden from plain sight.
Aside from battlefield tasks and functions, Koei Tecmo has acknowledged that players of the Dynasty Warriors franchise are responsible for completing numerous tasks on the battlefield, regardless of which warlord they play as. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is self-aware in this regard, with ruling warlords instructing the protagonist before every fight to essentially “go have fun” on the battlefield—the equivalent of saying, “help everywhere.” This subtle nod emphasizes the player’s role in directing the entire flow of battle.
Origins equips players with nine available weapons to use against enemy hordes, five gems for powering up, and two accessories to enhance battlefield prowess. The variety of primary weapons ensures that every player can find a favourite and carve through enemy factions. Weapon proficiency encourages players to experiment with different styles at least once.
Playstyles range from wielding a massive two-handed pike to using a basic sword or dual-wielding one-handed pikes. Increasing weapon proficiency not only boosts stats but also enables players to tackle harder quests, making levelling up essential. Since main quests don’t scale, working towards higher-level battles adds a rewarding sense of progression, with each major fight feeling like a well-earned achievement.
Origins features a world map reminiscent of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, allowing players to traverse vast distances as a larger-than-life figure. The map is dotted with towns, officers, and side quests. While this approach is visually appealing, the former menu-driven method may have been more efficient. Locating specific officers can be tedious, particularly when their designated area spans a massive segment of ancient China. However, the world map does offer opportunities to find fallen items, including weapons, perishables, and pyroxene used for upgrading gems that enhance abilities.
All these systems combine to make Origins feel like a Musou action-RPG, a design step in the right direction. General progression is rewarding, especially as the player acts as an agent of peace for the realm. Each province on the map features a peace meter, and when raised high enough, grateful peasants reward the protagonist with items. With a wealth of characters to meet and systems to master, Dynasty Warriors: Origins feels more like a franchise reboot, a much-needed overhaul for the series.
“Dynasty Warriors: Origins stands as the best entry in the Musou franchise in years, reclaiming goodwill lost with Dynasty Warriors 9.”
However, one notable drawback is the lack of co-op play, a feature that was once a staple of the series. When I began playing the series in 2000, split-screen mode was a fan favourite. Tackling the 30-minute-long Battle of Hu Lao Gate with a sibling, armed with a second controller, was pure adrenaline. The shared experiences of strategizing, laughing over defeats, and celebrating victories added a unique camaraderie that Origins now lacks. While the absence of co-op may have been a deliberate design choice, it feels like a missed opportunity, especially when the on-screen action begs for shared participation. Even Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a spin-off, includes co-op functionality, making its exclusion from Origins all the more glaring.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins represents Omega Force at their best. By rebooting the franchise and retelling the story of the Three Kingdoms with incredible depth, Koei Tecmo has recaptured the magic they achieved with the series’ second entry in 2000. Thanks to platform upgrades on the PS5, the 1 vs. 1,000 format has never looked or performed better.
Despite occasional design missteps, repetitive side quests, and the lack of co-op play, Dynasty Warriors: Origins stands as the best entry in the Musou franchise in years. While Koei Tecmo may have lost some goodwill with the release of Dynasty Warriors 9, they’ve regained it with Origins. Even critics of the Musou series might find a new appreciation here—an apt reflection of The Way of the Great Peace.
