What a distinction seven years makes. In 2018, the dismal Dynasty Warriors 9 successfully put Koei Tecmo’s storied hack and slash collection on ice, however Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a very completely different beast. For the primary time in generations, the franchise feels contemporary once more — a real evolution of what is come earlier than.
To be clear, Origins is just not Dynasty Warriors 10; there are basic variations right here that make Origins its personal standalone factor. However on the identical time, it does not fairly really feel like your typical spin-off, as a result of the manufacturing values are what you’d anticipate from an all-or-nothing mainline sequel.
Origins is structured in contrast to any Dynasty Warriors title earlier than it. As an alternative of leaping between phases through a menu, it adopts a story-based format that has extra in widespread with RPGs. The entire sport takes place on a world map that you simply’re free to traverse, visiting areas, characters, and battlefields as you go.
It isn’t open world, however it’s player-driven. You assume the position of a mysterious younger man, who simply so occurs to be a dangerously expert martial artist. The start of the sport sees you cross paths with the legendary warlord Guan Yu, and in flip, you are launched to the turbulent Three Kingdoms period of Chinese language historical past — now informed via the eyes of your silent wanderer.
We are saying ‘Three Kingdoms’, however as its title suggests, Origins is extra concerning the beginnings of this war-torn age. It covers — in a lot better element than ever earlier than — the occasions that lead as much as the climactic battle of Chibi, which, in earlier video games, was typically utilised as a stage-setting conflict, slightly than a dramatic conclusion.
You could possibly argue that Origins’ overarching plot is pressured to finish simply because it’s actually beginning to warmth up, however that is nonetheless a hefty historic journey. The marketing campaign clocks in at round 30 hours — however that is counting for only one a part of the sport’s three-pronged narrative.
About midway via mentioned marketing campaign, you are offered a vital choice: you might want to facet with one among China’s three rising factions — Shu, Wei, or Wu — and play out the remainder of the story from that perspective. You may bond with a very completely different forged of characters and interact in distinctive, faction-specific battles relying in your selection.
Principally, this construction triples Origins’ potential runtime, making it one of the vital sturdy Dynasty Warriors video games ever made — even supposing it solely covers about one third of the general Three Kingdoms saga.
Finally, this deal with earlier occasions works out brilliantly; characters are given way more room to breathe, and the storytelling advantages massively in consequence. What’s extra, having the ability to work together with these key figures from the angle of a single participant protagonist retains everybody grounded. Acquainted Dynasty Warriors faces have merely by no means appeared so human — the (typically comical) caricatures of previous video games have been given real depth for the primary time.
Attending to know these heroes (and villains) via fully-voiced bonding scenes provides a stunning quantity of weight to your faction-related choice. By siding with Wei, for instance, you recognize that someplace down the road, you will don’t have any selection however to march into battle towards those that you had as soon as known as associates. This makes for some deliciously dramatic — and infrequently bittersweet — moments throughout key conflicts.
Fortunately, upon finishing the marketing campaign, you are given free reign on returning to earlier chapters, and even particular person battles. You additionally get to maintain your whole progress — ranges, skills, and weapons — which makes replays a breeze. Naturally, most gamers will need to soar straight again to the all-important faction selection, and determine on a special path. As such, you do not have to fret about replaying your entire sport not less than thrice if you wish to see every part, which is way appreciated.
There may be one a part of the story that does not hit as laborious because it ought to, nevertheless — and it boils all the way down to your amnesiac protagonist. To be honest, the setup surrounding this unnamed hero is considerably attention-grabbing, however as your story unfurls, it simply cannot match up towards the drama and rigidity of the central Three Kingdoms narrative, and begins to really feel like a barely annoying distraction from the stuff that, at this level, you are actually invested in.
Happily, narrative stumbles are all however forgotten once you take to the sphere. The sheer scale of the principle story battles in Origins can’t be understated: these are a few of the most impressively gigantic encounters we have seen in gaming. They’re generally on par with what you will discover within the trendy Complete Struggle titles, however you are proper there, within the thick of it, taking part in a full-on motion sport.
That is the place Origins solidifies itself as a real evolution of the collection. These clashes lastly really feel just like the realisation of Dynasty Warriors’ longstanding ‘1 vs. 1,000’ design philosophy, as your most devastating particular assaults cleave via a whole bunch of troops right away. At its peak, when you’ll be able to barely make out what’s taking place because of the writhing mass of on-screen chaos, Origins is intoxicating.
Which brings us to the fight system itself. The core of Dynasty Warriors’ motion stays intact, with easy, sweeping combos letting you mash via waves of grunts — however the largest alterations manifest once you’re up towards enemy officers.
Officer fights emphasise a back-and-forth that is constructed on defensive actions like parries and dodges. After coping with your opponent’s onslaught, you benefit from their weak state with combos and skills of your personal, breaking their morale — principally a stamina bar — within the course of. As soon as that is depleted, they’re left vast open, and you may both strike for large harm, or ship the ultimate blow with an immensely satisfying, weapon-specific finisher.
The precise rhythm of fight might take some getting used to in case you’re conversant in different Warriors video games, as a result of it is advanced past that hack-and-slash, borderline button-mashing foundation. This can be a way more reactionary system, akin to what you deal with in a personality motion title.
And in our opinion, it really works rather well. In making officer encounters extra concerned and strategic, they stand aside from the common, troop-crushing fight. Simple fundamentals give strategy to some intense skirmishes as the sport progresses, and honing your abilities towards the hardest of foes — shoutout to Lu Bu — offers an amazing sense of progress.
That mentioned, there comes a degree the place repetition does begin to set in. Your whole enemies undergo the identical mechanics, and with solely round twelve completely different weapon sorts to be taught from a defensive standpoint, extra expert gamers might develop weary of longer battles, the place sturdy well being bars are your solely actual impediment.
Dynasty Warriors has an extended historical past of providing up colossal playable character rosters — however that is not the case in Origins. Whereas your protagonist is able to wielding ten completely different weapon sorts — every with their very own movesets, skills, and distinctive mechanics — some followers will undoubtedly miss the unbridled selection that was as soon as current in video games like Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends.
However once more, that is simply the best way that Origins is designed, with a singular, participant character perspective in thoughts. And for what it is value, you do get to play as a small number of different heroes — albeit solely quickly. In most story battles, you’ll be able to workforce up with a companion, who’ll battle alongside you till their musou bar is full — and when it’s, you’ll be able to take direct management of them for a restricted time.
Your allies can dish out some severe destruction, in order that they’re finest utilised as one other type of tremendous assault. And truthfully, you may want it; Origins can turn into very difficult in a short time in case you do not keep watch over the encircling battlefield.
The collection has all the time had strategic leanings, however Origins will be significantly punishing. You needn’t babysit each ally throughout each map — thank God — however you’ll have to race over to sure characters and provides them a serving to hand now and again, if solely in order that the opposing military does not break via your formation.
Holding monitor of a battle is not too troublesome — it is largely only a case of truly listening to what your allies are saying, and following the overall plan that is defined on the warfare desk earlier than every encounter. However Origins is aware of methods to preserve you in your toes, and we would go as far to say that it options a few of the most participating maps within the franchise.
