When you read a review for a game like Dynasty Warriors: Origins, you’d probably expect one of two perspectives: either the passionate, long-time fan trying to convince you why the latest entry matters, or the newly converted enthusiast who’s sold on Koei Tecmo’s unique brand of 1-vs-thousands chaos—often labeled the “Musou” genre. But here’s the twist—I’m neither actually. I come to you not with excitement or nostalgia, but with exhaustion.
It’s a weariness born from Koei Tecmo’s relentless milking of the Three Kingdoms narrative and the formulaic Musou design it spawned. Samurai Warriors, Warriors Orochi — they all tread the same well-worn path, dressing up history in sexier, more romanticized packaging but rarely daring to change the core experience.
I used to find solace in their spin-offs; Dragon Quest Warriors & Hyrule Warriors – they at least tried to shake things up a bit. Persona 5 Strikers probably pushed the envelope the furthest, bringing in some of that Persona flair with its dungeons and stylish UI. But I couldn’t even finish its first dungeon. Because underneath all that fancy dressing, it was still the same old same: run in, mash buttons, watch enemies fly, rinse and repeat.
That’s why Dynasty Warriors: Origins caught me completely off guard. In fact, I feel like it’s an “anti-Musou game” with how it’s painfully aware of Koei Tecmo players’ playing patterns and common approaches to fighting large scale wars. I recognized the difference immediately between this game and the previous ones—because for the first time in a Musou game, I died.
Yeah, as an unknown, amnesiac swordsman fighting against the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Han Dynasty China, I didn’t know what I was doing in a war I often fought in previous games and failed my mission, many times in fact. I had no superpowers, no god-like control over the battlefield. My allies fled, my bases fell, and enemies attacked in formations that didn’t crumble under button-mashing or the comfort of familiar weapon swings. It was simply brutal, and this was just five or six skirmishes into the story. By the way, I was playing on normal difficulty, and I’m not inexperienced—I’ve been with this genre for over 17 years. The game even lets you restart from multiple points within a battle, a mechanic that feels less like a convenience and more like an admission: You will lose. Often.
I had to unlearn what I’ve learned all these years and changed my mindset and approach to fights, since enemies weren’t just ragdolls waiting for their turn to fly. They advanced with purpose, retreated strategically, surrounded me, and moved in sync with their platoon leaders.
One thing to note is that you don’t have a broad roster of characters like previous Musou games, nor can you meticulously plan tactics before battles. You do get skill trees with stat bonuses, and nine different weapons to wield, each with grindable proficiency levels and unlockable skills. The difference here is that you have access to all those weapons in the same skirmish. You can switch between them mid-battle, and even acquire new ones during missions.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins caught me completely off guard. In fact, I feel like it’s an “anti-Musou game” with how it’s painfully aware of Koei Tecmo players’ playing patterns and common approaches.
This change completely transformed the experience for me. Battles no longer felt like repetitive slogs; instead, each location emphasized different weapons based on enemy density and movement patterns. Singular foes required precision from weapons like gauntlets for raw power, others forced you to use staves for reach, and each weapon plays totally different from the other, and requires the resourceful use of Bravery energy points. It felt better than having a roster of characters only to stick with one per battle and leave the rest untouched.
Outside of battles, the game also features a small open world with side stories that accentuate the fiery main narrative, which delves into your protagonist’s clan and their outsider role in the grand scheme of history. I appreciated this fresh perspective more than recycling the same legendary figures like Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo, or Cao Cao yet again. Though eventually, you’ll choose a faction mid-story and commit to their cause through iconic battles and diverse landscapes until the bitter end.
End game also has more challenges, proficiency levels for weapons and a new difficulty, so you will be enjoying yourself for some time after the war is over if the 20 hour story wasn’t enough for you. You can also replay each story chapter as many times as you want.
Is Dynasty Warriors: Origins perfect? No, the story isn’t going to win any awards, and you’ll probably forget most of it after the credits roll. The narratives of these Musou games often feel more like collaborative crossovers than deeply immersive tales. Still, it has its moments, and the visuals are breathtaking compared to many games of this generation. The smoothness and responsiveness of attacks, blocks, and parries are top-notch, and the music is uplifting starting from the title screen to the ending credits. It has it all. I don’t think you can go wrong with giving it a try, but if you think you can button-mash your way through like I did at the start—think again.
Pros
- Dynamic and varied combat system.
- Fresh perspective on the Three Kingdoms era.
- Stunning visuals, smooth controls, and an uplifting soundtrack.
- High level of replayability.
Cons
- Story lacks narrative depth, and is easy to forget after completion.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins offers challenging gameplay that requires strategic thinking instead of button mashing like most Musou games. Engaging mechanics, combat depth and replayability adds new life into a long running series.
A review code was provided by Koei Tecmo for PlayStation 5. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
