There is a palpable sense of satisfaction that comes from defeating an army of thousands of soldiers all by yourself. Some games allow you to kill thousands of enemies over a long period of time. Some games only let you kill a few hundred before the credits. Musou games – like the Dynasty Warriors series – lets you kill thousands of enemies in a matter of minutes. The latest entry in the Dynasty Warriors series promises more enemies on the battlefield than ever before. You know what that means… an exorbitant amount of ass kicking. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the first new game in the franchise since 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9. Origins plans to be one of the best games in the Musou genre with its enhanced mechanics, new ideas, and more dynamic combat.
If you’re unfamiliar with what a Musou game is, it’s quite simple – you are a one-man army up against a literal army. Musou games give you the ultimate power fantasy of feeling like an unstoppable killing machine, effortlessly stomping out the lives of thousands without breaking a sweat. Dynasty Warriors invented this formula and it has been adopted by many other franchises. Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors were Nintendo’s takes on the genre that had fan favourite characters duke it out with thousands upon thousands of enemies at once. Typically in these games you’re able to play as a ton of characters who each have their own unique playstyle. Dynasty Warriors has famously done this in their games for decades, but Origins looks to flip its familiar systems on its head.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins has you playing as one character throughout the game’s story. You play as a talented martial artist with a strong case of amnesia. You embark on a journey that takes you through the Later Han Dynasty (years 947-951) in China. You must travel across the massive Chinese continent and make a name for yourself amongst major heroic figures who are dominating in warfare. Along the way you will meet adversaries as well as foes who plan to get in your way, be it politically, strategically, or through violence.
Like any other Musou game, the star of the show is the sprawling battles that take place across the story. Literally tens of thousands of soldiers are waging war on each other, and you can act as a general or as a soldier. It is entirely up to you how you want to face these battles. Before battles begin, you are briefed on a strategy that will be enacted to snuff out the enemies. Follow through with the strategy and you’ll have a much better shot at winning the battle no problem. You could even decide to ignore the strategy altogether and go in guns blazing (metaphorically, of course) and try to put on a one-man show. Ignoring the strategy probably won’t go well for you, but if you’re confident/have strong equipment, you might just be able to pull it off.
Keeping up morale and courage is extremely important and vital to winning these massive-scale battles. It’s smart to focus on capturing enemy strongholds and killing large numbers of enemy soldiers to raise your army’s morale. The higher the morale, the more courage your fellow generals and troops will get. Higher courage means that even if fighting from behind, your team will likely be able to come out on top through sheer will. If the enemy army has higher morale than yours, they will be more aggressive and harder to defeat. Dynasty Warriors: Origins encourages you to fight with your team in mind.
Between battles there is a large-scale map that you are able to roam through. As the story goes on you’ll incrementally unlock new places to explore. Throughout the map you’ll find villages and settlements where you can purchase goods and talk to locals, as well as get side-quests and various other things. As the map expands, so too does your personal armoury. There are nine different weapon types you can master across your playthrough. Each weapon type has unique characteristics that might make you feel inclined to use them in specific areas of battle. For instance, it’d be smart to use a long reaching spear for dealing with larger groups of enemies. Or you could use something like the gauntlets or a sword or one-on-one combat with an enemy general. You can swap out weapons on the fly at any time, so you’re never forced to use one weapon during an inopportune moment. Gaining proficiency in each weapon type will increase the protagonist’s “Bravery” level, and his abilities with each weapon will enhance greatly. Each weapon type has their own “arts.” Arts are essentially special attacks that can be used by each weapon type. You can swap out whatever arts you want for each weapon to best suit your playstyle.
Another exciting way to turn the tide of a battle is the “Tactics” system. As you play through the game, you’ll unlock guards who fight alongside you and your army. Each guard brings with them game-changing tactics that can be used in your favour. Some guards are able to summon a flock of shield-bearing soldiers who will set up unbreachable walls. Other guards can call upon a large group of archers with flaming arrows, or even a large herd of horses to run through the opposition. It’s important to use these tactics when you have a large group of soldiers with you. Otherwise, the tactic will be wasted and you will be embarrassed by the enemy faction.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is shaping up to be the perfect place for newcomers to start, and veterans to flex their muscles. Whether you’re into deeply satisfying tactical battles, or you just want to go berserk and kill a million guys in a matter of seconds, Dynasty Warriors: Origins has got you covered.
DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS will be released on PlayStation®5, Steam® and Xbox Series X|S on January 17th, 2025.