Dynasty Warriors: Origins Feels Much More Personal Than Ever Before - Tokyo Game Show 2024

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Ever since I can remember, I have enjoyed Dynasty Warriors. It is my guilty-pleasure game, one that I can comfortably turn to for the mindless fun of demolishing thousands of enemies as one very overpowered individual. The series has had a similar structure throughout the entries: You choose a character, go through maps, take control of outposts, level yourself up, and get new weapons to increase your stats and take on higher difficulties. I am a fan of the formula, and I didn't think much about changing it up, but Koei Tecmo did, and I am not sure if I will be able to go back.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins feels much more focused on the story revolving around the game, as well as one individual versus building out and selecting from multiple different characters. You play as a "nameless hero" who is on a path to conquer the Three Kingdoms, and as he goes through, he will encounter and fight alongside the fighters that we have all come to know and love from the series. But you only play as this nameless hero, building him out and utilizing different weapons to conquer the battlefield.

I really enjoy the different viewpoints in this entry. While the other games do have a story to them, Origins feels like a revamp and much more engaging thanks to following a single person. I still got the joy of seeing and fighting with the other characters, but it felt more like an RPG in a story sense.

However, this carries over to the actual gameplay. The core gameplay is relatively the same as the past entries, but there are some small changes here and there to emphasize the focus on the individual versus just the carnage. The camera angle is more like a traditional third-person view instead of a view putting the character directly in the middle of the screen, you have multiple different unique special attacks you can use on top of your regular combos, and you can use different weapon types that changes how the nameless hero fights.

There are also different interactions on the field now, each designed to put the nameless hero front and center and give the scene a more cinematic feel. For instance, Musou attacks now get very up close and personal to your hero's face for a closer look at their facial expressions, while some ally generals will want you there to make a move on the enemy. There was one moment on the map when my ally, Yuan Shao, wanted me and hundreds of our units to charge at the enemy and hundreds of their units. He waited for me, and when I was in position, we rushed towards the enemy.

Because of this, it felt much more personal and extremely epic. Koei Tecmo has mastered having hundreds and even thousands of units on screen at once, so utilizing that to make a more personal experience like this one is really awesome. You can also take an ally officer with you into battle and, in some scenarios, can even take control of them for a short time! During the battle, I was able to take control of Guan Yu, which felt like a joy for the short time I got to.

We also get to see the return of duels on the field! In some situations, you could encounter an enemy general who challenges you to a duel on the battlefield. If you accept, units will circle around while you two fight. With everything else, it helps make the game feel even more personal, and I absolutely love it.

It feels like every part of Dynasty Warriors: Origins has been rebuilt to revolve around this new, more personal viewpoint, and it makes the game feel more cinematic, personal, and downright epic when in fights. Koei Tecmo's reimagining of the series in this new style is working really well and does a great job of moving it forward while retaining the core elements of what makes it a Dynasty Warriors game. I love the direction they are heading in, and I can't wait to see what else will be unveiled for the game. I, for one, am sold and so glad I got a chance to play it at the show.

As for Steam Deck compatibility, it could be tough, but I do have hope. The other Warriors games from Koei Tecmo run pretty well, including some of their newest releases like Warriors Orochi 4 and Samurai Warriors 4 DX. This entry feels like it will be harder to run, but I am confident that it will be at the very least playable at 30 FPS on the Steam Deck.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins can be wishlisted on Steam ahead of its January 17, 2025 release.

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