| Dynasty Warriors Origins | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Review Overview
What is Dynasty Warriors: Origins?
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is an action RPG developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo that focuses on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. Being the tenth mainline entry in the well-known Musou franchise, the game retains its popular hack-and-slash gameplay, in which players primarily control a single character and fight overwhelming numbers of enemies in strategic warfare. The game introduces a silent protagonist with his own story while being the player’s avatar in rewriting the story of the Three Kingdoms.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins features:
⚫︎ Based on a Romanticized Historical Novel
⚫︎ Single Player Action RPG
⚫︎ Silent Protagonist
⚫︎ Smaller But More Established Character Pool
⚫︎ Classic 1 vs 1000 Hack and Slash Gameplay
⚫︎ Modernized Dodge and Parry Mechanics
⚫︎ 10 Playable Different Weapons
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Dynasty Warriors: Origins’s gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 PlayStation |
 Xbox |
 Switch 2 |
||||
| $69.99 | $59.99 | ||||||
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Looks Almost as Good as the Original Consistent and Stable Frame Rate Simple and Engaging Gameplay Loop Great Narrative Retelling |
Voice Acting is Still a Miss Bland Protagonist Allies Ruin Battles |
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Story - 8/10
The overall story remains the same, but the writing and characterization of key characters have been greatly improved, albeit at the cost of a smaller roster. The addition of the protagonist’s own story and the Guardians of Peace isn’t as compelling as the already established tale, but it at least ties in well with how the game introduces its different routes and fate-altering scenarios.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Gameplay - 8/10
With Dynasty Warriors having its trademark large-scale battles and hack-and-slash combat, the game runs at a stable 30FPS which is a huge triumph. It even gives the option to play at an uncapped frame rate, which is always appreciated, since the Switch 2 can comfortably run above its cap. There are a few issues with the Joy-Con’s form factor: the triggers can feel a little uncomfortable, especially since the game requires multiple inputs at quick intervals for dodging, parrying, and accessing different skills and abilities.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Visuals - 8/10
While there is a noticeable difference between the Switch 2 and its other versions during gameplay, the small sacrifice in visual fidelity resulted in a perfectly stable game that still looks just as good. In fact, you can’t even tell much of a difference during cutscenes, which is a hallmark of a well-done port.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Audio - 8/10
In terms of its audio design, it's still just as good and just as questionable as the original. While the music and sound effects elevate the game’s presentation and atmosphere, the new voice acting can put people off. There are a ton of moments where the voice acting feels like a lackluster dub of a popular Chinese action film, and it's really just a matter of getting used to it.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Value for Money - 9/10
For $59.99, this port is surprisingly well-made, and the amount of content and replayability this title has is already worth the price of admission. It boasts over 25 hours of gameplay for the main campaign alone and can easily quadruple that if you’re willing to complete the game in its entirety. Additionally, its stability also makes it a great game to play on handheld, meaning you can battle 1000 men on the go.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Overall - 82/100
The Switch 2 version of Dynasty Warriors: Origins may very well be the gold standard of ports. A slight decrease in its overall visual quality is a small price to pay for running the game at a perfectly stable frame rate. Even with the decrease in visual quality, the presentation is still top-notch compared to the rest of the titles ported to the handheld. On top of that, it has loads of highly replayable content, along with an engaging combat system that’s easy to understand and rewarding to master.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Review: A True Port of the Three Kingdoms
A Walk Through the Three Kingdoms
It’s funny to point out that my fondest memory of playing Dynasty Warriors was on the PS Vita, specifically the title: Dynasty Warriors NEXT. I just remember it so much because of the unique create-a-character feature, the inclusion of the Jin faction, and the unique Conquest Mode, where I would pit my own faction of created characters against the likes of Shu, Wei, and Wu. It was one of those titles that I thought you should have on your PS Vita, but then again, there aren’t many choices to begin with.
Fast forward to 2025, and Dynasty Warriors: Origins reignited my love for the series. While I put in many hours into the game throughout the course of the year, I remember wondering to myself, “Why doesn’t Koei make a handheld version of this?” Lo and behold, they finally announced that the game would be ported to the Switch 2 last September.
Of course, I was excited. This was the best Dynasty Warriors title I’ve played since the PS Vita days, and I’ve been itching to play a Musou-style game while I’m out and about and don’t have access to my PC. Now, I know it’s good to be skeptical about ports nowadays, as developers have been opting for the ol’ bait-and-switch of releasing a half-baked game then patching it at a later date, but I’ll have you know:
This is probably one of the best ports I’ve ever seen or played, and that’s saying a lot.
Musou On the Go
Early last year, I wrote the review for Dynasty Warriors: Origins, calling it a proper revival the series needed. While I’ve already accomplished most of what the game offers in its content, there was still a lot to do, and I’ve always been impressed with how much the game actually has in store for those who get to play the game. It had the makings of the perfect handheld game that you can just pick up, enjoy, and put down when you’ve had your fun.
There’s the main story content of the retold story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the mini “dating” simulator with the Bonds, and, of course, the many challenges, optional battles, and secrets that the game has. It’s one of those games that’ll keep you busy with boatloads of content, but never really need you to commit if you’re just looking to finish the story.
The new personalities given to most of the characters add a new dimension to the story and the characters that I once thought were forgettable. Zhang Jiao, Dong Zhuo, Xun You, and even Huang Gai—these were some of the characters that I started to pay attention to more, especially since some of them were either comically one-dimensional or just plain forgettable in previous titles.
In terms of the actual story, the retelling, along with the inclusion of the Guardians of Peace, makes for a more interesting narrative. Mainly because of the more likable and nuanced characters, as well as its stellar presentation of its cinematics and gameplay. I’ve seen many of Dynasty Warriors’ cinematics and cutscenes, and I don’t think there’ll be one that holds a candle to their new portrayal of Lu Bu’s demise at the Battle of Xiapi.
As for the gameplay, the franchise has somehow found a way to enhance its simple combat design. I didn’t really expect that the addition of the parry and dodge mechanics would add a whole new layer of combat, but now I can’t imagine the series without them. Additionally, the gameplay of each weapon in the game is very, very entertaining, to the point that I don’t think there’s a single weapon that’s not fun to use.
Surprisingly Looks Great and Runs Stable
Dynasty Warriors: Origins' presentation is top-notch. That’s not a secret, and most people who’ve played through it would probably agree with me in saying that it’s probably the best-looking game in the series. But knowing that the game would be ported to the Switch 2, which is not on par with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S in terms of power, I expected it not to look as good as it did originally.
And yet, the guys at Omega Force have found a way to make it almost look as good as it does and run at a stable 30 FPS. Before people get their pitchforks out and complain that it probably could’ve run at 60 FPS, let me be the first to say that this is already very technically impressive.
Being able to balance the game’s visuals and still run perfectly fine on a weaker console shows their ability to optimize the port, and I, for one, believe this may be the best port we’ve seen yet. Also, did I mention that they even added the option to play the game with an uncapped frame rate? Yeah, there’s also that, meaning that you could actually play the game over 30 FPS if you really want to.
Voice Acting and Other Nitpicks
The voice acting for the Dynasty Warriors franchise has never been totally perfect. In the case of Origins, the new voice actors are very hit-or-miss, with most leaning towards the latter. While I’m not a stickler for proper pronunciation and tone, the main issue with the performance was its inconsistency.
It’s one thing to be wrong once and have it wrong the whole way, but it’s another to have multiple ways of being wrong for one particular line. For instance, certain names have two to three different pronunciations, and now I’m left to wonder which of the three pronunciations was correct. It’s one of those things that even veterans of the franchise would have to get used to.
Another is Ziluan, or the protagonist himself. His lack of a voice actor during cutscenes really diminishes the impact of certain scenes, especially when he’s directly involved. To add to this, it’s also his lack of facial expressions in most scenes, as it really does feel like he’s just there for the ride. He may not look bad, but the fact that he doesn’t really show as much passion as the rest of the characters do makes it feel like he’s a black hole in the narrative.
Lastly, there are the allied AI officers. Man, there are a lot of battles that become difficult, if not nearly impossible, because the AI needs to be babysat constantly. And it gets much worse in certain Ultimate Warrior challenges, where you need to run across the map just to make sure one of the officers doesn’t die an early death. The constant running around the map becomes tiring when you start playing on the greater difficulties.
Content That’ll Last You
Regardless of the issues that I pointed out, Dynasty Warriors: Origins still has content that’ll last you for a long time. The main campaign takes about 20-30 hours to beat, and doing the optional content will most likely double that number when you start doing so.
And if you’re looking for a completionist run? It’s probably going to take about 100 hours. Finishing all of the different campaign routes and sub-routes is already a task in itself, especially since some of the “Fate Altered” conditions can be quite tricky to navigate and accomplish.
Is Dynasty Warriors: Origins Worth It?
Yes! It’s Time to Relive History On the Go!
Dynasty Warriors: Origins was already a damn good game that might’ve flown under the radar last year. Yet somehow, the Switch 2 version impresses again with its balanced optimization of amazing graphics and a stable framerate.
It’s easily one of the most impressive ports in recent memory, showcasing the game in near-top form while letting players do battle on impressive battlefields with upwards of thousands of soldiers.
I would easily recommend this to anyone who has a Switch 2, as its compelling narrative, engaging gameplay, stunning graphics, and great performance make it the perfect choice for an action RPG on the go.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
PlayStation |
Xbox |
Switch 2 |
||||
| $69.99 | $59.99 | ||||||
Dynasty Warriors: Origins FAQ
Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins Run at 60 FPS?
No. The game runs at a stable 30 FPS. However, you can change the frame rate limit to “Variable” to run above 30 FPS, but results may vary between handheld and docked modes.
Game8 Reviews
You may also like...
Dynasty Warriors: Origins Product Information
 |
|
| Title | DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 22, 2026 (Nintendo Switch 2) January 17, 2025 (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) |
| Developer | Omega Force |
| Publisher | Koei Tecmo |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Genre | Action, RPG |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | T |
| Official Website | Dynasty Warriors: Origins Official Website |
