It’s been around 15 years since I last played a Dynasty Warriors game. Back then, it was the portable version that I played. That was when Western gamers were much more critical of Japanese-developed games. They aren’t bad games, but the repetition made them hard to enjoy. At first, I wasn’t interested in trying Dynasty Warriors: Origins. But, after hearing good things about its demo and that this was a reboot, I changed my mind. To be fair, this starts slow but it’s growing on me.
A fresh start but it feels the same
It might be a reboot, but this is still a hack-and-slash action game. The story focuses on one character instead of letting you pick from a massive cast like the older games. Your character suffers from amnesia, but it appears they have some great importance. The story draws from the famous Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. With no previous knowledge of the story, setting, or its characters, you can get lost. The more you play, the more of the story should make sense.
As of writing this blog, I played for a little more than 6 hours and finished the first chapter. I’m meeting many characters who may or may not play a significant role in the story. In the older games, these characters were part of the playable cast. They all had their own set of skills and weapons to use. Now, they fight alongside you in battle.
Your character appears to be a utility man. You begin with a sword but you unlock weapons as you progress. So far, I’ve had access to three weapons: a sword, a spear, and a pair of gauntlets. While using your weapons, you level up their proficiencies. This in turn levels up your character’s stats and helps to unlock extra skills and abilities.
A one-man killing machine
Your character is a beast on the battleground. The key to victory is parrying and counterattacks. Yes, you can spam the two attack buttons to mow down generic soldiers. But, when you face off against Officers or other notable characters, combat changes. This is where your crazy attacks are the key to victory.
You can see when a major enemy is about to attack. So, it’s all about timing your block to parry or counterattack. But at the same time, those notable enemies have shields, so it does take a while to stagger them. Once you do this though, you can unleash a powerful skill attack that deals massive damage. Most fights will take a few of these, so expect some longer fights mid-battle.
I’ve come across a decent mix of major enemies so far. Their attacks are strong but, if you time it right, you can block most attacks. What does get frustrating is the other enemies on the screen. There will be times when you’re able to block a front-facing attack but a back attack will deal damage. On the flip side though, your special attacks usually target an area, so many foes get hit.
Slow to start but growing on me
There is a lot of repetition and the pace early on is slow. Much of the game is around weapon proficiency, so smaller battles to help level up your character. These skirmishes are all over the over-world and vary in length and difficulty. I’ve spent most of my time taking part in these. Their objectives are simple. In one, you might have to defeat a certain Officer. Or, it might only have to knock out 400 foes.
Battles that revolve around the game’s plot are like past Dynasty Warrior games. You’ll have a large battlefield with different enemy camps, with one main camp. You’re never alone in battle, but your allies always need your help. So, you need to be aware of their situation and offer aid when necessary.
That part of combat was a bit annoying at first. You need to pay attention to the prompts because morale is so important. If your allies fall or retreat, it will often lead to failing the mission. It doesn’t matter how many foes you’ve killed, if they can’t defend themselves, it’s a defeat. Sometimes, it’s better to stick with a group and progress through the battlefield. Take out enemy bases and lower the enemy’s morale as much as possible. This does make the latter half of a mission a bit easier.
I plan on playing more
The story isn’t grabbing me. But, the gameplay loop is fun. My main point of enjoyment with Dynasty Warriors: Origins is with the weapons. I’m eager to see what else I unlock. It’s a bit disappointing that you can’t switch weapons in battles. I’d love to be able to mix it up, especially if you get your hands on long-range weapons like Bows.
