Dynasty Warriors: Origins Offers a Familiar Yet Divisive Musou Experience

The latest entry in the long-running series introduces new mechanics and a fresh protagonist but struggles to overcome repetitive gameplay.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins, launching January 17, 2025, serves as a prequel to the series, focusing on the origins of the Three Kingdoms era.
The game introduces a new protagonist, Ziluan, who operates as a Guardian of Peace and interacts with historical figures like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian.
Key gameplay changes include a morale system, squad commands, and a stance-breaking mechanic for enemy officers, but core combat remains largely unchanged.
Critics praise the refined narrative focus and visual polish but note the repetitive missions and lack of significant innovation in gameplay mechanics.
The absence of multiplayer and the limited variety of weapons have been flagged as drawbacks, though the game serves as a potential entry point for newcomers to the series.