Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Dynasty Warriors: Origins by developer, Omega Force:
Dynasty Warriors: Origins (Nintendo Switch 2)
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is Koei Tecmo’s latest mainline entry of the popular musou series. It was first released back in January 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Windows, and received generally favorable reviews praising its storytelling and combat. Now, one year after its initial launch, the game has arrived on Nintendo Switch 2. Having played my fair share of Koei Tecmo’s Musou games, including the likes of Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, the Hyrule Warriors games, Warriors Orochi 4: Ultimate, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and Warriors: Abyss, I was more than excited for Dynasty Warriors: Origins coming over to my favourite system.
So, what is Dynasty Warriors: Origins? For those unfamiliar with the Dynasty Warriors series, it is a 1 vs. 1,000 hack-and-slash game that is inspired by the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. For the most part, the series stays relatively close to the source material, using the characters, battles, and locations from the novel that are based on those from actual Chinese history, whilst providing its own flair to character designs and fighting styles. The games have always favoured their protagonists to be those of actual historical figures of significance, but Dynasty Warriors: Origins changes up the formula with a completely new fictional character and its storyline focusing solely on the first part of the novel. This is another first, as previous entries have usually covered the whole story, but this time, the story will go into much more depth than its predecessors. By doing so, it offers ample opportunity for future sequels to continue the more detailed story.
As for the story in question. Dynasty Warriors: Origins takes place during the turbulent times of the Three Kingdoms era (169–280 AD) and the end of the Han Dynasty. The Lords of the lands are becoming more and more greedy, while their citizens are left starving in the street and are forced to steal to feed their families. During this turmoil, some citizens eventually fought back against their oppressors, and thus the Yellow Turban Rebellion began. It started as a noble cause to stand up against the rich to help the poor, but then, as time went on, the Yellow Turbans eventually began to terrorise the very people they had once protected. To put a stop to the Yellow Turbans, the Lords of the lands set their armies upon the Yellow Turbans in the hopes of quelling the Rebellion and restoring order once more.Â
The game’s protagonist is a formidable warrior with no recollection of his past, yet he possesses a strong resolve to see peace restored to the land. On his journey to recover his lost memories, He joins forces with the likes of Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu, as well as other notable heroes, in the hopes of finding the one true hero who will successfully quell the rebellious uprisings and eventually bring peace to the region.
Combat and general gameplay are very much the same as you would expect from a Musou. The player must fight their way through hordes of enemies with a magnificent display of skill and powerful attacks as they capture keeps and defeat enemy captains. The player can use combos of weak and strong attacks, coupled with the rage meter and special attacks, to help deal heavy damage to their foes. Dynasty Warriors: Origins also features a parry system that, when executed properly, can stagger an enemy and open up a window of opportunity to get a few extra strikes in. Some enemy attacks can’t be parried, and you may have to dodge them or use a special move that will nullify the upcoming attack. There are indicators as to what move your enemy is about to use, so it is wise to pay attention so you can counter your opponents effectively.
At the start of the game, you are given a tutorial of sorts that covers the basic gameplay mechanics. More mechanics and features are gradually made accessible as you play, like being able to use a horse in combat to make traversing from one battleground to another much quicker, or having a companion join you in battles. The companion feature, I believe, is new to the series, as you can only play as the main protagonist in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. This is another notable difference from other entries in the series, where you had a roster of characters you could play as. Instead, by bringing along a companion in battle, you can temporarily play as them after building up the companion gauge. Companions have much stronger attacks than the protagonist and give players a bit more variety to the gameplay, as well as a bit more familiarity that is akin to previous Dynasty Warriors games.Â
While the thought of a single main protagonist for this kind of game may be off-putting for some, it may ease doubts to know that you can use a variety of weapons to change up the gameplay so it feels less repetitive. The sword is the default weapon of the protagonist, but you can unlock spears, gauntlets, staff, twin pikes, and even halberds to fight with. Unlocking weapons is a natural progression in the game that you can obtain by defeating specific enemy officers or by purchasing them in the shop after reaching a certain point in the game’s story.Â
When it comes to content. Dynasty Warriors: Origins has its fair share to keep players engaged and would take about 80 or so hours to complete everything. Completing the main story will take about 25 hours, but the side missions and challenges do help bulk out the experience. The skill trees and mastering each weapon to increase the character’s proficiency in them also help bolster the full gameplay time, as does the three-way story split that each has two different endings, which provide incentive to play through the game again and again to see all the different endings.
Coming to the end of this Explain & Play review, I have very much enjoyed my time playing Dynasty Warriors: Origins. It is a refreshing take on the original story and novel that I don’t doubt many series fans may have become fatigued with. The new protagonist and the branching paths in the game’s story add new outcomes to this alternate version of this iconic story. The gameplay is much more engaging, and the parry system is much more rewarding when successfully achieved. I also love the fact that you can charge headlong into massive armies alongside your own army, adding a sense of unity among your fellow soldiers. It feels like you are actually part of something much larger and more dynamic as opposed to previous entries.
If you are a fan of Warriors games, you will definitely get the most enjoyment out of Dynasty Warriors: Origins. As for new players, I think you will find this quite an enriching experience nonetheless and well worth trying out for yourself.Â
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Game Specifications:
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (Physical)
Genre: Action, Strategy
No. of Players:Â 1 (Single System)
Release Date:Â January 22, 2026
Price:Â $59.99
File Size: 21.6 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
