Dynasty Warriors Origins puts the series back on the map with ambitious changes, even larger battles, and a customisable combat system to make it the best we've seen in yearsTech16:47, 14 Jan 2025Nothing else scratches the same itch as Dynasty Warriors(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)You know the Ratatouille scene where the food takes the guy back to his childhood? Dynasty Warriors Origins is a bit like that.As someone that played 2000s Dynasty Warriors 2 at the age of 10 and was convinced games simply couldnt get more epic, my enthusiasm for the series has waned as Ive only tended to hop back to the Musou genre for its licensed tie-ins.Now, though, Dynasty Warriors Origins manages to recapture what made the series so captivating in the first place, and as soon as I started swinging my sword I was back to being a kid again and I mean that as a huge compliment.Origins is full of flashy moves for your character(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)As with prior games, Origins picks up with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga thats been retold countless times, and not just in video games.New this time, however, is our protagonist a near-silent amnesiac that acts as a cipher for the player. On the one hand, the introduction of someone so obviously a blank slate amongst so many strong characters feels a little like a step backwards, but it does allow for Dynasty Warriors Origins to do more interesting things with its combat (more on that shortly).The focus on a smaller tale does remove some of the breathless pace of switching between key personalities throughout the historical conflict, and thats certainly welcome after years of following the same characters around.Im a little mixed on performances, though, with some of its larger-than-life characters feeling a little too keen to chew the scenery, and the writing sometimes struggles under the weight of the vast web of characters it needs to reference at any given time. Thankfully, cutscenes are well done, and there are some characters that sound better than others notably in more intimate conversations, which only seems to make the protagonists deadpan expression even more noticeable.Youll sign up with one of the three kingdoms at a certain point, but unlike games with similar choices, you dont have to start right from the beginning to jump back in (were looking at you, Fire Emblem: Three Houses).Similar to Three Houses, though, you can build relationships with other characters. As someone who used to get my a*** handed to me by Lu Bu, I was thankful to be able to sit down for a nice chinwag with him this time around.Dynasty Warriors Origins makes me yearn for the devs to make a Lord of the Rings version(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)The allure of the Dynasty Warriors series has always been the way in which players can carve through huge swathes of enemies, and while earlier entries could get dozens of foes on screen, the jump to PS5 and Xbox Series X means the carnage is amplified tenfold.Your character, The Wanderer, leverages his Jason Bourne-like ability to hurt people without remembering why hes hurting people to pick up plenty of tricks throughout the campaign.There are new weapon types to unlock, additional abilities, fresh combos, and more. Each new weapon feels a little weak at first, but as you improve your skills youll unlock additional skills. They even have their own stats, and none of them feel underwhelming once you put in the time.You can create tornados to send enemies (literally) flying, roll up enemies like a sort of Katamari ball, or resort to the old-fashioned throw them in the air and knock them about a dozen times (the classics are the best).Dynasty Warriors Origins finally has the tech to achieve the series' vision(Image: KOEI TECMO GAMES)All of this customisation comes at the cost of not being able to play as other characters with their own move sets. Some missions will let you swap to other characters, but for the most part, youre playing as, well, yourself.With so many games leaning into the weighty, animation-lock style of Dark Souls et al, it feels so refreshing to just slap people silly with a good old button mash, and that leans into the inherent power fantasy of defeating the population of an entire town in 10 minutes.Between campaign missions you can roam a map to find additional activities (spoiler alert, they mostly revolve around fighting hundreds of baddies), and I loved the way it feels like a tabletop game that has a grown adult charging over the top of it like someone that just lost a game of Warhammer.Dynasty Warriors Origins is a bold new step for a series that hasnt needed to really reinvent itself this much in 25 years.Article continues belowThat it does this so impressively is a very pleasant surprise, and its likely to be a perfect entry point for newcomers while also offering a fresh perspective for longtime fans.Reviewed on PS5 Pro. Review code provided by the publisher.RECOMMENDED