the spectacular rebirth of Musô

Dynasty Warriors is a 27-year-old saga, and it has no less than 30 episodes to its credit, which means that it had found an industrial cruising speed, to the tune of one new episode per year, or even even two in the same year when the Omega Force studio was motivated. But by pulling on the rope so much, she obviously ended up letting go. The break was also consummated in 2018, during the release of Dynasty Warriors 9 which attempted to renew itself after several episodes where the formula went in circles and sales continued to decline. By trying to make it an open world, the developers went astray, both in the identity of the franchise and in their ability to compete with Western productions. And yes, making open-world games cannot be improvised, especially when you are a small team that has only been recycling its mechanics and assets for almost 30 years. In 2022, Omega Force has slightly rectified the situation with Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires, but not enough to wake up an entire regiment either. Aware that it was more than urgent to start again on new and healthy foundations, the Japanese studio rolled up its sleeves to deliver a Dynasty Warriors Origins which is almost back from hell. A nice comeback indeed!

BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY

The first good decision that was taken by the studio and its new producer, Mr Tomohiko Sho, was to refocus the interests and return to the fundamentals of the series. We forget the open world that we do not control to offer large battle zones in which we will move from one enemy base to another, while using the mechanics which had given the salt and charm of the saga. Basically, it's still a question of hitting as many enemies as possible and targeting the generals to free the area from its yoke, but with the power of the latest consoles, the feeling of participating in a real massacre is simply total. We don't really know how many enemies the game is capable of displaying simultaneously, but it's definitely impressive. In certain battles in particular, the number of soldiers on the screen is such that we can no longer even distinguish our own character, drowned in the middle of this crowd just waiting to be knocked out. You might think that all this is becoming messy and messy, but given that it only takes one powerful blow to send around thirty enemy soldiers flying, you immediately clear some space around you. In reality, for the first time in the history of Dynasty Warriors, the tagline “1 VS 1000” is finally respected and let's be honest, the sensation is not only exhilarating, but we also want more, the game is so confident on the technical side .

Whether on PC, PS5 or Xbox Series, the game never wavers and the frame rate remains impeccable. As long as you are equipped with good PC equipment, i.e. a minimum i7 processor and a good graphics card, at least 3000 series from GeForce, then you are at peace. Same on consoles, but obviously, it is on PS5 Pro that you will appreciate native 4K 60 frames per second, or even more if you have the appropriate television, since it is possible to go up to 120fps. So yes, it's true that this Dynasty Warriors Origins does not display the latest graphics and gives the impression of being part of the previous generation, but in the heat of the action and with this completely crazy quantity of NPCs to the screen, we let ourselves be carried away by this visual and sonic maelstrom. And then, during the numerous cutscenes which allow us to meet numerous additional characters, we also realize that the modeling of the different characters is entirely honorable.

NASTY, BUT ALSO FINER

On the other hand, where Dynasty Warriors Origins stands out from the fray and allows the franchise to return with its head held high, it is in its gameplay. Finer, more demanding and more exhilarating, it was inspired by what we find in all Souls-like games of the moment, in order to offer players the depth and interest that was missing from this massacre of free soldiers. Beyond this ability to vary between simple blows, heavy attacks and battle arts to give more style and power to the fights, we see that the game highlights a parry and dodge system to be used depending on the situation. Some enemy attacks are unstoppable, which requires you to dodge blows, but whether it's blocking or dodging, if your timing is perfect, then you will be able to counterattack in the best possible way. Moreover, successfully countering an attack with a battle-art allows you to reduce what is called the fortitude of an opponent in the game. Each enemy officer has a yellow gauge above his head which is called Fortitude and when this is depleted, the Triangle icon appears above his head, and pressing Triangle then activates an assault that causes massive damage. Then there are the Musô attacks and the Musô Rage which are the ultimate attacks, but which will evolve throughout the adventure. At the beginning, our hero Ziluan can use Musô attacks, but their power is not at their maximum at the start, but as we progress in the game, the power of Musô attacks grows and it will even be possible to combine it with that of a partner from Chapter 2. It is in fact from there that it will be possible to go to war with other teammates and it will then be possible to change character at that moment -there. On the other hand, as I said in my preview, only 9 different characters are playable in this Dynasty Warriors Origins. Compared to the usual 90 of previous episodes, it's not a lot or even meager, but let's say that the game has gained in narrative to compensate for this lower figure, and in reality, do we really need 90 different characters to appreciate the quality of the game? Clearly not.

LESS IS MORE

And this is all the more true as the game varies its pleasures with the choice of weapons that we unlock as we progress. There are 9 in total and it must be admitted that they each have their advantages and specific techniques. Sword, spear, gauntlets, twin eagles, Sun Wukong staff, solstice, iron fists, there is something for everyone and it is true that we tend to favor those that suit us the most. Personally, I have a weakness for Spring, Sun Wukong's famous staff and the shredding fang, but everyone will find something to suit their needs. And then, Dynasty Warriors Origins also includes tactical concepts, which allow you to give orders to your troops. For example, it is possible to coordinate attacks, set up defensive formations, and ask squads to fire arrows towards the enemy. All these maneuvers can play an important role during a battle, because they can lower the morale of the opposing troops and therefore gain the upper hand. Finally, we will note the possibility of evolving Ziluan our hero, with all kinds of equipment in addition to weapons, such as food, potions to use to regain health, courage or endurance for his horse, just as it is important to grant yourself gems to gain power, defense, health, etc. Without forgetting the 5 skill trees which will allow you to evolve throughout the adventure.

It is also strongly advised to prepare your attacks well and not rush headlong into the pile, because this is the best way to end up with all four irons in the air. Dynasty Warriors Origins may be a massive and boring beat'em all on the surface, but the game requires a certain sense of strategy as you progress. The big battles get tougher as they go on, the enemies are more and more numerous, and above all the officers are not beaten as easily as one might imagine. It is not uncommon to be overwhelmed because it is not only your life gauge to monitor, there is also that of your companions and if they bite the dust, it is also game over. It's up to you to manage the combat zones well, to keep an eye on the clashes of your companions who may suddenly ask you for help. It's up to you to take the time to leave your war zone to help them, knowing that turning around, even on horseback, can take a while. Afterwards, in terms of level design, apart from a few roads which lead to large combat zones, there aren't really any big surprises. From time to time, you can be surprised by a cliff, or closed doors, but nothing too insurmountable. This is also one of the criticisms that we can make of Dynasty Warriors Origins which clearly lacks inspiration in the layout of its levels. The Omega Force studio, however, tries to vary the atmospheres as much as possible, with sandy lands, snowy areas, moments of heavy rain, or a good big lens-flare in the face, and to tell the truth, we let ourselves be carried away by these changes in atmosphere.

Another element that also allows Dynasty Warriors Origins to be a game that must be taken seriously is the entire narrative part, much more elaborate than in previous games in the license. It was decided to play a central protagonist, with a dark look, devoid of any words and who will try to exist in the middle of all this string of well-known names from the Three Kingdoms. He will be at the center of all the unions, the assassination attempts, the inceptions and the twists and turns. We are always immersed in the heart of the history of the Three Kingdoms and we move from one clan to another to try to save China, with this backstory, trying to understand why we suddenly lost our memory, but what we know how to fight like no one else. Of course, by focusing its narrative on a single character, limiting the choices of playable protagonists, Dynasty Warriors Origins will not only make friends among fans of the license, but we still note the desire to provide consistency to the story, especially since the game is far from being stingy with cutscenes, dialogues and other epic moments. It's a shame, however, that our hero is as mute as a carp, because in the middle of a warlord's conversation, he is clearly doing the job, whereas his detached, almost casual look could have provided a nice contrast with the other officers.