One of the best feelings in gaming is taking down hordes of enemies single handedly. One of the best games that allow you to experience this feeling is the Dynasty Warrior franchise. Dynasty Warriors: Origin is a tactical action hack and slash game where you go through hordes of enemies while trying to take down the enemy generals while also keeping your general alive. This game is action packed with likeable characters and many different weapons to use to mow down the opposing army and bring peace to China.

You play as a wandering swordsman, which you get to name at the start of the game. While his true name is revealed early in the game the other characters still refer to you as the name you give yourself at the beginning of the game. The game also introduces a lot of characters, which makes it hard to keep track and I often forget who is who and who is important for missions. Not to mention Some characters end up betraying you later on in the game and become bosses as well. The story also is hard to follow along, due to all the characters and how most become enemies later on. The has many twists and turns and it boils down to, a warrior has lost his memory and is trying to do his duty with no actual memory as to why.

This game has an array of weapons you can use during missions. From swords to staffs and other types of close ranged weapons. You have a chance to unlock a new weapon type by defeating a general that is using said weapons but you need to complete the mission in order to use the weapons. Once the weapon is unlocked then you can purchase more of the weapons at the shop located at any major city. Each weapon has a different play style, so it’s recommended that you try out each weapon once you unlock them. I also recommend using all the weapons to level them up. Leveling up your weapons is how you level up your character. As you use a weapon your proficiency will increase and once it reaches a certain level you will rank up and your stats will increase and allow you to unlock new skills. The more different weapon types you have the more experience you gain at a time. While you still gain experience for all your weapons during missions, you gain more if you’re using the weapon so i recommend you using a weapon type of a lower level so you can rank up faster. While playing you may find side missions which are a great source of experience and money so you can use the weapons you want to rank up during these missions, then use your favorite weapon during the main story’s mission to make it easier for you.

Each mission plays the same with some deviations. The objectives are usually to take down the enemy commander, but it is almost never that easy. Sometimes you will have to search the battlefield for a hidden commander, save civilians, or even try to escape from an unbeatable opponent. During certain missions strange things might affect the battle, such as storms blowing through the battlefield or shadow soldiers rushing at you without stopping. When these things happen, you need to use your special eye to find either the source of the incense causing the illusions or the sorcerer on the battlefield conjuring the illusions. Taking care of the illusions are required to get through the battlefield. And complete the mission

Dynasty Warriors: Origins gives me the feeling of being unstoppable and being an army of one, even though technically you will always have an army with you. I would mow down enemies with my favorite weapons and feel like an unstoppable force. I even enjoy using every type of weapon in the game. The battles are action packed and the feeling of gathering your soldiers for a huge charge against the enemy army gets me pumped up every time. You have to keep on your toes as you are charging through the enemy defenses. If you don’t pay attention to the map you might not notice enemies attacking your home base. When that happens you have to rush back because most missions fail if a specific character besides you is defeated. The good thing is that the map will give you the exact location of all characters on the battlefield so if a character is about to die you know where they are exactly.

In conclusion, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a great experience that gives you the feeling of being a one man army. While this game has some minor issues, hard to follow storytelling and too many characters to keep track of, The gameplay more than makes up for it and has my interest in future installments and even has me wanting to try out other installments of this franchise.

Score: 9 out of 10

Reviewed on Playstation 5