Dynasty Warriors Origins Preview: Hands-On With Omega Force’s Ambitious PS5 Hack-‘N-Slash

Dynasty Warriors Origins PS5 Preview. The Dynasty Warriors franchise has been synonymous with the PlayStation platform for almost 30 years now, having released games on every one of Sony’s home consoles since the PS1 including PSP and PSVita. The mainline series however has not seen a release since the 2018 PS4 title Dynasty Warriors 9.

Based upon The Three Kingdoms period – one of the bloodiest eras in Chinese history – Omega Force Studios has been at the helm of development for each of the main games numbered in sequence since its inception. Earlier this month, we got to go hands-on with the latest game in the series that’s slated for a Jan 2025 release – Dynasty Warriors Origins.

What’s immediately noticeable is the impact the team has taken moving away from the numbered naming convention of the series thus far. Speaking to Origins Producer and Omega Force Studio Head Tomohiko Sho at the preview event, he had this to say on the decision to change from the numbering of the series titles:

“One of the reasons is that in order to make it easier for new players who have never played (the series) and to make it an easier entry point for them, so that they are not intimidated by seeing a 10, but using the word Origins instead.”

“Also among the various other reasons is that with Dynasty Warriors, our initial approach is that we really wanted to make it a tactical action game and add those tactical action game elements. But within the more recent entries of the game, it’s really moved towards focusing more on the action and the action elements and I think as an identity for the series we want to portray the exciting aspects of being a tactical action game”

Sitting in Sho-san’s presence and listening to him speak about Dynasty Warriors Origins, his passion and excitement for this game is clear. Asked about the influence of modern games like Ghost Of Tsushima on the approach they took this time around he had this to say:

“Actually specifically Ghost of Tsushima, I personally really like Ghost Of Tsushima and when I first played it at the very start, the first battle scene, you can feel how realistic and immersive this is and from that I felt oh you know what, in battle situations you really need to feel that realistic as if you’re there kind of feeling.”

“That’s really vital and that’s something that we haven’t been able to do in the Dynasty Warriors series. I mean we’ve been able to show huge armies of troops, but we haven’t been able to get that feeling of actually being in there and feeling like you’re in the battlefield.”

From the opening moments of hands-on with the game something feels different in comparison to the previous titles. While the look and sound is undeniably “Dynasty Warriors,” there’s a more cinematic and emotional feel to things from the get-go. This ties straight into what Sho-san alluded to – there needs to be that feel. After all, war and battles are more than just the acts of combat. They are steeped in difficult decisions, consequences, and emotions, and it is this key piece of the puzzle that Origins excels.

Tight gameplay and well designed systems feed into the storytelling. The ability to advance the skills of your hero and upgrade the weapons at your disposal as you see fit really gets you deeply invested. The progression systems on show are well implemented allowing you to tweak and kit out your character to best fit your preferred play-style. This is your hero, your companions, your comrades on the battlefield that you are fighting shoulder to shoulder with.

The advanced tech of the PS5 allows for the battles to play out in different areas simultaneously so the focus is not just on the spot you are currently dishing out the pain with a slew of combos and counter attacks. You must be mindful of offering support where and when it is needed, as it’s crucial to success.

The ability to command soldiers and to even take direct control of some of the other characters that fight at your side presents the player more attachment to those affiliated with you in battle. A driving force here is a morale system by which your allies are affected. The strategies and tactics you deploy can heavily influence the tipping of the scales of a battle in your favour.

Juxtaposed against the high octane electric guitar-soaked combat are some nice serene elements that contribute to the ebb and flow of the emotional journey. The world map, a representation of The Three Kingdoms period in China, has a unique look and sound compared to the combat.

This map opens up the more you advance the story giving you much to explore at the slower pace complete with spots of traditional Chinese instrumental music. It serves as an RPG element to the game where you find side missions, skirmishes to fight, meet characters and find items used for upgrades.

Cinematic story is delivered via stylised, partially animated art pieces that are truly stunningly crafted. It gives a nice focus on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms lore that is very different to the in-game cutscenes. Fans of the series and newcomers will be equally impressed.

With a gameplay loop that is as intriguing and compelling as its story telling, Dynasty Warriors Origins is shaping up to be the best yet in the series. My short few hours playing had me hooked and not wanting to put the controller down. While it is set for release on January 17, 2025, you won’t have to wait until then to experience a portion of the story and gameplay for yourself as a demo for the game is out now.

Dynasty Warriors Origins is slated for release on January 17, 2025 for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.