Dynasty Warriors: Origins Switch 2 Review
Rally 'Round The Flag
The latest entry in Koei Tecmo and Omega Force's Dynasty Warriors series has stormed onto the Nintendo Switch 2, bringing with it a rousing tale of heroes vying for the favor of the heavens, chaotic battles that pit one against thousands, and an emperor's worth of content. With its endlessly entertaining action and excellent performance, Dynasty Warriors: Origins on Switch 2 is a must-have for fans of the genre and a perfect fit for players looking to get the most out of the system.
Adapting roughly the first half of Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms , the story takes players from the peasant revolt of the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs, as the Han Dynasty loses its grip on the realm and warlords spring up to replace it, blazing a path to the future through bold promises and spilled blood. Players take on the role of Ziluan, a wandering warrior with amnesia who devotes his blade to those who further the cause of peace. As the story progresses and control of the realm is divided between three heroes, Ziluan begins to remember the duty he was once entrusted with and joins the leader that he believes will be the one to unify the land. Players can choose between the idealistic Liu Bei, the pragmatic Cao Cao, and the fearless Sun Jian, as they fight under the banner of the righteous and tear down all that stand in their way.
[caption id="attachment_182964" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The enemy of my enemy will be my enemy tomorrow.[/caption]
At every turn, old alliances are broken and new ones are forged, as the chaos of war turns yesterday's comrades into today's enemies. Political intrigue and surprising twists await players regardless of which path they choose, and true to the Origins title, those unfamiliar with the source material and this era of history are eased into its world slowly. The story covers a tremendous amount of ground, yet it manages to treat individual characters and arcs gracefully. Antagonists like the revolutionary Zhang Jiao and the conqueror Dong Zhuo are portrayed with a deft touch, showing how ambition leads both the just and the strong astray. Though both the source material and the game favor Liu Bei, the game portrays his rivals as being worthy of leadership in their own ways. Through its thoughtful writing and well-rounded cast, the story beautifully portrays changing times, clashing ideals, and the sacrifices that must be made on the road to peace.
Ziluan, being an original character made just for the game, acts as a proxy for players by letting them march alongside legends like Guan Yu and Lu Bu, and though the lack of voice acting for him makes his scenes somewhat awkward, it is a small price to pay for the added immersion and freedom of choice that comes with his inclusion. However, the subplot dealing with his past is rather trite, and it takes what was otherwise an acceptable avatar character and makes him feel forced by spending an unnecessary amount of screen time on him. The fact that his character and the concepts featured in his story have no historical basis makes them stand out even more. Pitfalls typical of this character type also rear their head throughout, such as Ziluan being regularly met with an overabundance of praise and admiration by the entire cast, which further disconnects him from the grounded tone and historical setting.
[caption id="attachment_182965" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Might makes right.[/caption]
Despite having spawned countless games and an entire genre based on its large-scale battles and blood-pumping hack n' slash combat, the Dynasty Warriors formula continues to excite. The decision to cut the roster down to just one playable character recenters the series, allowing for a narrower but deeper battle system. Ziluan is peerless in both offense and defense, with the dodge, parry, and Battle Art mechanics turning him into a one-man army. The dodge and parry work as they do in most action games featuring them, yet their inclusion feels significant because of the freedom and power that they grant players upon mastery. Meanwhile, the cooldown-based Battle Arts allow players to consistently string together powerful attacks instead of relying on just light and heavy attacks or having to wait until the Rage and Musou gauges are full to feel the rush the combat is meant to provide.
That would be satisfying enough on its own, yet there are even more options available to players, such as issuing orders to a detachment of guards to disrupt the enemy or temporarily taking control of one of the era's most legendary warriors to inflict major damage on their ranks. To make up for the one-man roster, Ziluan is also able to cycle between several weapon types, each transforming his move set, often with a unique gimmick that justifies using one weapon over another in a given situation. With battles often changing objectives partway and tenacious bosses leading the foe into the fray, that adaptability becomes key to victory. Through these mechanics and systems working in tandem, combat becomes rhythmic and free flowing, with players weaving through enemy formations like flowers in the breeze, all to strike where it hurts most with the full brunt of their thorns.
Weapon usage grants EXP towards weapon proficiency, which, once leveled up, rewards players with new attacks, new skill branches on the skill tree, and better stats. The EXP needed to reach the next rank for a weapon type grows considerably between ranks, encouraging players to use all weapon types to grow stronger more consistently. Skill points for the skill tree are awarded for performing well in battle, though more can be obtained by fulfilling certain requests from comrades, such as defeating a certain number of enemies with a specific attack. Additional Battle Arts can also be purchased from shops, obtained from NPCs around the world map, learnt from the skill tree, or unlocked by maxing out bonds with comrades.
[caption id="attachment_182966" align="aligncenter" width="640"] March across the realm and bring it closer to unity with each step.[/caption]
Optional battles are scattered across the map, offering smaller skirmishes that are good for grinding EXP and skill points. A few side quests, including one dealing with Ziluan's memories, are also available for those looking for a break from the main story. However, the most compelling of the optional content is completing all three routes, as they differ significantly and each have different strengths and weaknesses. For instance, Sun Jian's route misses out on some of the game's more historically significant battles, but it also tells a more approachable and heartfelt story than that of Liu Bei or Cao Cao's routes. All three routes also include what-if scenarios that change the fate of a character or outcome of a battle from what it is historically meant to be by performing certain actions, which brings more variety to the mix.
Players can expect the Switch 2 battery to get around two hours and thirty minutes out of the game in handheld mode. Completing the first route may take around twenty-five to thirty hours, while completing all three roughly tallies up to forty. Progress carries over between campaigns, allowing for breezy repeat playthroughs and for players to continue honing their skills after the credits have rolled. The postgame can push playtime up to and past one hundred hours through unlocking every skill on the tree, maxing out proficiency on all weapons, replaying from the start on the Ultimate Warrior difficulty for a true challenge, and more. Skill checks are dispersed throughout, with one of them being hard enough to potentially end a playthrough, though they are never unfair and can be blown past by players willing to engage with all of the game's mechanics. The new Visions of Four Heroes DLC that can be purchased separately brings even more content and challenges for those who are left craving more.
Voice acting is a mixed bag, with the English cast having both standout and laughably bad performances. It also struggles with keeping pronunciations of names consistent across the cast and across every scene. The Japanese cast is more balanced in its quality, but it has a fatal flaw in that the abundance of in-battle dialogue's subtitles are pushed off to the side where they're hard to read in the thick of combat. Meanwhile, Chinese voices are absent, at least in the North American release, which may be a disappointment for certain players.
[caption id="attachment_183462" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Rise above all others to become unmatched under the heavens.[/caption]
What is unlikely to disappoint, however, is the electric guitar-dominated soundtrack that makes each battle twice as epic. Though famed series composer Masayoshi Sasaki, also known as MASA, retired from Koei Tecmo in 2022, his successors have followed up on his work commendably. Iconic tracks like "EVE" from Dynasty Warriors 4 have been remixed, while many of the new ones hold their own against the classics. It's easy to get sucked into battles because of the soundtrack, and it's when players sync with the rhythm of the combat and the music simultaneously that they feel most like an unstoppable warrior, letting instinct and the beat guide their blade to victory.
When it comes to performance, the Switch 2 version offers players the choice between a locked thirty frames per second and a variable frame rate that shoots for sixty. The former works as expected, but the latter is impressive in both docked and handheld play. Though it is kept back by the inconsistency inherent to an unlocked frame rate, many players may find themselves choosing this mode for the entire playthrough, just for the battles where it stays close to sixty from start to finish, which is more often than one might think. This setting occasionally leads to pop-in and blurry textures, but it isn't jarring enough to be a problem. With that and some scattered long load times as the exceptions, the game looks and feels next-gen, which makes it even more inviting than it already was.
Wounded only by minor flaws, Dynasty Warriors: Origins for Switch 2 offers a banquet of content to those willing to follow its path of conquest to the top. From a grand narrative to addictive combat to music and visuals that deliver, it wins the war by succeeding on every front. Good for both quick portable sessions and binging on the big screen, as well as causal and hardcore play, it stands above many of its rivals for being capable of winning the hearts of many. Fans of the genre who have yet to experience the game will find much to appreciate about it, while newcomers and skeptics may find themselves persuaded by it to awaken the warrior within them and head into battle with the wind at their backs.
Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher.
The post Dynasty Warriors: Origins Switch 2 Review appeared first on RPGamer .
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