On January 17, 2025, Musou from developer Omega Force and publisher KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. will be released, letting you once again fight through three realms as a Nameless One.
You only play one main character
In Dynasty Warriors Origin, you don't play a hundred characters, but a nameless swordsman with no memory but a mysterious power, who faces the stormy conflict that will tear China apart, starting with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, meeting the legendary warriors that have been embodied in so many other games in the series and coming into contact with the various factions within a single, coherent narrative. A choice that is certainly ambivalent, especially for the series' fan base, but not without interesting ideas. During the course of the adventure, the enigmatic hero can master up to nine types of weapons, which can be freely exchanged during the individual battles. This guarantees remarkable flexibility, underlined by the fact that the various weapons differ greatly from one another, since only the sword, available at the start, is based entirely on the classic combo system of light and strong attacks for which the series is famous, while the more special trinkets offer new approaches with special gimmicks, such as the chakrams, which, if grabbed at the right moment, unleash dense storms of blades in the following attacks. Each type allows the use of techniques or special moves of different usefulness, which can be activated by using courage, a resource that can be replenished by slaughtering enemy soldiers, an activity that fortunately never goes out of fashion in the Koei Tecmo series.
Officers are resistant to the simplest of blows
Besides the numerous options offered by the ever-present and liberating Musou bar, the battles really shine in the fights against the officers, who are generally resistant to the simplest of blows. Their defenses must be weakened by parrying at the right moment, dodging at the last second and performing slow-motion attacks of opportunity, avoiding undetectable moves and countering their techniques with the ones you have. Considering the massive damage they can do, at least at the beginning, it's clear that the developers took inspiration from the dynamics of the now ubiquitous Soulslike to spice up these duels, especially during the boss fights, which, in a fit of megalomania, destroy any semblance of realism and shower you with lightning, tornadoes, meteorites and similar mischief. It's a gimmick that works and adds dynamism and fun to a combat system that, objectively speaking, has had its day. When enemy officers loom menacingly while their subordinates bravely try to throw a few punches, it's really fun, also because combos and techniques can be interrupted at any time by dodging to constantly adapt to the incoming blows. Really addictive, especially if you dare to start the game on the hardest of the three difficulty levels available at the beginning.
The new engine takes the game up a notch
This is also thanks to the new engine, which shows significantly more soldiers on the screen than before on smaller maps, but better characterized by slopes and vegetation, because when you stand up to the enemy troops with your comrades, the camera zooms out and the screen starts to shake to underline the imposing onslaught of the moving army - a feeling that never fails to create excitement, especially when the bulk of the enemy troops are waiting on the other side. In these cases, the opposing troops attack with the zeal of a single man, with the generals ordering formations and stratagems that must be contained by fulfilling certain conditions before it's too late, while the foot soldiers become bolder and more aggressive, forcing one to pay more attention to the morale of the forces involved. The protagonist, empowered by his esoteric powers, can use a sort of divine vision to stop what's happening and better detect the position of the units, or he can carry out secondary missions by following tracks invisible to the naked eye and - as the story progresses - giving orders to the units that will follow him into battle with various types of support. When things really go wrong, there's no choice but to ask the series' main heroes for help, provided one gains their respect between battles and properly fills up the bond meter. In this way, legendary fighters like Guan Yu or Xiahou Dun come under our direct control for a short time, giving the protagonist a taste of their unparalleled strength (the so-called musou) before retreating again, but always ready to continue your combo with a devastating attack if their bond proves satisfactory. Overall, the look is successful, with an engine finally freed from the need to support old hardware and perfectly able to highlight the carnage that fans of Koei Tecmo and Omega Force expect. As an extra, it is interesting to note that the limited graphic settings represent a setting specifically optimized for the Steam Deck, as if to underline the discreet popularity (mini-lounges for testing are available in the Yodobashi camera) of the Valve console among the Japanese audience.
There is a lot to do between the colossal battles
Game progress is closely linked to mastery of weapons. Using them unlocks skill scores that, when added together, determine the character's level, gradually improving their characteristics and making new techniques and special maneuvers available. In addition, the levels you acquire allow you to advance in rank at certain intervals and unlock passive skills and modifiers, such as the number of card packs you can take into battle, which can be displayed on special charts by releasing a large number of points that can be earned by experiencing the changing landscapes of the Three Kingdoms. There is plenty to do between colossal battles, as you roam a colorful map of China, traveling between provinces to shop, pick up useful collectibles, and meet potential allies who will assist you in battle or turn out to be unexpected mentors. Through the trials they present (such as taking out a hundred enemies with special spear techniques), once you've built a solid bond, you can earn a whole bunch of skill points or even become the repository of secret moves that you can't learn elsewhere. The map also offers other ways to prepare for more brutal confrontations: skirmishes and optional small fights constantly pop up, waiting to be tackled. The former are miniature battles that last just a few minutes and where the objective is often within reach, while the latter offer the same intensity as the main quests and offer useful artifacts as rewards. It's an elegant way to offer just the right amount of optional activities (and extra hours of gameplay, which is no small feat) to complement an essentially linear narrative, at least until the third chapter: there, historical events will fracture the coalition formed to contain the tyrannical Dong Zhuo, forcing you to choose which faction to support to lead the Three Kingdoms into an era of peace. Returning to the initial discourse, the decision to equip Dynasty Warriors: Origins with a super-powerful main character is as original as it is potentially unpopular, and I have no trouble imagining future chapters that apply the innovations introduced here to more canonical and recognizable formulas and - most importantly - rosters, and perhaps reintroduce the possibility of playing with a friend.Trailer:
