Throughout most of its history, the Dynasty Warriors franchise has maintained a straightforward hack-and-slash format. However, recent entries like Dynasty Warriors 9 experimented with open-world design. This raises an important question: Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins continue this approach?
Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins Feature an Open World?
No, Dynasty Warriors: Origins does not incorporate an open-world structure.
While many modern AAA titles equate open-world design with quality, this approach doesn't always benefit gameplay. A prime example is Dynasty Warriors 9, widely criticized for its empty, sprawling landscapes that diluted the series' signature large-scale battles. The excessive space between objectives made epic confrontations feel disjointed—a clear case where forced innovation backfired.
Given Dynasty Warriors: Origins' experimental billing, fans speculated whether it would revisit this flawed concept. Fortunately, the developers opted against an open world, instead implementing a compact overworld system.
Between missions, players traverse a scaled-down representation of ancient China, visiting towns to resupply, rest at inns, and accept side quests from NPCs. The modest map size ensures quick navigation (crossable in under a minute), rendering the fast-travel function practically unnecessary. While exploring, players can gather resources like Pyroxene and Old Coins, undertake optional battles to recruit troops and improve proficiency, or trigger story advancements through cutscenes. Though somewhat perfunctory, this streamlined approach proves far more effective than an uninhabited open world.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is currently available for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.
