Dynasty Warriors: Origins Review (Switch 2)

Wading into Dynasty Warriors: Origins on Switch 2, I'm keenly aware that there's been a lot of conversation about the game's frame rate on Nintendo's console in the run-up to release.

Yes, it's not a super-sweet 60fps as on some other platforms, and yes, that is a shame. However! Anyone who fancies a little Musou madness but isn't jumping in as a result of this fact is genuinely shooting (or slicing) themselves in the foot, as this is a genuinely brilliant series refresh that looks and plays great on Switch 2, in both docked and handheld modes.

I've already played this one through on a PS5 Pro when it released in January 2025, and taking everything into consideration, I've got zero hesitation in fully recommending this Switch 2 port as heartily as that 60fps version. How so when they've halved the frame digits? Well, playing portably is a big selling point with a game that suits dipping in and out of for a quick blast this well, so I'm way more likely to stick at it on Switch, and that frame rate drop honestly makes little real-world difference. This is one of those 30fps situations where once you've spent 10 minutes readjusting, it's all good. It feels smooth and responsive at all times.

Indeed, even though Koei Tecmo has gone and thrown in a "variable" unlocked frame rate toggle for you to mess with, honestly, I recommend just leaving this off to enjoy a consistently smooth and fully exhilarating ride without any little niggling stutters that this toggle introduces at points. You don't need niggles distracting you from the story or the '1 VS 1000' battles here either, as what Dynasty Warriors: Origins brings to the table is a grand refocusing of the usual Warriors caper that makes for a very exciting and stylish reboot.

Now that we've got the most pressing issue out of the way — now that we know there's no awful image blurring or crippling stutters — I can get down to praising it freely for all the very many things that it does so well.

Anyone who knows me knows I love Musou, and thankfully we've had a few absolute belters of late, most recently in the form of the stellar Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. This game, though, sees the Romance of the Three Kingdoms core of the franchise finally get some much-needed TLC.

I'll never agree that a Musou game, even the older ones, are actually all that repetitive or simplistic, as they're often attacked as being. I'll defend them for what they are at all times, and the repetition and trance-like whipping through enemies that they bring to the table has always been a source of great personal gaming comfort. But it did need a kick up the arse. That much I can accept. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is that kick up the arse. And it's a good one. A real 'toe-poker'.

Here, for the first time in the series, you play as a nameless travelling wanderer, who I'll admit is a bit of a bland and boring avatar overall. But it's for good reason. You see, the narrative approach taken is to slow the whole thing down, and to give you a little breathing space amidst all the events, character introductions and storylines of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga. To do this, we have no more switching around a huge catalogue of protagonists, instead sticking with this one, very upgradeable, main avatar.

Yes, you do get to muck around with some other characters in side missions and at specific moments — and there's more of this on the way in the game's DLC, which launches alongside this Switch 2 port — but what sticking with one character for the main duration does is ground us in a fixed perspective, making the constant introductions of important historical figures and political events easier to keep a foothold in. I didn't get lost along the way. I remembered people when they returned to the fray, and this helps enormously with the game's overall narrative, which settles on a part of the overall Romance saga, rather than trying to blow through way too much history all at once, as has been the case in the past.

I won't spoil any of the plot or surprises, but this refocusing works really well. This is absolutely my favourite game in the main franchise in terms of both its narrative and its slightly darker and more brutal vibe. It also introduces some nice RPG aspects, now that we've only got one main character to worry about, and these add more depth than ever. There's a range of 10 weapons to level up and master, unlocking new battle moves and skills for each one as you go. It all feels much more personal and the sense of progression, given the narrower scope and roster, is more keenly felt as a result.

The combat's main draw, pre-release at least, was the sheer number of enemies that are now present on the screen. On the PS5 it properly wowed me, even though I'm used to battering my way through these enormous Musou crowds.

On Switch 2, and especially when you're playing in handheld, the wow factor has not been diminished one iota. Indeed, it honestly feels like a new benchmark for portable play with the sheer scope of what's going on, unfettered by technical issues, on your screen. The enemies are absolutely everywhere, and so it's lucky you've got a ton of cool new tricks and skills to beat the snot out of them with, innit.

Starting with a trusty sword, you'll soon find yourself picking up gauntlets, lances, and a whole bunch of other weapons that all excel in different scenarios. The lance, as an example, is a cracker for clearing huge crowds, whilst the gauntlets are my go-to for juggling boss fools in the air like the clueless children they really are.

Each weapon feels unique, and given that the enemy AI here is the best I've seen from the series — you'll actually need to use your perfect dodges and parries! — you really do get a chance to dig in and try them all out to find which ones work best and where.

And that's all before you add the series' signature screen-shaking musou attacks to the equation. Yes, they're just as satisfying as ever to pull off, and watching hundreds of wee guys fly into the air in unison just never fails to make me feel much better about my life. It is what it is.

Over the course of the main campaign's five chapters, and through a whole bunch of side skirmishes and missions that are spread out across the game's dinky mini-world map (it's one of those nice ones you get to walk around), the story is also woven at a nice pace, providing enough of a backdrop to keep you going, whilst the combat continues to drop just the right amount of new gear, new moves, and new tactics along the way to keep you invested.

You now also have a bunch of larger-scale tactical options on a drop-down menu that work on a cooldown timer. These allow you to dramatically change the tide of battle (a big boost to overall morale) by allowing you to call catapult barrages, volleys of fiery arrows, and chariot charges. There's also a few points along the way where your main character will need to choose sides and run with a particular crew. This not only makes things more absorbing in the moment, but adds plenty of replayability with multiple endings and a 'true' ending to unlock.

Honestly, with the story switching between the main Romance saga thrust and our new hero's amnesia issues (I know, cheesy, but it works), you'll feel way more involved than you might expect for the genre, and the combat is addictive in the extreme, meaning replays for those alternative endings are all but guaranteed.

In terms of negatives, well, the loading times are a little longer in starting a mission, and the cutscenes that bookend battles and other moments as you wander the map can introduce a little bit of 30fps stutter. It's very minimal, and it's only during cutscenes, but it's there. Related to this, try as I might, I just couldn't get on with the variable graphics mode at all; you can really feel it as the camera moves around, so let's hope that gets improved down the line.

Other than that, though, and other than some horrendous English voice acting which you should switch out for Japanese with English subs immediately, Dynasty Warriors: Origins on Switch 2 is every bit as good as on other platforms, which is very good indeed! It also feels like a bit of a watershed moment, I have to say, as someone who has reviewed a whole lot of action games on both Switch consoles. This game, and especially in portable, feels a little magical in just how good it looks and feels whilst delivering enormous and incredibly good-looking battles to the palm of your hand.