Verdict
Dynasty Warriors: Origins isn’t just a brilliant action game, wrapped in that familiar Musou combat we’ve come to know and love - it’s also a port that, by every stretch, shouldn’t work as well as it does. Despite some existing issues with the core experience, this is a great way to play the ARPG on the go.
Love it or crave it, there's been a lot of Dynasty Warriors games over the last few decades, and for newcomers, it can be a bit daunting. Dynasty Warriors: Origins isn't a simple reinvention of the subgenre and series, but in this case, it's also a way of getting new players on board for future entries. In almost every way, it works exactly as intended, and considering that I've played both the PC version on a high-spec system and the Switch 2 version now, I'm massively surprised the port to Nintendo's handheld works this well.
Rather than choosing between a cast of characters, most of the time you'll be playing as a single character. He's an amnesiac wanderer who somehow knows how to dispel armies with a simple slash of his blade, and manages to fall into the midst of the political turmoil and warring groups that those familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel will recognize. In reality, the story is fine, but it's a mere vessel for that hectic action only Musou games can deliver.
While you can't play as other characters, at least not often, Dynasty Warriors: Origins helps you vary your playstyle by offering the protagonist a variety of weapons to choose from. The ol' reliable sword is a great way to dish out massive damage, while still handling quite well in crowds, while the Twin Pikes let you deal with enemies by using the Earth itself to conquer the enemy army. It helps keep combat refreshing, which is why I've played it regularly across 2025 and put it as one of my best action games. It got snubbed at The Game Awards, I'm telling you.
Of course, I do find myself typically putting my energy into one weapon over the others. The Staff isn't enjoyable for me, and once you get past the Sword (which is fairly early on), many other weapons take the lead. The skills that you can unlock with each weapon also bring variety, allowing you to have four at a time per weapon, so you're encouraged to try out different abilities.
Unfortunately, it's a little marred by the RPG-lite systems in place that keep it from being a true action-only experience. You can buy weapons that are improved versions of each type, but they boil down to "big number, more damage" and while later equipment does provide additional bonuses, it doesn't really do enough to warrant its existence. I would've preferred if they went all-in on builds for each weapon, or killed it off completely and put more focus on abilities, making the difference. As it stands, Origins sits somewhere in the middle, and while I don't dislike either path it could've taken, I do feel just 'meh' about that part of the game.
Fortunately, none of this comes close to my favorite part of the experience - the battlefield. Dynasty Warriors: Origins does have two armies fighting against each other, with moments where you're forced to head to points on the map to assist your side, but in reality, it may as well be you vs 1,000. Jumping around a large level to help your army win feels satisfying, and combined with seeing 100 enemies fly into the area after a large attack, continues to be exciting hours later.
Each level has enemy generals, which are basically the mini-bosses (or full bosses) of each stage. They force you to use your skills or the powerful wallop of a Musou attack in order to bring down their defense, before launching an assault that does massive damage. You can evade, block, and parry attacks, and it helps keep the mindless slaughter of the enemy army broken up, keeping me hooked.
Considering the chaos of each Dynasty Warriors: Origins battle, I was nervous that the Nintendo Switch 2 version would struggle. Surprisingly, it doesn't. During my entire playthrough, I didn't notice any stutters, frame drops, or disappointing glitches that would ruin the immersion of a sweat-inducing battle, and despite all of my concerns prior to playing it on the handheld, it blew all of my worries away. Dynasty Warriors: Origins, like Cyberpunk 2077 before it, proves that Nintendo's latest isn't just a simple upgrade from the previous generation - it's a fully-fledged new console that packs the power behind a tiny build.
After playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment to near death over the Holidays, I was worried we wouldn't get anything like it for a while - that Origins would falter. I was completely wrong. It's the same experience I played on PC early last year, and it feels just as engaging as ever. If you're looking for a game that will put the Switch 2 through its paces, but somehow manage to never underperform, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is it.