The Dynasty Warriors series, historically a linear hack-and-slash experience, saw a departure with Dynasty Warriors 9's open world. This raises the question: Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins follow suit?
Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins Feature an Open World?
No, Dynasty Warriors: Origins does not have an open world. The recent trend of incorporating open worlds into AAA titles hasn't always resulted in improved quality. Dynasty Warriors 9's expansive, yet largely empty, open world serves as a prime example of this. The vastness diluted the impact of its large-scale battles.
Thankfully, Dynasty Warriors: Origins avoids this pitfall. Instead of an open world, it offers a condensed overworld map of ancient China. Players navigate between towns to acquire weapons, items, and rest. These maps are compact, easily traversed in under a minute. While a fast travel option exists, its necessity is minimal due to the map's size. This overworld facilitates interaction with NPCs for side quests, item discovery (Pyroxene, Old Coins), optional battles for skill enhancement, and story progression through cutscenes. This streamlined approach is a significant improvement over the largely unproductive open world of Dynasty Warriors 9.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is currently available on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.