For much of its history, the Dynasty Warriors series has been a linear hack-and-slash experience. However, recent entries like Dynasty Warriors 9 experimented with an open world, leading to questions about Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins Have an Open World?
No, Dynasty Warriors: Origins does not feature an open world.
The recent trend in AAA gaming suggests that an open world equates to high quality, but this isn't always true. Dynasty Warriors 9 serves as a prime example; its vast, empty open world was widely criticized for diluting the core gameplay experience. The expansive levels made even large-scale battles feel sparse and underwhelming, demonstrating how a forced mechanic can negatively impact a franchise.
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 purchase items, rest at inns, and interact with NPCs to trigger side quests, discover resources like Pyroxene and Old Coins, participate in optional battles, and advance the story through cutscenes. While this overworld map is functional, it's deliberately small—easily traversed in under a minute—and even includes a fast travel option (though rarely needed). This streamlined approach is a significant improvement over the emptiness of Dynasty Warriors 9's open world.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is available now on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.
