Dynasty Warriors: Origins' Open-World Debut

The Dynasty Warriors series, known for its linear hack-and-slash gameplay, took a turn with Dynasty Warriors 9's open world. This raised questions about whether Dynasty Warriors: Origins would follow suit.

Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins feature an open world?

No, Dynasty Warriors: Origins does not have an open world. The game eschews the expansive, often empty, open worlds seen in recent AAA titles, a design choice that proved detrimental to Dynasty Warriors 9.

Instead of an open world, Dynasty Warriors: Origins offers a condensed overworld map of ancient China. Players navigate this smaller map, visiting towns to acquire weapons and items, rest at inns, and interact with NPCs to initiate side quests, discover collectibles (Pyroxene and Old Coins), engage in optional battles, and trigger story cutscenes. While this overworld map is functional, it's intentionally compact, easily traversed in under a minute, and includes a fast travel option (though rarely needed). This streamlined approach avoids the pitfalls of a large, sparsely populated open world.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is currently available on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.