The Dynasty Warriors series, historically known for its linear gameplay, saw a shift with titles like Dynasty Warriors 9 incorporating an open world. This raises the question: Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins follow suit?

Does Dynasty Warriors: Origins Have an Open World?

No, Dynasty Warriors: Origins does not feature an open world.

The recent trend in AAA game development emphasizes open worlds as a marker of quality, a notion not always accurate. Dynasty Warriors 9 serves as a prime example; its vast, empty open world was widely criticized for diluting the experience. The expansive level design made even large-scale battles feel sparse and underwhelming, highlighting the forced implementation of a feature unnecessary to the core gameplay.

Concerns arose whether Dynasty Warriors: Origins, with its experimental nature, would repeat this mistake. Thankfully, it avoids the open-world model. Instead, it offers a condensed overworld map of ancient China.

This overworld allows players to navigate between missions, visiting towns to acquire weapons and items, and resting at inns. The map's compact size allows traversal in under a minute, rendering the fast travel option largely redundant. Players can interact with NPCs to initiate side quests, discover items (Pyroxene and Old Coins), engage in optional battles for proficiency boosts and recruit soldiers, and trigger cutscenes to advance the storyline. While this overworld system feels somewhat rudimentary, it's a significant improvement over Dynasty Warriors 9's empty expanse.

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