Dynasty Warriors: Originshad a lot to live up to ahead of its release. When it was first announced in May 2024, the mainlineDynasty Warriorsfranchise had been inactive for quite some time, and its last numbered entry,Dynasty Warriors 9, was seen by many as a huge disappointment. To make matters worse, the series' gameplay formula was starting to get stale in the eyes of some fans. Although a handful of the recentWarriorsspin-offs, such asPersona 5 StrikersandFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, had been well-received, many gamers were hoping that the franchise’s developer, Omega Force, would have some new tricks up its sleeve forDynasty Warriors: Origins.
Dynasty Warriorsfans finally got their hands onDynasty Warriors: Originsearlier this week, and to their surprise, the game ended up being far better than expected.Dynasty Warriors: Originsreceived widespread praisefrom both players and critics for overhauling the traditionalWarriorsformula and becoming a great starting point for newcomers to the franchise. With that being said, not every aspect of the game was celebrated by fans.Dynasty Warriors: Origins' combat, level design, and storytelling garnered positive reception,but its limited character customization options were widely criticized.
Character Customization in Dynasty Warriors: Origins is Far Too Limited
Unlike its Predecessors, Dynasty Warriors: Origins Only Has One Main Character
Although mostDynasty Warriorsgames have dozens of playable characters,Dynasty Warriors: Originsfocuses primarily on a single protagonist. The main character of the game, who is simply titled the Wanderer, is a traveling martial artist with amnesia. Unlike the other characters in the game, many of whom are based onreal-life figures from Chinese history, the Wanderer is an entirely fictional individual. As is typical ofDynasty Warriorsprotagonists, he is a literal one-man army that can wipe out entire troops of soldiers with just a slash of his blade.
Throughout the course of the game’s campaign,there are a total of ten companionsthat gamers can bond with and play as. However, unlike the Wanderer, these characters can only remain playable in battle for a temporary period of time. The decision to reduce companion functionality and limit the number of player characters inDynasty Warriors: Originshas been the subject of controversy among fans of the franchise. Some argue that focusing on a single protagonist makes it easier for Omega Force to tell a more coherent story, while others claim that the omission of such a major feature diminishes the fun factor of the game.
There Are Almost No Cosmetics in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Aside From a Few Outfits
Speaking of omissions, the character creation feature that was present in previousDynasty Warriorsgames has also been entirely removed fromDynasty Warriors: Origins. The ability to design a playable character and change their appearance at any given time has been a staple oftheDynasty Warriorsfranchisefor several years, so its absence in Omega Force’s latest game can strongly be felt. This wouldn’t be that much of a problem if players were allowed to customize the look of the Wanderer with unique skins, accessories, and outfits. However, even this isn’t fully possible.
There are only a few cosmetic items that the Wanderer can equip inDynasty Warriors: Origins, and each one of them is an outfit. One of the outfits in question is the default costume for the main character, which is called the Garb of the Flying Bird. Another outfit is named the Luan’s Wing Uniform, and it can be obtained by progressing throughDynasty Warriors: Origins' main campaign and joining a faction in Chapter 3. Finally, a third outfit, the Nameless Warrior Garb, is only available to those that havepre-ordered the game.
There is a fourth piece of clothing that was only obtainable by pre-ordering a physical copy ofDynasty Warriors: Origins, and it comes in four different colors: azure, crimson, emerald, and violet.
Limited variety aside, perhaps the biggest issue withDynasty Warriors Origins’ costumes is that they all look very similar. This is a bit disappointing, especially since Omega Force could have made far more interesting-looking costumes for the Wanderer. Players had tons of unique, equippable outfits to choose from inmany of the company’s previous games, so it’s safe to say that the character customization inDynasty Warriors: Originsis a major step backwards.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
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