go across Dynasty Warriors Origins With the Switch 2, we are acutely aware of the amount of discussion surrounding the frame rate of games on Nintendo’s console leading up to its release.

Yes, it’s not a very nice 60fps like on other platforms. Yes, that’s a shame. but! Anyone who dreams of a little bit of unrivaled madness but doesn’t jump due to this fact is seriously going to shoot (or cut) themselves in the foot. That’s because it’s a truly great series refresh that looks and plays great on Switch 2, both in docked and handheld mode.

I’ve already played it on the PS5 Pro, which launched in January 2025, and all things considered, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this Switch 2 port as wholeheartedly as its 60fps version. How can this happen when the frame girder is halved? Well, being able to play it portable is a huge selling point for a game that’s good to sit through, so I’ll likely stick with this game on the Switch, and the frame rate drop honestly doesn’t make much of a difference in the real world. This is one of those 30fps situations where you spend 10 minutes recalibrating and everything works fine. It always feels smooth and responsive.

Sure, Koei Tecmo has introduced a “variable” unlock frame rate toggle for users to manipulate, but honestly, we recommend leaving this toggle off to enjoy a consistently smooth and thoroughly exhilarating ride without the little jerky noises it creates here and there. Again, there’s no need to distract from the story or the “1 vs. 1000” battle. What Dynasty Warriors: Origins brings is an epic refocus on the usual Musou whims, making it a very exciting and stylish reboot.

Now that we’ve solved the most pressing problem, and we know there’s no horrible image blurring or horrible chopping, we can feel free to start praising the many things that this product does so well.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Musou. And thankfully, there are some absolute belter these days, in stellar form these days. Warriors of Hyrule: Age of Imprisonment. However, in this game, Romance of the Three Kingdoms core of the franchise Finally Get some much-needed TLC.

Musou games, even older ones, are often criticized for being repetitive and simplistic in nature, but I never agree. I will always defend them for who they are. And repeatedly whipping the enemies they bring to the table into a trance is always a source of personal gaming comfort. However, it required some tweaking. I can accept that much. Dynasty Warriors Origins teeth It kicks ass. And it’s a good one. It’s exactly “Toe Poker”.

Here, for the first time in the series, you play as a nameless wanderer, an admittedly a bit bland and boring avatar overall. But there’s a reason for that. You see, the narrative approach taken is to slow down the whole thing and give it a bit of breathing space amidst all the events, character introductions, and storylines of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story. To do this, you no longer have to switch between a huge catalog of protagonists, instead sticking to this one highly upgradeable main avatar.

Yes, you can mess around with other characters during side missions and certain moments. And there’s even more on the way with the game’s DLC, which will be released alongside this Switch 2 port. But sticking to one character for the main period locks us into a fixed perspective, and the constant introductions of important historical figures and political events make it easier to maintain footing. I never got lost along the way. I thought of those who came back to fight. This really lends itself to the game’s overall narrative, which settles into parts of the overall Romance Saga, rather than trying to blow too much history at once like it has done in the past.

I won’t spoil the plot or the surprises, but this refocusing works very well. This is definitely my favorite game in the main series, both in terms of the story and its slightly darker and more brutal atmosphere. It also introduces some great RPG aspects since there’s only one main character to worry about, giving it more depth than ever before. There are 10 different weapons to level up and master, each unlocking new combat moves and skills as you progress. As a result, the narrower scope and roster makes everything feel more personal, and the sense of progress stronger.

The biggest draw to combat, at least before release, was the sheer number of enemies on screen. The PS5 surprised me even though I’m used to weaving my way through unrivaled crowds.

The Switch 2 doesn’t reduce that wow factor one bit, especially if you’re playing on a handheld. In fact, I honestly feel like it’s a new benchmark for portable play that allows you to see a wide range of what’s happening on screen without being tied down by technical issues. Enemies are everywhere, so you’re lucky to have lots of cool new tricks and skills to defeat them, innit.

You’ll start with your trusty sword and quickly move on to gauntlets, lances, and other weapons that are great in a variety of scenarios. As an example, Lance is a cracker for eliminating large crowds, while Gauntlet is my go-to for juggling boss idiots in the air like a real clueless child.

Each weapon feels unique, and given that the enemy AI here is some of the best I’ve seen in the series, you’ll actually need to use perfect dodges and parries. — You actually have a chance to dig into them all and try them out to find out which one works best where.

That’s all before you add the series’ signature screen-shaking unrivaled attacks to the equation. Yes, they’re as satisfying as ever to succeed, and watching hundreds of little guys take to the skies en masse makes me feel so much better about my life. that’s reality.

Throughout the main campaign’s five chapters, the story is also well-paced and woven through numerous side skirmishes and missions spread across the game’s flimsy mini-world map (one of the best maps to wander around), providing enough background to keep players going. Meanwhile, combat continues to drop a healthy amount of new gear, new moves, and new tactics to keep players engaged.

The drop-down menu also shows a number of large-scale tactical options that work with cooldown timers. These allow you to call in catapult barrages, volleys of flaming arrows, and tank charges, which can dramatically change the course of a battle (and greatly boost overall morale). There are also several points along the way where the protagonist has to choose an ally and run with a certain crew member. This not only makes the moment more immersive, but also adds plenty of replayability with multiple endings and a “true” ending to unlock.

To be honest, as the story switches between the Romance Saga main story and the new hero’s amnesia problems (cheesy, but it works), it’s going to feel a lot more complex than you’d expect for this genre. The combat is extremely addictive, so replays of these alternate endings are almost guaranteed.

On the downside, loading times are a little long when starting a mission, and cutscenes that end battles and other moments as you walk around the map can experience a slight 30 fps stutter. It’s very minimal and only during cutscenes, but it’s present. Related to this, I tried everything I could and couldn’t use variable graphics modes at all. You can really feel it when the camera moves around, so let’s hope that improves in the future.

But other than that, and the awful English voice acting, you have to switch to Japanese with English subtitles. immediately, Dynasty Warriors: Origins on Switch 2 is as good as it is on any other platform, and this one is certainly very good. Also, as someone who has reviewed a ton of action games on both Switch consoles, I have to say that this feels like a bit of a turning point. This game, especially for a portable game, feels a little magical in how great it looks and feels while bringing huge, incredibly good-looking combat to the palm of your hand.