It’s astonishing to think it’s been seven years since the last mainline entry, but hack-and-slash action RPG Dynasty Warriors Origins is finally taking us back to the Three Kingdoms. I’ve got fond memories of sitting around bashing my way through hordes of enemy troops and remembering all too late to not pursue Lu Bu. Now, it’s making its grand return, and you can get a feel for what to expect right now thanks to a new demo that’s already proving rather popular on Steam.
The Dynasty Warriors Origins release date is still two months away, but there’s no longer any need to wait until 2025 for that first taste. A Dynasty Warriors Origins demo has just landed on Steam, and it lets you take on the Battle of Sishui Gate across a range of difficulty settings. There are four weapons up for grabs – a sword, the guandao and pudao (two varieties of polearm), and wheels (a pair of circular blades) – giving you plenty of room to experiment with the upcoming action game.
I’ve long felt Dynasty Warriors gets a bad rap – indeed, as a younger man, I too fell foul of the assumption that it lacked the depth of the best RPGs and was all mere button-mashing with little more to offer. Then I finally spent a bit more time playing it alongside a more experienced friend, and quickly came to appreciate how challenging it can be when things really start to ramp up. Trying to stay on top of everything happening across the battlefield is tough, and its most dangerous characters require some serious patience to best.
With the demo’s peak concurrent user count rising past 10,000 players, it’s a strong start indeed. In fact, it’s far higher than any of the previous games have achieved on Steam, with Dynasty Warriors 9 only reaching a high of 3,586 despite launching simultaneously with the console versions. The series has typically felt like more of a console-first game in the past, but perhaps we’re due to see a shift in that this time.
The Dynasty Warriors Origins demo is out now on Steam. The full game launches Friday January 17, 2025, priced at $69.99 / £64.99. Head over to the store page to download the demo if you’re eager for a fresh taste of the Three Kingdoms.
Need something else to pass the time until it arrives? The best free Steam games are a perfect option, or you could grab a friend for one of the best co-op games.
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