Skip To...
Back in 2025, the first game I reviewed was Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and it made me fall in love again with the legendary Musou franchise. Now, my first review of this year is for Visions of Four Heroes, and after doing a playthrough of each of its four scenarios, I must say that it is an excellent addition to the base game because it expands many of the characters, stories, and delivers some of the most challenging fights in this installment. While I would have liked for these mini-campaigns to be on the longer side, the truth is that there’s plenty to do in the DLC, and one that will bring back all Musou fans who have been away from this epic tale.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins – Vision of Four Heroes adds four new scenarios, all following different characters that were usually under the “foe” spotlight in the base game. You have Zhang Jiao, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, and Lu Bu. Since I have a sort of OCD when it comes do doing things in order in any game, I started with Zhang Jiao’s scenario and right off the bat I can tell you, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo return with that top-notch storytelling aspect and improve many of the characters that didn’t have time to shine in the main story or the different routes you take.
Without spoiling much, many of the figures we often saw as enemies change completely once you dig deeper into their ambitions or the reason why they were aiming for a specific goal. Frankly, I was not expecting these scenarios to surpass the base game in terms of narrative, but they did in some ways. Of course, a few are much better than others, and a couple of them ended up being a surprise, especially because of the character the scenario was focusing on.
My only minor complaint is the presentation of some aspects of these mini-campaigns. For instance, most scenarios describe things through a black screen and some text. There are still plenty of cutscenes, and some are at the level of those in the base game. Still, I would have loved to see some of them animated or done properly, instead of leaving it all to my imagination. It isn’t a big deal, but it definitely broke the immersive storytelling pacing the DLC had built up.
On the other hand, I think the playtime was perfect for all four scenarios. Each campaign took me around four hours, with one, which I found particularly difficult, taking up to almost six. In that sense, I’d say it is a perfect length for a DLC, and that’s without counting the new weapons, training area, and, if you’re brave enough to experience these fights in the game’s hardest difficulty.
Overall, in terms of narrative, Visions of Four Heroes is at the level of some of the base game’s routes, and some of the scenarios even surpass those. Once again, the studio has done a terrific job of exploring some “benched” characters and expanding their stories. In truth, when it comes to “what if” scenarios in games, this DLC features some of the best, and one I’d love to see in other Dynasty Warrior games, as these campaigns just keep fueling my love for the Three Kingdoms.
Musou Combat at Its Finest
Storytelling aside, we all know that another key aspect of Dynasty Warriors is that sweet 1v1000 Musou combat, and Visions of Four Heroes excels at it.
First, there are two new weapons, the bow and the rope dart; the former is quite easy to obtain, while the latter might take a while. Still, both of them offer vastly different playstyles, which are on par with the other weapons we already had in the base game.
The bow focuses on melee and ranged attacks, with the latter obviously being better. You can Vigor every time you complete a combo or perform specific actions, and then spend that Vigor to shoot powerful arrows to hit several enemies. I’ve never been a fan of ranged weapons, but oddly enough, the bow was my favorite in the DLC. It is highly destructive, mobile, and also easy to use.
The rope dart, however, is just as enjoyable, and it combines a more closed-quarters type of combat with several abilities that let you pull yourself toward enemies. Believe it or not, this was one of the most helpful things in the game, especially when those pesky enemy officers decide to run away to their armies.
On top of that, you also have new companions, such as Diaochan or Zhuhe. Some of them will only accompany you during specific moments and in some campaigns. The one who will always be around, unless there’s a story section that doesn’t allow her to come along, is Zhuhe. Like in the base game, each companion focuses on different weapons: Zhuhe with the sword, Diaochan with the rope dart, and so on. All of them are a great addition to the roster and feature some fantastic Musou attacks that are on the same level as those of other allies.
And now, the actual battles. I always thought that the base game’s final act, regardless of the route, featured some of the most difficult stages in the game—I was wrong. Visions of Four Heroes doesn’t play around with challenging encounters.
Most of the battles are long, and while you’ll end up facing the same enemies repeatedly across almost all scenarios and stages, it is the objective you need to complete that spices up every fight. Some will task you with protecting someone, and another one with defeating some of the toughest fighters in the game on the same stage. Even after seeing the same enemies over and over, I never felt bored or found it too repetitive because each battle throws something new at you, forcing you to adapt your strategy and see who you have to help you emerge victorious.
Another thing that Visions of Four Heroes adds is strategic battles, which are a turn-based mode. You start with your army on the map and see other allies and enemies fighting. Then, you decide who to help. Defeating these armies will weaken the main enemy, which you will fight after the turns expire. When fighting an army, you’ll either have to capture bases, take down officers, or defeat a specific number of enemies. Overall, I loved these fights. They added a fresh feel to the DLC, while also proving some overworld strategy that had me planning which of my allies to help and what enemy to engage. You also get unit abilities that let you attack foes on the map, weakening them before combat.
Wrapping Up A Legendary Tale
Ultimately, Dynasty Warriors: Origins – Visions of Four Heroes ended up being more packed than I thought it would, and I appreciate that. Often, we see some DLCs or expansions feel barebones, but Visions of Four Heroes set a standard that I hope other games of this year follow. It adds four superb campaigns, excellent narrative moments, two engaging weapons, and many new additions that enhance the game’s almost endless replayability.
It is unclear whether we’ll get more DLC, but if we don’t, this one wraps up one of my favorite Dynasty Warriors games with a golden ribbon. Visions of Four Heroes is everything I hoped for in terms of story, and it spices up combat in ways that I thought would not be possible. Often, it is hard to see a DLC enhance a game even further, but Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have once again delivered an excellent Musou experience that, in some ways, surpasses some of the things we saw in the base game.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins - Visions of Four Heroes (PC Reviewed)
Dynasty Warriors: Origins - Visions of Four Heroes is a new standard for post-game DLC, as it adds four superb scenarios, many challenging battles, and expands upon the beloved tale of the Three Kingdoms.
Pros
- Superb narrative scenarios
- Amazing new playable companions
- Some of the most challenging fights in the game
Cons
- A few key moments are replaced with a black screen and text
