A Must-Play Expansion?
I am usually all for developers adding content to existing games, as it is a good way of expanding on games that we all know and love. I am also sometimes exasperated when the amount of time between the base coming out and the DLC appearing is too long. And yes, ‘too long’ is being defined as ‘the amount of time it takes me to forget all about the controls for the game in question’.
Let’s say hello then to DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Visions of Four Heroes – an expansion to the original DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS that I reviewed back at the very start of 2025. Of course I had forgotten how to play the game in question. So, having started again, I have battled my way through to the DLC in no more than a couple of weeks, and I will now present to you my thoughts. Hold on tight!
The “What If” Perspective of the Four Heroes
We’ll kick off this review with a peep at the narrative found in DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Visions of Four Heroes and here the news is intriguing. You remember the Marvel “What If” series of programs that were released a while back? Well, this DLC takes that kind of approach to the story of the main game. What if, instead of defeating various baddies from the main game, you decided to walk among them, taking in the world from their perspective?
Yep, in Visions of Four Heroes you can be friends with Lu Bu, Zhang Jiao, Dong Zhuo or Yuan Shao. But I do feel a note on the expansion is required. See, it comes in various ‘chapters’, and you need to reach certain milestones in the main story to unlock the characters to befriend. What milestones, I hear you ask? Well, the first one is finishing Chapter 2 of the main story, and the rest are also unlocked on completing various chapters.
Maintaining the Scale of the Original Engine
The good thing about the presentation of this expansion is that it is built using the same engine as the main game. The base game still wows with its ability to move massive amounts of soldiers around on the battlefield, and this is still maintained here. The cutscenes are also of the same high value, and are a bit upsetting, watching the hero fall out with characters that I had spent the whole game building relationships with! There isn’t really much else to say about the presentation, to be honest: it looks, sounds and moves like the base game, and apart from a few new touches that I shall cover in a couple of minutes, it is all business as usual.
But let us have a wee look at the gameplay for the actual DLC is really streamlined and focussed on battles: there is none of the wandering around aimlessly that sometimes afflicted the base game. Here, we are thrown straight into the action, and then into a bit more action, then, just for a change, a bit more action.
New Arsenal
First off the bat are two new weapons: a bow and a rope dart. The bow sounds pretty pedestrian, right? Well, this bow has a blade gaffer taped to the end, and so it gets a bit more exciting. However, both of these weapons are very technical to use, and don’t really slot into my ‘mash some buttons until someone falls over’ playstyle. Having to actually plan and use follow up attacks made me a bit sad. Give me a massive sword any day! Still, having more options is always good, and I’m going to go right ahead and assume that there are much more skilled players than me out there!
Another new feature comes in the form of the companions that you can take along in the battles with you. The first is another Guardian of Peace called Zhuhe; Diaochan, a lady from the main story, and a mystery third character that the developers are keeping under wraps in the game’s adverts. As such, you’ll have to play the DLC in order to discover who it is. No spoilers here!
Strategy Reimagined
Another new thing that is included in DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Visions of Four Heroes is a kind of table-top battle minigame. Instead of roaming around the map freely, we are given a number of turns to do as much damage to the enemy forces we are about to face. This takes place by a series of mini battles, with different objectives: capture a specific number of enemy bases, kill a certain number of enemy officers and so on and so forth. Each battle we take part in reduces the enemy strength in the final battle, and while we are usually still over matched, we can make things a little bit easier for ourselves.
And really, there isn’t much more to say about DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Visions of Four Heroes. It is breakneck paced, you barely have time to draw breath between battles, and when you add in a special skill tree or the extra skills that can be unlocked for existing weapons, you’ll find that there is a ton of content on offer. It’s interesting too, and certainly keeps you playing, anxious to see what the story has to show you next.
A Strong Recommendation for Franchise Fans
As such, DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Visions of Four Heroes is an easy recommendation for fans of the franchise. It looks as good as ever, and the premise is super intriguing. Whether the new weapons suit your style though, may be up for debate.
Important Links
DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS Expands With Visions of Four Heroes – https://www.thexboxhub.com/dynasty-warriors-origins-expands-with-visions-of-four-heroes/
Buy the expansion – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/dynasty-warriors-origins-visions-of-four-heroes/9N42FQKZQ9HJ/0010?sandboxId=RETAIL
