Warriors Orochi
Crossover hack and slash uniting Chinese and Japanese warriors.
Warriors Orochi (無双OROCHI, Musō Orochi) is a hack and slash game released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, created by Koei and Omega Force. It merges characters from two of Koei’s popular series—Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors—drawing specifically from Dynasty Warriors 5 and Samurai Warriors 2. This crossover marks the first installment in the Warriors Orochi series.
The game launched in Japan on March 21, 2007, and reached North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand that September. The Xbox 360 version arrived in Japan on September 13, with the North American PlayStation 2 version releasing on September 18, 2007, and the European version following on September 21, 2007. A PlayStation Portable port came out in Japan in February 2008, followed by North America on March 25 and Europe on March 28, 2008. A PC version also hit North America on March 25 of that year.
**Plot**
The story begins when the Serpent King Orochi tears a rift in time and space, merging warriors from China’s Three Kingdoms era and Japan’s Warring States period—separated by over 1,300 years—into a twisted new world to test their strength. The Shu forces are shattered after their clash with Orochi; many officers are captured, missing, or have switched sides. Zhao Yun is imprisoned in Ueda Castle, later freed by Zuo Ci, Yoshihiro Shimazu, and Xing Cai. Zuo Ci reveals shocking news that sends Zhao Yun on a quest with unexpected allies. Meanwhile, Cao Cao vanishes after battling Orochi, and his son Cao Pi takes command of Wei, allying with Orochi at the behest of the strategist Da Ji. Some Wei officers refuse to surrender or join other resistance groups. Orochi orders Cao Pi to crush all opposition, but Cao Pi secretly harbors his own plans. Orochi also blackmails the Sun family by holding Sun Jian and other Wu officers captive, demanding rebel leaders in exchange for their release. Sun Ce, guided by Sakon Shima, rebels first, despite disapproval from his siblings Quan and Shang Xiang. Nobunaga Oda, Shingen Takeda, and Kenshin Uesugi each lead separate resistance forces against Orochi, but they refuse to cooperate, instead absorbing smaller rebel groups into their own armies.
In the Japanese version, Orochi’s officers are named after youkai from Chinese and Japanese folklore; the English version renames them after snake species, punning on Orochi’s title as the Serpent King.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Warriors Orochi
- Developer
- Omega Force
- Publisher
- Koei
- Director
- Minoru Honda
- Designer
- Atsushi Ichiyanagi
- Series
- Dynasty Warriors / Samurai Warriors / Warriors Orochi
- Genre
- Hack and slash
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The fictional events of the game begin when the Serpent King Orochi created a rift in time and space, bringing together warriors from the Three Kingdoms era of China and the Warring States period of Japan. Orochi wished to test the might of the warriors of these two eras. In the story, the Shu forces were in shambles after their battle with Orochi. Zhao Yun was captured by Orochi's forces and held prisoner in Ueda Castle, later rescued by Zuo Ci, Yoshihiro Shimazu and Xing Cai. Cao Cao had disappeared, and his son Cao Pi took up leadership of the Wei clan and allied himself with Orochi under the offer sent by his strategist, Da Ji. Orochi used the captive Sun Jian and other Wu officers to blackmail the Sun family into servitude. Nobunaga Oda, Shingen Takeda, and Kenshin Uesugi each maintained a resistance force against Orochi's army, but refused to work together.
Reader's Guide
Warriors Orochi is significant as the first title in the Warriors Orochi series, merging characters and gameplay elements from Dynasty Warriors 5 and Samurai Warriors 2. It introduced a party system allowing players to take any three characters into battle and switch between them, with inactive characters regenerating health and Musou energy. New mechanics included character classes (Power, Technique, Speed), Enhanced Strikes, personal items, and a Weapon Fusion system. The game featured 79 characters, including two new ones: the titular villain Orochi and Da Ji. Its English version renamed Orochi officers after snake species as a pun. The game was ported to PlayStation Portable and PC, and its soundtrack combined rock and techno styles from the parent series. The crossover concept and revised gameplay mechanics influenced subsequent entries in the series, establishing a template for future Warriors crossovers.
Did You Know?
- The game is a crossover of Dynasty Warriors 5 and Samurai Warriors 2.
- Orochi wields a large scythe named 'Eternal Agony'.
- In the English version, Orochi officers are named after snake species as a pun.
- The game features a Chaos difficulty level available from the start.
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