How to Win in the Battle of Xinye in Dynasty Warriors Origins

Dynasty Warriors Origins features the Battle of Xinye as one of the campaigns available in Liu Bei’s faction storyline. The battle originally appeared in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, where Xu Shu assisted Liu Bei’s army in breaking through the seemingly impregnable Eight Gates Formation deployed by generals under Cao Cao’s army.

The character accuracy with the original source does feel a bit lacking with the complete absence of the original commander Cao Ren. However, Omega Force still manages to properly depict the formation’s intricate gimmicks in this game. But we are here not to criticize the stage’s setting, but rather to guide the reader toward the correct way to dismantle the exquisite formation.

After you have conquered all bases on the hills (while ignoring the unrescuable generic allies who simply rush through the formation), it’s time to go down and see the Eight Gates Formation up close. Your strategist Xu Shu will tell you to “spot the difference” from among the multiple open gates, but it will be difficult to see it with your naked eyes.

If your leader Liu Bei has not reminded you yet in the game, remember that you can use the protagonist’s exclusive ability: The Eyes of the Sacred Bird. Holding down the L2 or Left Trigger button will let you spot a visible clue that marks the correct entryway.

The above screenshot already shows the location of the correct gate. But if you are still not convinced yet, you can stop by each gate and turn on the Eyes to make sure. In addition to the shining flags, you’ll know you are in front of the correct gate when you also hear a strong wind sound.

Enter the correct gate with confidence as you can whittle down on the guarding enemy officers with minimum damage. After there is nothing else left in the area, Xu Shu will tell you to exit the formation. The enemy strategist will afterward try to reorganize the formation, but the method to find the correct gate is still the same. Do the task three times in total to secure a resounding victory at the Battle of Xinye in Dynasty Warriors Origins.

As a side note, there is a mini-event happening at the north end of the map that progresses after you have cleared the formation on the second and third times. You can pay a visit to the new ally reinforcement who just arrived, but it is more advisable to follow what the ally had to say and not engage the above enemy before you finish dismantling the Eight Gates Formation.

The Battle of Xinye is one of the stages featured in Dynasty Warriors Origins, now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.