Unlocking the “Visions of Four Heroes” content in Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the ultimate challenge for the Nameless Hero, offering a glimpse into hypothetical scenarios that reshape the Three Kingdoms. Whether you are stuck trying to recruit Lu Bu or can’t figure out the trigger for Zhang Jiao’s survival route, this guide covers every specific requirement you need to hit. We’ll also tackle the frustrating controller issues plaguing the PC release so you can execute your Musou attacks without technical interruptions.
Key Takeaways
- Lu Bu Unlock – Requires completing Battle of Xiapi with zero allied officer retreats.
- Zhang Jiao IF Route – Triggered by sparing the Yellow Turban leader in Chapter 1.
- Controller Fix – Enable Steam Input globally to resolve recognition issues.
- Weapon Meta – Rope Dart offers superior crowd control for “Visions” stages.
Let’s break down the details below.
How to Unlock Visions of Four Heroes in Dynasty Warriors Origins
The “Visions of Four Heroes” content is essentially the “What If” or “Hypothetical” mode of Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Unlike previous titles where you simply selected a menu option, access here is organically tied to your performance in the main campaign. You must achieve specific hidden objectives during pivotal battles to open these divergent timelines.
Unlocking the Lu Bu Visions of Four Heroes Scenario
Lu Bu‘s scenario is arguably the most difficult to access because it demands perfection during the Battle of Xiapi. Typically, this battle ends with Lu Bu’s capture and execution, but to unlock his “Vision,” you must prove his martial might is sustainable. The primary condition is to ensure that not a single allied officer retreats during the entire siege. This is incredibly challenging because your allies are scripted to be weak against Cao Cao’s overwhelming forces.
You need to play defensively, constantly rotating across the map to rescue struggling officers. I recommend equipping the Red Hare saddle if you have unlocked it, as speed is essential. Once you successfully defend the castle without losses, a new dialogue option will appear with Chen Gong, allowing you to trigger the “Demon God’s Ambition” timeline, which is his Vision scenario.
Accessing the Zhang Jiao IF Route
The Zhang Jiao route is hidden in the very first chapter. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, most players instinctively crush the rebellion to progress the history. However, to unlock his Vision, you must locate the hidden altar in the northwest corner of the “Rebellion Subjugation” map before engaging him. Destroying this altar weakens his magic but also drops a key item: the “Way of Peace Scripture.”
Instead of finishing Zhang Jiao off, you must deplete his health until he surrenders. If you have the Scripture in your inventory, a prompt will appear to “Spare and Listen.” Selecting this unlocks the “Yellow Sky” Vision, a hypothetical route where the rebellion succeeds in creating a utopia, completely diverging from the historical Three Kingdoms timeline.
Completing the Battle of Xiapi Guide Requirements
For the general Visions unlock (covering the other two heroes), the Battle of Xiapi serves as the nexus point. Unlike the Lu Bu specific route, this requirement involves the water attack event. You must prevent the Wei forces from breaking the dam. This requires you to locate the engineers on the northern ridge and defeat them within 3 minutes of the stage starting.
If successful, the castle does not flood, and the morale of the defenders remains high. This creates a stalemate condition that unlocks the “Stalemate at Xiapi” Vision, allowing you to explore a timeline where the Three Kingdoms period is prolonged by a surviving Lu Bu faction acting as a third buffer state.
Detailed Walkthrough: The Battle of Xiapi Defense
Since the Battle of Xiapi is the critical turning point for three of the four “Visions,” mastering this stage is mandatory. The map is dense, and the enemy AI is aggressive. Here is a phase-by-phase breakdown to ensure you meet the unlock criteria.

Phase 1: Securing the Perimeter
At the start of the battle, do not rush the center. Instead, check your map for three key officers: Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu. In historical records, these officers defected to Cao Cao, and the game simulates this by draining their morale rapidly. You must visit each of their garrisons immediately. Defeating the Wei captains attacking them will trigger a “Gratitude” event, locking their loyalty for the remainder of the battle. If you neglect this, they will open the gates within 5 minutes, failing the “No Retreats” objective instantly.
Phase 2: Stopping the Flood
Once the perimeter is secure, Guo Jia will initiate the water attack plan. You will see a notification that “Wei Engineers have appeared.” Ignore all other combat and rush to the northern ridge. The path is narrow and blocked by shield soldiers. Use a horse musou or a heavy guard-break attack to smash through. You have approximately 180 seconds before they breach the dam. Killing the Chief Engineer stops the timer and preserves the castle’s integrity, which is the trigger for the “Stalemate” route.
Phase 3: The Final Stand
With the flood averted and traitors pacified, Cao Cao will launch an all-out assault. This is where the “Lu Bu Vision” is won or lost. You must keep Lu Bu’s health above 50% while repelling waves of officers. Do not stray too far from the main keep. Use the “Gather” command to pull your bodyguards into a defensive circle around Lu Bu. If you can hold out for 10 minutes, a cutscene will play where Lu Bu acknowledges your strength, cementing the divergent timeline.
What Are the Best Weapons for These Secret Scenarios?
The “Visions” stages are significantly harder than the main campaign, often throwing end-game officers at you in waves. Your choice of weaponry for the Nameless Hero is critical. The standard sword might feel balanced, but it lacks the crowd control needed for these high-density maps typical of the hack and slash genre.
Mastering New Weapons Bow & Rope Dart
Dynasty Warriors: Origins introduces the Bow and Rope Dart as primary weapon types for the protagonist. The Rope Dart is exceptional for the “Visions” content. Its C4 (Charge 4) attack swings the dart in a wide radius, pulling enemies in before exploding. This is perfect for the “Protect Allied Officer” objectives in the Lu Bu route, as it allows you to peel aggro off your allies instantly.
The Bow, while powerful, is situational. It excels in sniping enemy commanders from a distance, which is useful for the Zhang Jiao stage where magic users constantly harass you. However, it leaves you vulnerable in melee. I suggest keeping the Bow in your secondary slot for specific officer assassinations but relying on the Rope Dart for general combat.
Best Weapons Tier List for the Nameless Hero
To help you optimize your loadout for the secret scenarios, here is a tier list of the available weapon types based on their efficiency in “Visions” content.
Why Is My Controller Not Working in Dynasty Warriors Origins?
A common frustration for PC players is the game failing to recognize controllers, or mapping the buttons incorrectly (e.g., A/B swapped). This is largely due to the game’s native support clashing with Steam’s input wrapper. If your gamepad is unresponsive, don’t panic—it’s usually a software conflict rather than a hardware failure.

Fixing Dynasty Warriors Origins Controller Issues
The most reliable fix is to force Steam Input. Right-click the game in your Steam Library, go to Properties > Controller, and change the dropdown from “Use Default Settings” to “Enable Steam Input.” This forces Steam to translate your controller’s signals into XInput, which the game understands perfectly. If you are using a DualSense controller, this step is mandatory, as native support for PlayStation icons is spotty.
Another potential fix involves unplugging other USB peripherals. The engine sometimes confuses flight sticks or racing wheels for the primary controller. Ensure only your mouse, keyboard, and gamepad are connected before launching the game.
Remapping Controls for Tactical Action
Once your controller is working, consider remapping the “Tactical” button. By default, it’s mapped to the right shoulder button (R1/RB), which can be awkward to hold while trying to attack with the face buttons. I recommend moving the Tactical menu to the Left Trigger (L2/LT). This frees up your right hand for combos and camera control, making it much easier to issue commands to your bodyguards mid-battle without stopping your offense.
Fast-Track Unlocks with Trainers
Unlocking the “Visions” content requires replaying long battles multiple times to get the perfect run. If you want to skip the grind and experience the story immediately, using a trainer can save you dozens of hours. XMODHUB offers a comprehensive toolset designed specifically for the latest version of Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
Using XMODHUB for Instant Progression
The XMODhub trainer allows you to bypass the strict difficulty requirements for the secret routes. For example, the “Infinite Health” feature ensures you never die during the grueling Xiapi siege, while “One-Hit Kills” lets you clear the map rapidly to meet the tight time limits for the dam event. You can also use “Max Musou” to constantly unleash your ultimate attacks, making crowd control trivial even with low-level weapons.
Additionally, features like “Infinite Gold” and “Max Materials” allow you to craft the best weapons immediately, so you can tackle the “Visions” scenarios with S-Tier gear without farming generic battles for hours. This lets you focus purely on the narrative and the tactical decisions rather than the resource grind.
Safe Modding Practices for Single-Player
While modding is safe for single-player content, you should always take precautions. Dynasty Warriors: Origins has some online connectivity for leaderboards. To ensure safety, always set Steam to “Offline Mode” or disconnect your internet before launching the trainer. This prevents the game from sending modified match data to the servers. XMODhub is designed to be malware-free and auto-updates with game patches, ensuring that your save files remain stable even as the game evolves.

Common Mistakes in Dynasty Warriors Origins Secret Routes
Even with a guide, many players fail to trigger the “Visions” because of subtle mechanics that aren’t explained in the tutorial. The game tracks invisible variables that can lock you out of a route if you aren’t careful.
Missing Time Limits in Dynasty Warriors Origins
The biggest run-killer is the hidden timer. Objectives like “Defeat the Engineers” often have a strict 3-minute window, but the game doesn’t display a countdown clock on the UI. You might think you are doing well, only to see the “Mission Failed” prompt because you stopped to fight a generic officer. Always prioritize the blinking green objectives on the minimap and ignore peons when a scripted event is active. Speed is the only metric that matters for these triggers.
Failing True Ending Objectives in Dynasty Warriors Origins
Another common mistake is killing key NPCs too early. In the Zhang Jiao route, if you kill him before he surrenders, the “Vision” is lost for that playthrough, and you must restart the entire chapter. The game rewards patience and paying attention to dialogue. If an enemy starts talking about “destiny” or “peace,” stop attacking and wait to see if a prompt appears. Mindlessly mashing the attack button will often result in you accidentally killing the very character you needed to spare.
Dynasty Warriors Origins Visions of Four Heroes FAQ
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