Dynasty Warriors: Origins brings a fresh wave of challenges to the series, with enemies designed to be tougher than ever before. This shift in difficulty comes directly from the game's producer, Tomohiko Sho, who instructed his team with a clear directive: "Go and kill the player." Dive into the details of these game-changing updates in the latest installment of the Dynasty Warriors series!
Programmed To "Go And Kill The Player"
Dynasty Warriors: Origins ramps up the action with a significant increase in enemy strength, following producer Tomohiko Sho's directive to "go and kill the player." In an insightful interview with PlayStation.Blog, Sho discussed the development process, explaining that the heightened enemy difficulty aims to inject a "sense of realism" into the game. Just like the player's character, enemy soldiers and generals are fighting for their lives on the battlefield.
While the game's difficulty has spiked, Sho ensured that it remains accessible and rewarding. He emphasized creating satisfying challenges that players can take pride in overcoming. "Even if you're not that good at action games, if you learn them in order, you can play comfortably and feel a sense of success." Sho highlighted the challenge of blending the traditional "musou" genre's exhilarating feel of defeating countless enemies with the gritty realism of a war-torn battlefield.
Returning To Its "Origins"
Dynasty Warriors: Origins marks a significant departure from its predecessors by forgoing the conventional numbering system. Instead of being titled Dynasty Warriors 10, it's called Dynasty Warriors: Origins, making it the first non-numbered title in the series' history.
The "Origins" in the title underscores its focus solely on the first half of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, unlike previous titles that covered the entire storyline. In an interview at the 2024 Tokyo Game Show with TheGamer, Sho elaborated on this choice, stating, "We really wanted to be thorough and intense in telling this story; it’s one of the epic points, so we’re only focusing on up until that point." The game will cover the narrative up to the Battle of Chibi, also known as the Battle of the Red Cliffs.
As the first main installment in the Dynasty Warriors franchise in seven years, Origins is deeply rooted in the Chinese novel, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which blends fiction and historical events from Han Dynasty-era China. The game introduces an original protagonist, the Nameless Hero, embarking on a journey across a vast and war-torn China, where various factions vie for control.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins was released on January 17th and is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
For a detailed review, check out Game8’s coverage of the game!
