Dynasty Warriors: Origins Dev Team Was Instructed to “Go Kill The Player”

Dynasty Warriors: Origins ups the ante with significantly more challenging enemies. Producer Tomohiko Sho's directive to the development team? "Go and kill the player." This simple instruction dramatically altered the gameplay experience.

A Deadlier Battlefield: Redefining Musou Combat

Sho, in an interview with PlayStation.Blog, explained the reasoning behind the increased enemy difficulty. The goal was to inject a heightened sense of realism. The battlefield isn't just a playground for the player; enemy soldiers and generals are fighting for survival as well.

While significantly increasing the challenge, Sho emphasized a balance to avoid frustrating difficulty. The aim was to create satisfying, achievable challenges that players could feel proud of overcoming. He aimed for a design where even less experienced action players could progress and experience a sense of accomplishment through strategic learning. The challenge was to blend the traditional "musou" exhilaration of mowing down hordes of enemies with the brutal realism of war.

A Return to Roots: Focusing on Origins

The absence of a sequential number in the title, a first for the series, is a key departure. Instead of Dynasty Warriors 10, the game is titled Dynasty Warriors: Origins, highlighting its focus on the early stages of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In a Tokyo Game Show 2024 interview with TheGamer, Sho clarified that Origins covers the narrative only up to the pivotal Battle of Chibi (Battle of Red Cliffs). The decision stemmed from a desire for a more focused, intense portrayal of this crucial historical period.

After a seven-year wait, Dynasty Warriors: Origins marks the latest main entry in the franchise, based on the classic Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This installment introduces an original protagonist, the Nameless Hero, navigating the power struggles of Han Dynasty China.

Released January 17th, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.