Warriors: Origins Devs Ordered to Challenge Players

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 article delves into the design choices behind this increased difficulty and the game's other notable features.

A Deadlier Battlefield: "Go and Kill the Player"

The enhanced enemy AI in Dynasty Warriors: Origins aims for a heightened sense of realism. It's no longer just the player facing mortal peril; enemy soldiers and generals fight with equal ferocity. This approach, as explained by producer Sho in a PlayStation.Blog interview, was intended to immerse players in the brutal reality of warfare.

While boosting the challenge, Sho emphasized avoiding unnecessary difficulty. The goal was to create satisfying, achievable hurdles that reward player skill and persistence. He stated, "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." Balancing the series' signature "musou" exhilaration with the realism of a battlefield proved a significant development challenge.

A Return to "Origins": A New Chapter

A key departure from previous entries is the absence of a numbered title. Instead of "Dynasty Warriors 10," the game is titled "Origins," signifying a focus on the early stages of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms narrative.

In a 2024 Tokyo Game Show interview with TheGamer, Sho clarified that the game covers the story only up to the Battle of Chibi (Battle of Red Cliffs). He explained, "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."

Arriving seven years after the previous main installment, Dynasty Warriors: Origins introduces an original protagonist, the Nameless Hero, navigating the power struggles of Han Dynasty China. Based on the classic novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the game blends historical events with fictional elements.

Released January 17th, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Check out Game8's review for a more in-depth look!