"Dynasty Warriors: Origins Team Told to 'Kill the Player'"

Discover the intensified challenges in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, where the development team was explicitly instructed to ramp up the difficulty. Producer Tomohiko Sho's directive to "Go and kill the player" has led to significant changes in the gameplay experience. Dive deeper into these transformations in the latest addition to the series!

Dynasty Warriors: Origins Enemies Are Tougher To Beat

Programmed To "Go And Kill The Player"

In Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the action is dialed up with more formidable enemies, a direct result of producer Tomohiko Sho's command to "This time, go and kill the player." In an insightful interview with PlayStation.Blog, Sho delved into the development process, revealing that the tougher adversaries were designed to inject a "sense of realism" into the game. This approach underscores the fact that in the chaos of battle, not only is the player's character fighting for survival, but so are the opposing forces.

While the game's difficulty has been increased, Sho ensured that it remains rewarding rather than frustratingly hard. He aimed to craft challenges that players could conquer and 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," he explained. Balancing the traditional "musou" genre's exhilarating feel of defeating hordes of enemies with the gritty realism of a war-torn battlefield was a significant challenge for the team.

Returning To Its "Origins"

A notable shift in Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the departure from the franchise's customary numerical titles. Instead of being dubbed Dynasty Warriors 10, this installment breaks tradition by forgoing a number, marking it as the first non-numbered title in the series' history.

The "Origins" moniker underscores the game's focus on the initial segment of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms narrative, diverging from earlier games that covered the entire story arc. During the 2024 Tokyo Game Show, Sho elaborated in an interview with TheGamer that Origins would concentrate on the events leading up to the Battle of Chibi, also known as the Battle of the Red Cliffs. "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," he stated.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins marks a significant milestone as the first major release in the franchise in seven years, drawing from the historical and fictional elements of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms set during China's Han Dynasty. Players follow the journey of the original protagonist, the Nameless Hero, as he navigates the sprawling landscapes of ancient China amidst competing factions vying for control.

Released on January 17th, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is now accessible on PC through Steam, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

For a comprehensive review of the game, check out Game8’s insights below!