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

Dynasty Warriors: Origins delivers a significantly more challenging experience, thanks to a direct order from producer Tomohiko Sho: "Go and kill the player." This directive shaped the game's enemy design, resulting in tougher and more aggressive opponents.

Programmed to "Go and Kill the Player"

In an interview with PlayStation.Blog, Sho explained the reasoning behind this increased difficulty. The goal was to inject a greater sense of realism into the combat. The battlefield isn't just a playground for the player; enemy soldiers and generals are fighting for survival, too. This creates a more intense and immersive experience.

While significantly harder, Sho emphasized a focus on balanced challenge. The game isn't designed to be brutally difficult; instead, it offers satisfying challenges that reward skillful play. He aimed for a design where even less experienced action game players could progress and feel a sense of accomplishment by mastering the mechanics. Balancing this increased difficulty with the traditional "musou" exhilaration of mowing down hordes of enemies proved a significant development challenge.

Returning to its "Origins"

Dynasty Warriors: Origins marks a departure from the series' traditional numbering scheme. Instead of Dynasty Warriors 10, the game opts for a title that highlights its focus on the early stages of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

This "Origins" designation signifies a concentrated narrative, covering only the first half of the source material, culminating in the pivotal Battle of Chibi (Red Cliffs). As explained by Sho in a Tokyo Game Show 2024 interview with TheGamer, this focused scope allowed for a more thorough and intense depiction of this critical period in the story.

Arriving seven years after the last main installment, Dynasty Warriors: Origins stays true to the series' roots in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but introduces an original protagonist, the Nameless Hero. Players journey across a vast and war-torn China, navigating the conflicts between competing factions.

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

Check out Game8’s review of the game below!