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

Dynasty Warriors: Origins ups the ante with significantly more challenging enemy encounters. Producer Tomohiko Sho's directive to the development team? "Go and kill the player." This article delves into the design choices behind this heightened difficulty.

A Deadlier Battlefield: "Go and Kill the Player"

The increased enemy strength in Dynasty Warriors: Origins isn't arbitrary. As revealed in a PlayStation.Blog interview, producer Sho aimed for a heightened sense of realism. The struggle for survival isn't limited to the player; enemy soldiers and generals are equally desperate.

While boosting the difficulty, Sho ensured the challenge remained fair and rewarding. He emphasized creating satisfying hurdles, achievable through strategic gameplay and skill progression. "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 stated. The development team faced the challenge of balancing the series' signature "musou" exhilaration (defeating hordes of enemies) with the gritty realism of a battlefield.

A Return to the "Origins": A New Chapter

A notable departure from tradition is the absence of a numerical title. Instead of Dynasty Warriors 10, the game is titled Dynasty Warriors: Origins, marking the first unnumbered entry in the franchise.

This title reflects a focus on the first half of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, unlike previous installments that covered the entire narrative. In a Tokyo Game Show interview with TheGamer, Sho clarified that the game's story concludes with the Battle of Chibi (Battle of 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."

Seven years after the last main installment, Dynasty Warriors: Origins arrives, offering a fresh perspective on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga. Featuring an original protagonist, the Nameless Hero, players embark on a journey through a war-torn China.

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