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

Dynasty Warriors: Origins delivers a significantly more challenging experience, thanks to a directive from producer Tomohiko Sho: "Go and kill the player." This simple instruction dramatically altered the game's enemy AI, resulting in a much tougher fight for survival.

Programmed to "Go and Kill the Player"

In an interview with PlayStation.Blog, Sho explained the reasoning behind the increased enemy 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 their lives, too. This heightened challenge, however, wasn't intended to be gratuitously difficult. Sho aimed for satisfyingly challenging encounters that reward player skill and persistence, ensuring even less experienced action game players can find success and a sense of accomplishment through strategic play. He acknowledged the difficulty in balancing the series' signature "musou" exhilaration—the thrill of mowing down countless enemies—with the increased realism of a brutal war.

Returning to its "Origins"

A notable departure from previous entries is the absence of a numbered title. Instead of Dynasty Warriors 10, the game is simply titled Dynasty Warriors: Origins. This marks the first time the series has forgone its traditional numerical naming convention. The "Origins" subtitle highlights another key difference: the game focuses solely on the first half of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, unlike its predecessors which covered the entire story. In a 2024 Tokyo Game Show interview with TheGamer, Sho clarified that the narrative concludes with the pivotal Battle of Chibi (Battle of Red Cliffs). This focused approach allowed for a more thorough and intense portrayal of this crucial period in the story.

Arriving seven years after its predecessor, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the latest mainline installment in the long-running franchise based on the classic Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The game introduces an original protagonist, the Nameless Hero, whose journey unfolds amidst the power struggles of Han Dynasty China.

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!