Dynasty Warriors has been revisiting the story from Romance of the Three Kingdoms for quite some time now. Each game (and its numerous spin-offs) changes the formula a little, but fans generally know what to expect when Dynasty Warriors is on the title screen. The latest installment in the one versus one thousand series is coming out early next year. This is a highly-anticipated title for fans, as the last mainline entry, Dynasty Warriors 9, was released in 2018. Hardcore Gamer was fortunate enough to not only spend some time playing Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but also had the opportunity to sit down with producer Tomohiko Sho to discuss the upcoming game.
Dynasty Warriors Origins Demo Coming This Week
A small taste of the latest entry in the classic action series will be available soon.
Less Is More
[Hardcore Gamer] Compared to previous Dynasty Warriors, the roster has been scaled down and there’s no Jin kingdom. What led to the decision to scale back the number of officers in Dynasty Warriors: Origins?
[Tomohiko Sho] Because there were so many officers in previous games, we weren’t able to really go into great detail with them. The story started to get watered down with so many characters, as we couldn’t tell the story in great detail with such a large number of characters. This time we really wanted to really hit on those points and show a deeper view into the story. I also have a hope that we can create a sequel to this game, but to tell the story we wanted to tell we had to scale down the officers to about half of what’s in a typical Dynasty Warriors game, so since the number of officers that show up in that portion of the story is decreased, it allows us to go into greater detail and learn more about the characters we have included. It also allows for a deeper dive into the story itself.
So fewer characters, but greater detail with the characters included?
Yes, exactly.
On a similar wavelength of depth-versus-quantity, what time frame and battles are covered in Dynasty Warriors: Origins?
We’ve taken the Romance of the Three Kingdoms tale and used that as a basis, which started around the year 184 with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, up to about year 234. After that, the Jin kingdom takes place. For this story we end at the Battle of Chibi, which was in the year 208. So we are following the tale of the Three Kingdoms, which Dynasty Warriors Origins ends before the three factions really split up under Sun Jian (Quan, Ce?), Cao Cao and Liu Bei. But even in this game, you can see the build up to the division into the three kingdoms.
That actually relates to something else I was wondering. During the part of the game I played, I was working with what would eventually become the Shu kingdom. As the story progresses will the player shift to working with prominent leaders of the other kingdoms or does it come to a point in the game where the player chooses which kingdom in which to align?
In chapters one and two you start off fighting with Liu Bei and next you end up fighting alongside Cao Cao. After that it’s Sun Jian and after that it’s all three of them together.
Dueling Tactics
The Duel system that was introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4 has returned. What led to the decision to bring that back and how does it work in Dynasty Warriors: Origins?
The Duel system was introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4 and it was also in Dynasty Warriors 6. In Dynasty Warriors 4, the view shifted to a duel-specific arena, where the player is taken into its own dueling environment. In Dynasty Warriors 6, the player was surrounded by various troops as they fought in the duel. In this case it’s taking a middle ground between both. On the map, when you get to the next battle a lot of duels will take place. When a duel is initiated, you’ll be able to accept it. You’re still on a field surrounded by the various troops where you can do the one on one fight. It’s kind of a mix of Dynasty Warriors 4 and 6.
When I was playing earlier I was using command charges to send my troops into battle. Can you use those commands to have your troops conquer enemy bases without having to get involved yourself?
You can send them to do the work for you. You’ll be surrounded by troops and guards and can issue commands to them. You can tell your guards to go take over a base and they will go off and do that for you. Also connected to that, with the commands, we have tactics, which are the special commands you can give and as you progress throughout the rest of the game the number of tactics will increase, giving a greater variety of what you can have your troops do.
When I was playing earlier, the character moved along the world map to visit different towns and battlefields. Will there be a feature where the character gets a home or a base that they can customize or keep pets?
There are no base customization features in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. There isn’t a home base, but the character will be able to rest at inns in the various cities. The character can stay at the inn and there they can adjust their equipment and prepare for battle.
Compared to previous Dynasty Warriors games where the player took control of a variety of officers, this one has the player controlling one unique character. Does this have a more RPG progression style to it and how does the character affect the story? All the other games focused on the rise of the three kingdoms and this seems like it’s a character with their own story with the three kingdoms saga as the backdrop.
We don’t want to get into too many details because we want people to play it and enjoy the story itself. The story of the Three Kingdoms is the basis, and running parallel to that, is an original story. The player will be witnessing the events of the Three Kingdoms and taking part in the battles, but their own story will also be unfolding alongside of it. Also, when the game ends, the character’s story will have its own conclusion and be neatly tied up.
A Fresh Take On An Old Story
What aspect of the game are you most proud and is there anything else you’d like to say about Dynasty Warriors: Origins?
With this game we have the highest number of massive forces we’ve ever had on screen with huge armies, and with those huge armies we have the biggest field of exhilaration. With the huge armies, we’ve been able to create a deeper immersion than what we have been able to do previously in Dynasty Warriors games, and we really want people to be able to feel that. We’re also proud of the Three Kingdoms story that we’re able to show it in a new way. The Three Kingdoms story has been told many times and we’ve been able to give it a fresh perspective and show it in a different way than we’ve done before. So not only will series regulars be able to enjoy the story they’ve seen many times, we’ve given a new perspective that we hope they’ll find interesting. People who are new to Dynasty Warriors or new to the Three Kingdoms in general will also find the story easy to follow and understand.
We’re also proud of the Three Kingdoms story that we’re able to show it in a new way.
From what I played of Origins so far, and I’ve been playing Dynasty Warriors since the beginning, it keeps the familiar feel of the battles, but the charges do feel more intense. It stays true to what Dynasty Warriors games are but kind of revitalizes it. The greater scale and upgraded game mechanics help set it apart from the numerous games that came before.
Good to hear that!
New Gameplay Details Emerge For Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Details emerge about the upcoming Dynasty Warriors game
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is scheduled for release on January 17. It will be available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Dynasty Warriors 5 is PlayStation 5 Pro enhanced. A demo forDynasty Warriors: Originswill be available on November 22.
