At today’s Koei Tecmo presentation in San Francisco, WWG spoke with Dynasty Warriors 9/Omega Force producer Akihiro Suzuki about the upcoming game, and what players can expect from its open-world. Calling it one of the biggest new features of the game (for good reason), Suzuki described the open-world experience, focusing on locations both new and old to the game. “If you are not new to the Dynasty Warriors game series, there is plenty to explore,” said Suzuki. You’ll be able to go location hunting for new places that many people have worked to bring to life, and there are new challenges that have never appeared in these games before.”
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While new additions and locations may be exciting to explore, Suzuki noted that the one he found most breathtaking was one that isn’t necessarily ‘new’ to the series. “One place that I really enjoyed working on again also appears in the movie Avatar, which is the Zhangjiajie National Forest,” Suzuki explained. “The location is beautiful, and it’s built in the game to reflect the natural beauty that still remains there today.” The forest first appeared as a map in the last game, but with Dynasty Warriors 9‘s open-world nature, there might be more to explore for the most curious of players.
All of this is wrapped into one massive story that continues to highlight pivotal moments from the epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a classic Chinese tale about how the land came to be. It’s historical fiction, but with some real history involved, and Dynasty Warriors has been telling the tale for over two decades. Suzuki, specifically, has a favorite story that he’s been able to bring to life through the series. “The epic battle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei is one of the moments that resonates with us,” Suzuki explained. “I enjoy stories where the hero overcomes impossible odds, and Cao Cao’s massive army falling to down Liu Bei’s much smaller forces is one of those.”
As for the open world, Suzuki explained that item-gathering and location-scouting is more than meets the eye when you’re taking your time to enjoy it. “I think [players will] be most surprised by the scenery. We have put a lot of work into recreating this one China, and many of the locations are built to directly mirror their actual-world counterparts.”
Dynasty Warriors 9 releases in the U.S. on February 13th for PlayStation 4, Xbox one, and PC via Steam.
