Holy shit, you guys, Dynasty Warriors is actually doing something interesting. In a first for the long-running hack-and-slash series, Koei Tecmo announced today that Dynasty Warriors 9 will take place in an open world.
Dubbed the series’ “most ambitious” title yet, the game includes over 83 characters and sheds much of the previous entries’ “what if” narrative framing around the franchise’s historical Chinese setting. Players will still need to take out the requisite hordes and hordes of enemies, only now they’ll be doing so over a much more vast, connected landscape. Here’s some of what Koei Tecmo had to say about the title in today’s press release:
In Dynasty Warriors 9, players will explore China as it existed when feudal warlords vied for dominance over the land – the waning days of the Han dynasty and emergence of the Three Kingdoms era. Setting out to complete various objectives, players will utilize an unprecedented world map to navigate and traverse a variety of different landscapes ranging from vast plains to snow-covered peaks presented with dynamic day/night and weather cycles. Exploring these impressive environments is made more engaging through the ability to adapt to surroundings to gain an upper hand in battle, with players able to use equipment to circumvent obstacles or blend in to avoid conflict.
“Platforms, release timing, and more information on the game’s new features, characters, and narrative will be unveiled in the coming months,” the developer continued. So far, we know the game is coming to PS4, but that’s about it. Stay tuned to Paste for more info on the game in the months ahead.