Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires: Akihiro Suzuki, General Producer im Interview

We from Dynasty had the unique opportunity to conduct an interview with Akihiro Suzuki, General Producer of Dynasty Warriors 9 empires and get rid of some questions.

The Dynasty Warriors series is now known today for their action-engraved mass struggles. But the first part was a pure beat em-up in the style of Virtua Fighter. Where did the idea of ​​departing from this genre?

The second game of the series initially started as a project that was a continuation of the fighting game, but at the time, the fighting game genre changed to one that addressed to the fans of battle games, and also within the developer team, many members wanted the challenge accept, make something new. It was also the time in which the console generation switched to the PS2, and since there was a great progress in the specifications from the PS1 to PS2, we thought: "With these specifications, we may show a whole battlefield in a game," And so the Dynasty Warriors series was born.

With nine official parts and numerous offshoots and mobile ports Dynasty Warriors is one of the longest existing video game series of history. What is your opinion the recipe for success of this series?

I think it's because we have built the game after the concept "An action game everyone can enjoy" and that we are constantly striving to offer something new, even if it is a sequel.

How does the community develop? Will new players be added or develop mainly for a loyal core of players? How do you want to make Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires accessible for newcomers?

We still have many regular fans, but we see an increase of new players. The aim of the series has always been to address players of light action games, so we do not just address the nuclear fans. As already mentioned, the games are based on the concept "An action game everyone can enjoy". So I think that it is a game that newly makes the entry into the entry, but we have prepared tutorials that make the entry even easier.

They have e.g. with Hyrule Warriors proved that the Musō formula also works outside the "age of the three rich". Do you have a favorite franchise for which you would like to develop a dynasty spin-off?

We think about many different collaborations, but at the moment there is no specific franchise that I have in mind.

Which features of the new console generation did you most impress and how will you help make Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires for Xbox Series X and Co.?

It's not so much the unique features, but the improved specifications that really impressed me. I think that they have helped to improve visual quality, stabilize the frame rate and shorten loading times.

Which big changes can the fans expect in the new game compared to Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires?

It is the renewal of the combat system of castle luggage from the past empires parts. We have struggled from the traditional battles where players drive the front lines while putting inventories between the bases and take the main camp of the opponent, facing away and trying to create more realistic castle luggage. I think that we have created battles who are a satisfactory challenge for the players as they strategically plan their way through the game by making different tactical decisions while they can move freely. In addition, in machining mode, it is now possible to lay individual clothing and armor parts one above the other, which made the processing of costumes in my opinion pleasant.

The graphics of the series is often criticized, but it is also a recognition value. Is the graphic design a conscious decision or is she due to the budget and technical constraints?

It is not due to certain constraints, but rather the result of weighing different conditions.

If you look back on the series on what development are you particularly proud of? Do you have a favorite success in this context?

I am proud of Dynasty Warriors 2, as we have completely changed the game system from a fight action game. To develop a completely new game that did not exist before, we had to try a lot during development, but I think we have achieved what we have introduced. My favorite game is also Dynasty Warriors 2.

Continue with the retrospective: What did not work in the series in your opinion? Are there any mistakes that you have learned for the future?

I think the online elements in the entire series are still expandable. How do you manage to keep the series new and fresh after so many titles? How do you use the community in this process? I think one of the things that the world of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" retain fresh is the addition of new characters. Some of them is based on hearing says, but we try to distinguish new characters through their properties from the existing officers in the game, then to structure their relationships with the existing officers and install new episodes in order to keep the history innovative. Also, the addition of new weapon actions and various new sub-modes allows us to offer new game elements. Although the user community is not integrated directly into the process, we refer to many of your feedback and comments.