TheDynasty Warriorsfranchise is synonymous with the high-octane and endlessly entertaining action subgenre known as Musou. And,withDynasty Warriors: Originsfinally releasing next January, it seems that this iconic franchise is making a much-needed comeback.
So, what more can we expect afterOriginscomes out?
Well, Tomohiko Sho, the head of Omega Force and the producer of the game, certainly has an interesting idea. In a recent preview event,he talked to The Gamerand revealed that he dreams of making Musou spin-offs of two huge western movie IPs:Star WarsandThe Lord of the Rings. “I am interested in makingStar Wars Warriors. It’s actually something that popped into my mind after makingDynasty Warriors 3(…)Lord of the Rings Warriorsis something else that I’d really like to make. Those are two IP that I dearly love and are dream projects that I hope I can do”, said Sho on the matter.
Sho is aware that securing the rights for both movie franchises wouldn’t be easy, but it’s evident that he has a lot of appreciation for them, so it would be very interesting to see what he and Omega Force could do with them. This wouldn’t even be the first timeDynasty Warriorscrosses over with other third-party franchises, seeing as Koei Tecmo and Omega Force already made Musou spin-offs ofThe Legend of Zelda,Fire EmblemandPersona, not to mention that they also tackled several non-gaming IPs, likeOne Piece,BerserkandFist of the North Star.
Would Star Wars and Lord of the Rings work as Dynasty Warriors spin-offs?
However, every single third-party franchise that has collaborated withDynasty Warriorsis from Japan. Koei Tecmo and Omega Force still haven’t got the chance to work with a popular western IP, and bothStar WarsandThe Lord of the Ringswould be the perfect place to start.
Star Warsfeatures a long cast of iconic characters with fantastical powers and unique weapons, from Jedis and Siths to Mandalorians and Bounty Hunters. It even has enemy types that could serve as fodder in a Musou game, like Droids and Stormtroopers, and some iconic monsters that could take the role of bosses, like the Rancor or the Krayt Dragon. So yes, a hypotheticalStar Wars Warriorswould not only work quite well, it has the potential to be one of the most fascinating and fun entries in the Musou genre.
On the other hand,The Lord of the Ringswould also work seamlessly as aWarriorsgame, since its world and characters are not too different from other fantasy franchises that already had their own Musou spin-offs, likeThe Legend of ZeldaorDragon Quest. Iconic heroes like Aragorn, Legolas, or Gandalf could be playable characters, the Orcs could be the main enemy type for players to defeat, and creatures like the Balrog and Smaug could take on the role of bosses.
If Koei Tecmo ever manages to secure the rights to any of these two movie franchises, they could end up making some really fun Musou video games that even western audiences who never heard ofDynasty Warriorscould enjoy.
