The next generation of consoles is approaching, and with it, the industry’s excitement for what the new hardware will bring is starting to grow. Both the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett have revealed their respective partial specs already, and from SSDs to significantly better processors, both consoles are looking like major steps forward for the console market.

One developer that’s particularly excited about what next-gen hardware will enable for the kind of games it makes is Omega Force, who’re currently working on Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate. The Warriors games have, first and foremost, always been about throwing players in the midst of massive enemy armies. As hardware power increases, the games are better able to deliver on their core premise, so it goes without saying that even more powerful hardware with the Xbox Scarlett and the PS5 has got the studio quite excited. Warriors Orochi 4 director and producer Tomohiko Sho is hoping that with next gen consoles, the Warriors games will be able to achieve battle simulations on an even larger scale.

“The Warriors games, even if many just think of them as a bunch of characters fighting, are actually meant as battlefield simulation games,” Sho said while speaking with Twinfinite. “We’re really hoping that with the next generation of consoles we can really have that huge battle simulations with various armies on the field, and bring a realistic feel to it.

“We hope it’ll really show the true exhilarating feeling that you can get playing these games. This is what we hope to see.”

Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate is out on February  14th, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Despite seeming dead on arrival, Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive 6 actually performed decently in its launch month. According to publisher Koei Tecmo’s recent financial report, the fighting game shipped 350,000 units across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Given that it launched on March 1^st and the fiscal year ends on March 31^st, that’s not half bad.

Other titles that Koei Tecmo provided updates on include 700,00 units shipped for Warriors Orochi 4 on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. This is up from 310,000 shipments in the last report, with the title first becoming available in Japan on September 27^th, 2018, before releasing in North America and Europe in mid-October.

Koei Tecmo does have quite a bit in the works, especially with E3 2019 around the corner. They recently announced a collaboration with Atlus for Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, a Dynasty Warriors-style beat ’em up with characters from the RPG. Team Ninja is also working on Nioh 2, the action RPG Soulslike that was announced at Sony’s E3 2018 presser.

Development

Development on Warriors Orochi 4 began in 2016, while the game was announced in March 2018, and confirmed for a release on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in September of that year in Japanese, and the following month in all other markets. However, in Japan, the game will only launch on the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with the Xbox One version of the game being limited to non-Japanese markets. Masaki Furusawa serves as the producer on the game, having worked in a similar capacity on Warriors All-Stars, as well as several Dynasty Warriors titles, and Warriors-inspired licensed games such as Hyrule Warriors, Dragon Quest Heroes, and its sequel. Yoshitaka Murayama, who is known for his work on the Suikoden games, serves as the story supervisor.

Story

The story of Warriors Orochi 4 picks up after the events portrayed in Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate. All heroes from the Three Kingdoms and the Warring States have returned to their own time periods, and none of them retain any memory of past events. However, they are abruptly brought back into the Orochi dimension by Zeus. The heroes set about to attempt to return to their homes and time periods once more, but to do so, they have to enlist the help of immortal beings known as the Mystics, who do have memories of prior events, in order to find eight mysterious bangles.

All visual designs and models for the cast of characters will be based on Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires and Samuari Warriors 4-II. It has also been confirmed by Koei Tecmo that they will support Warriors Orochi 4 with post launch DLC, which will include new weapons, new costumes, and other items and bonuses. It has also been confirmed that Warriors Orochi 4 will target a maximum frame rate of 60 FPS on all consoles, though this will not be locked. The game will also run at 1080p on the PS4 and the Xbox One, as well as on the Nintendo Switch when docked. When undocked and playing in handheld mode, it will run at 720p. The developers have further confirmed that there will be no boosts to frame rate or resolution on either the PS4 Pro or the Xbox One X.

Gameplay

While Omega Force decided to experiment with their approach to the Warriors formula with Dynasty Warriors 9 with an open world setting, Warriors Orochi 4 will be sticking to the series and genre’s more traditional and tried and tested mechanics and design philosophies. In combat, players will once again control a team of three characters, who will range across the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors games, while class types are also being retained. However, the Wonder type introduced in Warriors Orochi 3 has been removed, with the sequel once again reverting to the three class types of Power, Speed, and Technique.

There will be a total of 170 playable characters in Warriors Orochi 4, and with the exception of guest characters from other franchises, all characters featured in Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate will be returning. From Orochi’s parent franchises, characters up until Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires and Samurai Warriors 4-II will be featured in the game, with characters making their debuts in those two games also being introduced in Warriors Orochi 4. However, this also means that no characters introduced in Dynasty Warriors 9 and Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada will be featured.

A total of six completely new characters will be added to Warriors Orochi 4. Omega Force has confirmed that base actions will be different for all 170 characters, and that each character will also have specific “Unique Magic” abilities.

Sacred Treasures is a new mechanic that is being added to Warriors Orochi 4, replacing the Type Action mechanic from previous instalments. Sacred Treasures will allow new Magic options to become available, which will then be used in combination with base weapons. Each character will also have specific Sacred Treasure critical moves unique to themselves. These will be separate from the class system, and can be activated by pressing the right shoulder button (R1 on the PS4, RB on the Xbox One, R on the Nintendo Switch) and one of the four face buttons together. Another major new addition is that of “diefication forms”. These will be specific to characters that are central to the story, and will entail these characters taking on newer and more powerful forms to deal more damage and earn better rewards. This will be dependant on the number of bangles players have found throughout the game.

A combination magic move has also been added to the game, which replaces the triple attack move. This move is dependant on a gauge, that is filled up by repeatedly using charge or magic moves. Once the gauge is filled up, players can press and hold the left and right triggers (L2 + R2 on PS4, LT + RT on Xbox One, LR + ZR on Nintendo Switch)  simultaneously to unleash the combination magic move. All enemies affected by this will drop better and more rewards than they would under normal circumstances. The switch combo system from previous games also returns, albeit with some variations. The system now makes subsequent attacks easier and more effective by activating a tornado.

The base camp mechanic from Warrior Orochi 3: Ultimate also makes a return in Warriors Orochi 4, while it has also been confirmed that some variation of the battle feature Free Mode will also be present in the game. Additionally, players will now also be able to send out any characters that they are not using on automated missions. These missions will net the characters in question with experience points, and even gems and weapons and other loot at times. Omega Force have also confirmed that Warriors Orochi 4 will feature a three versus three competitive multiplayer component.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

The Warriors Orochi franchise is where characters from Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series cross over and fight hoards of mooks together. Warriors Orochi 4 is the latest entry in this series and, appropriately, it’s the biggest one. And since it’s one of the biggest draws of this title, let’s talk about characters. Warriors Orochi 4 has 170 playable characters. Each one has its own voice lines, unique animations, different combination of weapons and magic, and that is insane. There’s so much variety in the cast, from cyborgs and boar creatures to historical Japanese feudal lords. You might not care about much of the cast, but that’s more than alright; with so many characters at your disposal, you’re bound to find at the very least a handful that stick out to you.

"Thankfully, the series didn’t continue in the direction of Dynasty Warriors 9 and harkens back to the tried-and-true formula the series is known for."

There’s a campaign mode where you’ll be spending most of your time. There’s also a Battle Arena where you can engage in a unique multiplayer game mode either cooperatively or competitively with your friends. The game is split-screen and players can easily drop in and out from almost any menu. There aren’t many options available to you from the settings menu, but it should be noted that every action is rebindable in the menus. Keyboard control is possible and can be set up in any way you want thanks to the remappable actions, but the game heavily hints toward to using a controller. When the game boots up and immediately shoves a confirmation box in your face with Xbox buttons, it’s clear what their angle is.

The campaign finds you picking up after the events of Orochi 3. After defeating Orochi the heroes of the previous title all returned to the land where they belong but without any memory of what went on. They end up getting pulled all into the same world yet again. After getting their bearings, they realize eight magical bangles are the keys to going back to their respective worlds. The story is interesting in its own way, but the real draw of any sort of cross-over property is seeing different characters chum it up with one another. In that respect, the game more than fulfills its job. Characters will constantly be talking to one another and there are also events you can watch, which are little scenes between two characters. There’s no real benefit to watching these aside from a little bit of fan-service, but that’s exactly what Orochi players are going to want.

The campaign’s gameplay is formated in the same way that you’ve seen many times before. Thankfully, the series didn’t continue in the direction of Dynasty Warriors 9 and harkens back to the tried-and-true formula the series is known for. Set loose in a map with plenty of checkpoints and chokepoints, you’re giving various tasks to accomplish, whether its to open a gate or defeat an enemy commander who’s appeared on the field. There’s thousands of enemy mooks out there to build your combos on. The only things that hope to stand in your way are other commanders or the occasional gate guard. Combat is shaken up from time to time by introducing a spirit enemy that buffs all enemies around it until it’s taken out. The gameplay loop of Warriors Orochi is never too taxing and can almost become a relaxing exercise as you see just how high you can make your combo numbers go.

"You have at your disposal three warriors at a time and can swap between them at any point during play or even in the middle of combos."

Warriors Orochi’s gameplay is much the same as it ever was. If you’re familiar with the franchise, then you know what you’re in for. If you’re looking to dip your toes into the Warriors games for the first time, you need to know that the Warriors games are all about stupidly long combos and flashy spectacle. Warriors Orochi 4 continues this tradition and adds a wrinkle with the new magic system. Now by using a combination of button presses, you can unleash different tiers of magical attacks that do tremendous damage and sweep up large amounts of enemies or even a screen-wiping Musou attack. This is a good addition to the Warriors formula and it allows for even bigger combos when paired with your regular moves. It also allows for some truly spectacular sights. Watching Lu Bu slice up a group of enemies, grab one of them by the face, then charge forward using him as a battering ram is nothing short of poetry.

The game has three types of characters: power, speed, and technique characters. Power ones don’t get interupted by weak attacks while they’re pulling off combos, speed characters get aerial mobility and attacks, and technique characters can follow up attacks with dash attacks and cover great distance while keeping up the combo.

You have at your disposal three warriors at a time and can swap between them at any point during play or even in the middle of combos. In fact, comboing into a character swap prompts a tag-in attack and combining this with your regular combos and the aforementioned magic system can see you reaching combo numbers in the tens of thousands. There’s also a skill tree available to you where you can power up your favorite characters. Different tiers of weapons can also be found and equipped, with slots open for elemental attributes. These additions don’t really change much when it comes to combat, but it’s still fun to see your favorite character get even more powerful.

"Warriors Orochi 4 is a great purchase for players who are looking for a great, polished Warriors experience."

The Battle Arena mode is a bit more hit or miss. This 3v3 mode tasks you with capturing three bases all located fairly close to one another. There is only one map and it’s a very simple area with two rows of columns separating the bases. While trying out the game mode, servers weren’t open yet and so I wasn’t able to do anything besides split screen play. There are also bots available to play against, though this isn’t any sort of challenge. The issue with Battle Arena is that the Warriors games don’t have enough depth to their combat for really creative and smart play to be had.

Oftentimes, it turns into a war of attrition waiting for one side to die before the other and then stealing a base. While this mode is fun when played with others, it doesn’t have enough depth to really tout itself as a competitive game mode. Perhaps if it had other maps to play on, it would be a more enjoyable time-sink. Battle Arena reminds me of a time back in the PS2 era when versus mode was thrown into any game, regardless of if it was really suited for the title. This game mode is best taken as a fun diversion, but definitely not something to base a purchase off of.

Warriors Orochi 4 is a great purchase for players who are looking for a great, polished Warriors experience. But like I said before, this is a decisive game. If you are not the sort of player who was taken in with Dynasty Warriors’ combat before, this title will not change your mind. Gameplay is repetitive and based mostly around spectacle. But if you’re the type of person to sit down to a game, zone out, and relax to the sounds of enemies dying by the thousands, this is absolutely the game for you.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

WWE 2K19

Another year, yet another WWE 2K title from Yuke’s and Visual Concepts. Don’t get us wrong – there’s a lot to look forward to in WWE 2K19. Showcase Mode returns, this time focusing on Daniel Bryan’s journey from humble newcomer to Wrestlemania main eventer. MyPlayer Towers allows for daily, weekly and pay per view challenges with, and MyCareer mode will also return to provide a more linear story for your custom created wrestler. With stars like AJ Styles and pre-order bonuses like Rey Mysterio and Ronda Rousey, will WWE 2K19 regain some semblance of glory when it releases on October 9th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC? Time will tell.

Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game

Creating a proper video game experience centred around H.P. Lovecraft’s horrifying creations is tough. Nevertheless, we’re incredibly hyped for Cyanide’s Call of Cthulhu. Players assume the role of investigator Edward Pierce as he heads out to Darkwater Island near Boston to solve the death of a family. Focusing more on investigation and conversations, Call of Cthulhu will also see Pierce struggling to maintain his sanity in the face of hallucinations and cult-like figures. Will he make it out alive? We’ll find out on October 30th when the game launches Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

LEGO DC Super-Villains

Why should good guys have all the fun? Traveller’s Tales’ LEGO DC Super-Villains is turning the tables by allowing us to control a variety of famous villains. Of course, while gameplay is similar to previous LEGO titles, complete with two-player co-op, it’s now possible to have a fully customizable character that’s integrated into the story. If battling heroes as the Joker sounds appealing – that too from the lens of LEGO humour – then LEGO DC Super-Villains might be worth checking out when it launches on October 16th for North America and October 19th worldwide for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Super Mario Party

Before the latest Smash and much before anything that could potentially keep your friendships together, the first Mario Party for Switch will be releasing on October 5th. Super Mario Party, as the name implies, brings new mini-games, the ability to play on a single Switch and even linking multiple platforms together for certain activities like Toad’s Rec Room. The jury is out on whether the gameplay actually improves on predecessors. Just try to stay friends after extended play sessions.

Mega Man 11

No, this isn’t a new Mega Man X title but Mega Man 11 looks pretty darn good with its sumptuous visuals. The same platformer shooting action that fans know and love is still here with eight Robot Masters to fight across eight stages. However, the new Double Gear system has us more intrigued. Mega Man can now activate the Power Gear system to fire a powerful shot or slow down time with the Speed Gear. At low health, a super powerful blast can be activated using both gears. Time Trials, Missions, leaderboards and more are included with the base story. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long as Mega Man 11 releases on October 2nd for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Treyarch’s latest Black Ops breaks away from an established Call of Duty tradition by having no single-player campaign. Nevertheless, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will have multiplayer, three Zombies maps instead of one (each with their own stories) and the Battle Royale mode Blackout. Blackout has already impressed many with its level of polish and well-crafted world design. Zombies will bring mutations and challenges to keep PvE players occupied. Will the entire package hold up over a long period of time? We’ll find out when Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches on October 12th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Soulcalibur 6

Yet another long-awaited sequel is Bandai Namco’s Soulcalibur 6. Classic characters like Mitsurugi, Sophitia and Kilik return along with a few new characters including Geralt from The Witcher 3 as the story revisits hidden events from the first game. Soulcalibur 6 won’t just feature the same weapon-based combat we’ve always loved – it will have special moves, special slow-mo sequences and the return of ring-outs. If that weren’t enough, along with the Soul Chronicle story mode, there’s Libra of Soul, a campaign for one’s custom character. Soulcalibur 6 is out on October 19th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Releasing just a year after Assassin’s Creed Origins, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey veers even further into RPG territory. The story this time around is set in Ancient Greece with two protagonists – Alexios and Kassandra. As a Spartan mercenary that travels away from home, you’re given the option of fighting in the Peloponnesian War for either Sparta or Athens. With more combat possibilities, an impactful dialogue and choice system, beasts like Medusa and an even larger world to explore, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey promises an even more epic adventure when it releases on October 5th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Forza Horizon 4

Perhaps the best open world racing title of this year – and several other years – Forza Horizon 4 heads to jolly old Britain for one’s Horizon shenanigans. Working one’s way up as a rookie to the Horizon roster, there are now four seasons to play through with their own respective events and Showcases that open up. Forza Horizon 4 also packs tons of vehicles, player housing, an improved progression system that constantly rewards the player, Forzathon live events, Seasonal championships and much, much more to race through. It’s out on October 2nd for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.

Red Dead Redemption 2

We’ve been waiting since 2010 for Rockstar to deliver a sequel to Red Dead Redemption and it’s almost here. Though the story takes place before the events of the first game, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a massive step forward in terms of visuals, world design and missions. Players will control Arthur Morgan, traveling with the Van der Linde gang, fraternizing with your comrades and picking up new activities in the process. You can partake in bank heists, build your relationship with an entire town, go hunting, fish and so much more. That’s not even including the online mode which launches in November. Red Dead Redemption 2 releases on October 26th for Xbox One and PS4.

Honorable Mentions:

• Starlink: Battle for Atlas
• Luigi’s Mansion
• Just Dance 2019
• Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise
• Warriors Orochi 4
• The World Ends with You: Final Remix
• Disgaea 1 Complete

Spider-Man has been at the top of the Japanese sales charts since its release, an extraordinary performance for a western game. However, much like in the UK, its reign at the top of the software charts has come to an end this week. In the new Media Create Report covering video game hardware and software sales in the land of the rising sun, we learn that Spider-Man was knocked down to sixth place last week. However, in spite of this, it managed to sell very well, with only a 40% drop in week on week sales.

The first place was taken up by the PS4 version of Warriors Orochi 4, which sold about 100,000 copies, followed by Trails of Cold Steel 4 in second place. The PS4 version of FIFA 19 was third, followed by the Switch versions of Warriors Orochi 4 and Dragon Ball FighterZ respectively rounding out the top five.

In spite of the PS4’s dominance on the software side of things, however, the hardware side saw the Switch still at the top, with 42,000 units sold last week. Meanwhile, the PS4 sold 20,000 units, while the 3DS, with under 8,000 units, rounded out the top three.

You can see the full charts below:

1. [PS4] Warriors Orochi 4 (Limited Editions Included) (Koei Tecmo, 09/27/18) – 100,831 (New)
2. [PS4] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV ~The End of Saga~(Limited Editions Included) (Falcom, 09/27/18) – 85,161 (New)
3. [PS4] FIFA 19 (Limited Editions Included) (Electronic Arts, 09/28/18) – 57,772 (New)
4. [NSW] Warriors Orochi 4 (Limited Editions Included) (Koei Tecmo, 09/27/18) – 26,660 (New)
5. [NSW] Dragon Ball FighterZ (Bandai Namco, 09/27/18) – 23,202 (New)
6. [PS4] Marvel’s Spider-Man (Bundle Version Included) (SIE, 09/07/18) – 22,751 (266,802)
7. [PS4] Utawarerumono Zan (Limited Edition Included) (Aquaplus, 09/27/18) – 21,316 (New)
8. [NSW] FIFA 19 (Limited Editions Included) (Electronic Arts, 09/28/18) – 16,200 (New)
9. [NSW] The World Ends with You: Final Remix (Square Enix, 09/27/18) – 14,216 (New)
10. [NSW] Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition (Microsoft, 06/21/18) – 13,483 (304,544)
11. [NSW] Splatoon 2 (Bundle Version Included) (Nintendo, 07/21/17) – 13,059 (2,644,596)
12. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo, 04/28/17) – 10,561 (1,778,713)
13. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Limited Edition Included) (Nintendo, 03/03/17) – 5,756 (1,123,201)
14. [NSW] Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Sega, 09/27/18) – 5,596 (New)
15. [PS4] Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (Konami, 08/30/18) – 5,137 (114,777)
16. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! (Bandai Namco, 07/19/18) – 4,813 (205,355)
17. [3DS] Pokemon Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon (The Pokemon Company, 11/17/17) – 4,785 (1,734,235)
18. [NSW] Mario Tennis Aces (Nintendo, 06/22/18) – 4,579 (353,070)
19. [NSW] Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit (Nintendo, 09/14/18) – 4,306 (21,231)
20. [NSW] Super Mario Odyssey (Bundle Version Included) (Nintendo, 10/27/17) – 4,220 (1,821,336)

Hardware Sales

1. Switch – 42,957 (37,733)
2. PlayStation 4 – 15,322 (11,661)
3. New 2DS LL – 5,218 (4,563)
4. PlayStation 4 Pro – 5,084 (4,332)
5. PlayStation Vita – 2,675 (2,718)
6. New 3DS LL – 1,978 (2,130)
7. 2DS – 310 (407)
8. Xbox One X – 52 (75)
9. Xbox One – 23 (28)

To learn more about what changes are in store for players, Gamingbolt reached out to the developers with some questions and Masaki Furusawa provided the following answers.

"Basic actions will be different for all 170 characters. In addition, each character will have “Unique Magic”."

Being the fourth entry in the series, what are some of the major changes we can expect to see?

This title’s keywords being “Fantasy Orochi”, we have added tropes from Western mythology to the overall world of the game, its characters, weapons, and actions with the introduction of “Magic”, new types of moves.

With 170 playable characters, can we expect these characters to be distinctive in significant ways?

Basic actions will be different for all 170 characters. In addition, each character will have “Unique Magic”.

Yoshitaka Murayami , the writer of Suikoden has been supervising the story for this game.  Has this contributed to a difference in how the story will play out when compared to past games in the series?

More than a difference from what we have been creating until now per se, we think the story Mr. Murayami wrote is very intriguing. This is further enhanced by his supervision of the new characters of this title, in addition to the storyline itself.

Who are some of the major characters in the game and what will their role in the story be?

Zeus, who initiated the events of this story, will face the player’s team in battle.

The story will also narrate how Perseus, who we recently announced, rebelled against Zeus’s actions leading him to be pursued by Athena for treason.

On top of that, the thoughts and personalities of characters from Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors will also clash with them and among each other. Key characters will also perform transformations called “deifications”, which will also be available to enemies that we hope players will have lots of fun fighting against.

Dynasty Warriors 9 brought us an open world setting. Why have you decided to go a different route with this game?

We changed the approach in order to focus more on exhilarating action itself, and on a gameflow that allows players to play without getting confused.

As the story of the Orochi series is generally considered the most exciting among “Warriors series” games, we have been focusing on making it even better and more streamlined.

"We have been observing the evolution of the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Steam in order to evaluate whether the environment they provide was ready and adequate to bring a new Orochi title that can be enjoyed by many players."

It has been many years since the release of Warriors Orochi 3 which was released back in 2011. Why has it taken so long for this fourth installment to be released?

No, this title has not continually been under development since that time.

We have been observing the evolution of the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Steam in order to evaluate whether the environment they provide was ready and adequate to bring a new Orochi title that can be enjoyed by many players. Only from then did we start developing the game.

With so many musou games across different series that Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have worked on, how has your approach to this genre of games evolved over the years?

The constant base of these games, satisfying and exhilarating action, has not changed. Along the years we have performed some game design changes based on whether players at the time wanted more focus on strategy or on storytelling. We are well-aware more changes have been awaited by players in recent years, with Dynasty Warriors 9 being one of the challenges we worked on in order to answer those wishes.

On a related note, is it a struggle to keep things fresh and innovative with each new game?

It is indeed. The goal is not just being able to make something new, but to keep the balance between maintaining the essential parts of the game we must protect and bringing users the changes they wish for, which can be difficult.

However, this is the very reason I think this is a worthwhile and exciting mission.

What can you tell us about the Sacred Treasures techniques in the game?

By using Sacred Treasures, the new “Magic” actions will become available. The concept is to use them in combination with the usual base weapons. These techniques can draw the enemy to the player or stop their movement, for example, in order to boost the satisfaction brought by base actions. We also have prepared critical moves specific to each character.

The game will feature Xbox One X specific enhancements. What can players expect if they are playing the game on Xbox One X? Is 4K/60fps on the cards?

There are no features focusing on the Xbox One X. Resolution is at 4K, and the framerate, while variable, is at 60 fps maximum.

"PS4 is on FHD at a maximum of 60 fps. Xbox One’s framerate is similar to PS4."

And how will the PS4 Pro version turn out in terms of resolution and frame rate?

As with Xbox One X, there are no special features. The resolution and framerate are also the same.

From a development perspective, how do you find the Xbox One X to be? With so much GPU power, we are sure you must be doing some amazing things.

Yes, if used at maximum potential I think we could achieve very attractive graphics. However, as we cannot realistically exclusively target this platform, this is a range we cannot enter yet.

How is the game running on the original Xbox One and PS4, frame rate and resolution wise?

PS4 is on FHD at a maximum of 60 fps. Xbox One’s framerate is similar to PS4.

What is the resolution and frame rate of the Switch version in docked and handheld modes?

On TV mode, we expect it to be on FHD at a maximum of 60 fps. On handheld mode, resolution is planned to be at 720p. (The framerate is the same.)

Next gen is coming sooner or later. From a development perspective, what is your biggest expectation from the next PlayStation and next Xbox?

I am sure each platform has its own specs and targets thoroughly planned, and as such I don’t mean to say much: I am sure these will be good. However, I hope they avoid raising prices in conjunction with performance, as it could prevent the hardware from spreading well. As I am sure we will develop for these consoles, I hope they turn out to be platforms we can use for new positive business challenges.

What is your take on the on-going controversy of loot boxes and microtransactions?

In the end it is all about what the player can get or experience from it.

I think this business model in itself is not to be denied, but I believe it is very important for developers and publishers to face players with sincerity in order to make content that can be accepted by them.

The next Xbox and next PlayStation are coming sooner rather than later. We know this, and publishers such as Bethesda, and hardware companies like AMD, have begun referencing the next generation gaming efforts from Microsoft and Sony at this point. But what do developers themselves have to say about the upcoming platforms? What do they personally want from them?

Furusawa Masaki, who’s serving as producer on Warriors Orochi 4, mostly wants these consoles to be products that spread through the market, so that they will have a large audience for their game to sell to. Speaking to GamingBolt in an exclusive interview, Masaki-san noted that his primary hope from the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox is that they not be too expensive, especially given whatever their performance level does end up being.

“I am sure each platform has its own specs and targets thoroughly planned, and as such I don’t mean to say much: I am sure these will be good,” he said. “However, I hope they avoid raising prices in conjunction with performance, as it could prevent the hardware from spreading well. As I am sure we will develop for these consoles, I hope they turn out to be platforms we can use for new positive business challenges.”

It does make sense- ultimately, game hardware is already at the level where the performance we get from it is enough to help realize a lot of the creative ambitions developers have. At this point, they probably want the assurance of knowing that the next generation’s major platforms won’t lock them out from a large audience. Stay tuned for our full interview on Warriors Orochi 4 in the coming days.

Warriors Orochi 4, the next instalment in Koei-Tecmo’s crossover franchise that spawns from Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors, is not far away from its Western launch, and as is the case with most, if not all, major releases these days, it’ll be sporting some pretty neat visual enhancements on the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro.

We recently conducted an interview with developers Omega Force, and Furusawa Masaki, who’s serving as producer on the upcoming hack-n-slash title, told us that both on the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro, the game would hit 4K resolutions, and run at 60 frames per second, though he did mention that the frame-rate would be “variable”. It should also be noted that it’s not clear whether this will be native 4K.

Interestingly enough, Furusawa-san emphasized that there won’t be any visual enhancements or features in the game that will be exclusive to the Xbox One X, in spite of the extra juice its hardware offers, simply because of the fact that this is a game launching on several systems- which includes the significantly less powerful Nintendo Switch, by the way.

Warriors Orochi 4 launches in Japan later this month for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, while it’s also slated for a Western release on October 16. Check out some of its gameplay footage through here.

Tecmo Koei might have stumbled a bit with Dynasty Warriors lately, with Dynasty Warriors 9 disappointing earlier this year, but if the look of the latest entry to their crossover franchise Warriors Orochi 4 is any indication, the team is striking back hard with what the fans want. 4Gamer.net have released their hands on impressions with the game, and with it, lots of new footage and screenshots.

The numerous trailers show off a bit of gameplay with Gracia, Li Naotora, and Lu Xun, both individually, and also leveraging the character switch combo system and Co-Op Divine Arts. You can take a look at the videos and screenshots in question below. All said and done, it’s looking like Warriors Orochi 4 returns to the classic style of Warriors games, after Dynasty Warriors 9 fell flat on its face, according to Metacritic, and our own review.

Warriors Orochi 4 will launch on the PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch on September 27th in its homeland of Japan, and a while later in North America, to bring an Xbox One version out with the others on October 16, and then a few days after for Europe on October 19th.