The feeling of being there, right in the battle, is even stronger than ever...

Get the inside scoop on the newest game in the excellent Dynasty Warriors series from producer Takashi Morinaka.

Set in ancient China, and rich in historical detail and enthralling action, the Dynasty Warriors series has been a hit with both critics and fans alike, and has spawned an impressive six games to date. Dynasty Warriors 6 marks the series' next generation debut, and uses the power of PlayStation 3 to create the most involving, exciting and action-packed Dynasty Warriors experience ever.

Eu.playstation.com caught up with producer Takashi Morinaka to get the lowdown on some of the brand new features in Dynasty Warriors 6, including the new Renbu combo system, the addition of swimming and climbing, and the new character redesigns. Check out the exclusive video, or read on...

Eu.playstation.com: What was the inspiration behind the RENBU system?

Takashi Morinaka: Actually, the inspiration came from the opening movie of Dynasty Warriors 5. In that movie, Zhao Yun rushed into a horde of enemies, attacking in one seamless stream of action. I thought, wouldn't it be great to be able to do this in a game. And that was how I started thinking about what would eventually become the Renbu system.

PS: What inspired you to create such a huge battlefield?

TM: One of the main features of the series has always been the tactical action part of the game.

Unlike in a normal action game, the player has to keep track of all units everywhere on the field, and plan his movements strategically. These movements affect the movements of others, ensuring a new flow and outcome each time. Huge playing areas allow the player to fully experience this kind of living battlefield.

PS: What are the advantages of swimming and climbing in your opinion?

TM: Swimming and climbing add another strategic element to the game. For example, can I swim a river or climb a mountain to get behind the enemy? These choices can really change the course of a battle and we've tried to work them seamlessly into the game. The biggest advantage to have in a fight is surprise, and these choices allow you to gain that advantage.

PS: How has the enemy changed in DW6 compared to previous Dynasty Warriors games?

TM: We've done what we can to make the enemies more real, so that the player feels like he's on the battlefield. The troops actually work together to pull off combination attacks, they show their surprise when attacked unexpectedly, and other small but important things which make up a Dynasty Warriors battle.

PS: What was the influence behind so many of the character redesigns?

TM: The designs have actually evolved slightly with each new release. But with Dynasty 6, we wanted something new to go with the advent of the new generation of consoles. We believe that we've come up with fresh characters that fans of the series should enjoy.

PS: Do the new costumes and weapons for the characters suggest that DW6 is more historically accurate than previous Dynasty Warriors games?

TM: Certainly, some of the characters are a little more true to history. Sun Shangxiang was known as an exceptional archer, so in this release, we've given her back her bow. And Liu Bei now carries the two swords that he was famous for.

But not everyone's historically correct. For example, Lu Bu is famous for the "Sky Piercer", his well known halberd-type weapon. We've changed that weapon from its standard look to that of a pair of crossed halberds instead.

PS: What inspired you to make such cool music for Dynasty Warriors 6?

TM: With regard to sound, throughout the series our most important goal has been having music that enhances the player's "One against a thousand" experience. And throughout the series, our sound director, MASA, has always come through for us.

This time, MASA has designed the music to be simpler, more direct, more enhancing of the player's presence on the battlefield.

PS: What kind of things has the next gen hardware enabled you to do that could never be achieved on the PS2?

TM: The first thing of course is the visuals. The feel of the air, the sprawling battlefields, the numbers of troops that cover the ground like herds of wild deer. All of this is due in a large part to the performance of the next generation consoles, as are the improvements in the processing speed for the AI and numerous other things within the game.

PS: How long does it take for the entire development of this game?

TM: If you count from the planning stage with core team members to the end, it probably takes about 2 years.

PS: How long did it take to make each unique moveset for each character?

TM: I believe each character took about 5 months to create.

PS: Is it lot harder to model a character in PS3 compared it to PS2?

TM: Yes it is harder to create a character, because so much more is possible.

Let me give you an example. Until now, we did our motion capture one character at a time, but for this we needed to have two actors in at a time to make our new moves look more realistic.

PS: Who is your favourite Dynasty Warriors character and why?

TM: Zhao Yun, Lu Bu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei... There are too many that I like to be able to narrow it down to one.

After all, having a wide variety of characters, each with his own bit of charm or charisma, or his own personal agenda or motivation is the crux of the Warriors series.

PS: What are your favourite features in DW6?

TM: What I'd really like everyone to try are the sieges.

To attack a gate, you gather your engineers to you, then win enough space for them to work. While they build, you protect them, since the enemy sends out troops to stop them. You might have to climb ladders and take out the enemy on the wall, so that your side can succeed in opening that gate. With all the action taking place there at the walls, the feeling of being there, right in the battle, is even stronger than ever.

PS: What are the elements in DW6 that you are most proud of?

TM: The most important factor in the series has always been the simplicity of control.

The newest player can have fun just mashing the buttons until they learn the intricacies of battle, while the experienced Warrior can choose from a myriad of advanced techniques to string together a deep and satisfying action experience.

PS: Are you satisfied with how DW6 turned out?

TM: I believe that we as developers have only begun to scratch the surface of what can be done with this new generation of consoles. Dynasty Warriors 6 has advanced in many areas and is the best we can do at this time. Still, fans can look forward to even better games in the future.

Dynasty Warriors 6 is out in March. Keep checking eu.playstation.com for a full preview, coming soon.