Developed by Team Ninja, this is a Chinese mythology-inspired Soulslike that will put our gamer mettle to the test. If you enjoyed Sekiro, this game should definitely be on your radar.
Setting and missions
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty takes place in a fictionalized reimagining of the Chinese Han Dynasty. Demons have invaded the world, and it’s up to your character to send them back to their maker. Similarly to Nioh, the game will be mission-based and pretty linear. So people expecting an open world similar to Elden Ring will be somewhat disappointed.
According to the studio, Wo Long refers to a crouching dragon, an unknown combatant that will rise through the ranks to become the hero of this forsaken land.
Gameplay and combat
One of the main mechanics that will be introduced is a Morale system. Both you and your enemies will have a morale score that will be influenced by winning or losing fights. You will increase your morale by successfully exploring and defeating enemies. Lose a fight, though, and that particular enemy will boost their morale, making them stronger. So dying repeatedly to the same enemy will only make him stronger while decreasing your own strength.
This might sound troubling since dying is a core part of these types of games. Receiving a double dose of punishment with each failure might make your efforts seem hopeless. But all is not lost since you can just travel to an area you’ve already explored and farm some easier enemies to boost your morale. Your morale will also increase your drop chances, allowing you to find better items
The game will also feature a Spirit meter. Similarly to the Posture system from Sekiro, your spirit will increase when you use regular attacks or deflect incoming attacks. Using heavier attacks or special abilities will decrease your spirit, forcing you to mix and match your abilities instead of spamming your most potent attacks.
Combat will focus on choosing one of the five combat styles during character creation. These will influence your stats, spells, and what divine beast will jump to your aid during fights. Regarding weapons, it is entirely up to you what you want to use, with a wide variety of swords, glaives, and sabers to choose from.
Release date
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will release on March 3, 2023, on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It will also come out on day one on Xbox Game Pass. So if you’re unsure if you can handle the difficulty of this game, you can at least give it a try if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber.
Since Soulslike games are one of the most successful genres around these days, it’s great to see big studios taking a stab at making their own. And given Team Ninja’s experience in creating fantastic action games, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty looks very enticing.
