Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a thrilling historical fantasy action role-playing video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo. This game takes you on an epic adventure with action-packed and stunning visuals. The game was recently released on multiple platforms including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a game that will appeal to all gamers looking for a new and exciting experience. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was released on March 3, 2023, and has since attracted so many positive reviews and got a warm reception in the gaming world.

Epic Game Plot to Keep You Going

This thrilling game takes you on a journey through a fictionalized version of the fall of the Han Dynasty. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has a way of mixing historical fiction with reality, to make you want more stuff. The game’s plot follows a protagonist, whose name we are yet to know, who embarks on a dangerous quest to battle historical characters and Chinese mythological creatures corrupted by demonic Qi. As I progressed through the game, I was excited to encounter many enemies that weren’t just challenging but had a historical backstory. Each enemy also had their unique strengths and weaknesses, which made the enemies more fun to fight.

By drawing inspiration from Chinese history and folklore, the developers created a unique and captivating world. It’s also wonderful to note that the plot is woven with fantasy elements, with players encountering mythical creatures and powerful villains as they progress through the game’s various levels. It then makes the gameplay seem like you’re battling enemies from a historical world, a mythical world, and a fictional world.

The First Boss Fight is Unbelievably Challenging

The first boss fight in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is among the most difficult first bosses in video game history. In this opening battle, you face off against Zhang Liang of the Yellow Turbans in a dynamic two-phase fight that tests your knowledge of Wo Long’s mechanics right away. It’s an intense challenge that sets the tone for the rest of the game and showcases the developer’s bold intentions. The boss fight will make you appreciate how the game quickly makes you adapt to the game’s unique Soulslike combat system. I was initially shocked that the first boss of a game could be that difficult. However, I understood the system and found new skills that helped me defeat Zhang Liang. It was a great feeling, and I was finally ready to face whatever the game had for me.

Subsequent Boss Fights Were a Piece of Cake

It wasn’t until 15 hours into Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s campaign that I encountered a boss fight that matched Zhang Liang’s difficulty level. The bosses in between were relatively easy, and I could defeat each one on my first try, usually within a minute. Although I enjoyed taking down each boss, the lack of challenge made them less impressive. This also highlighted that the first boss was significantly harder than the rest of the game. The fight with Zhang Liang created an expectation that was not met by the subsequent bosses, especially since other fights allowed for the assistance of computers or human teammates.

Strategic Combat System

The game’s combat system is one of its most impressive features, offering players a range of abilities and weapons to use in battle. From traditional melee weapons like swords and spears to powerful magic spells, players have a vast range of options to defeat their enemies. Additionally, you can select one of five “Divine Beasts” such as the Qilin, Baihu, Qinglong, Zhuque, and Xuanwu. These Divine Beasts can either provide you with passive perks through “Divine Beast Resonance”, or assist you to defeat enemies during combat.

The Spirit Gauge Makes the Game Unique, and the Combat More Interesting

When playing Wo Long, you shouldn’t expect to see a traditional stamina system to limit your actions like other soul-like games. Instead, the game features a Spirit gauge that can increase or decrease based on your actions. When you engage in close-range combats, your spirit gauge will gradually fill up. Once full, you can unleash spirit attacks by executing special combat maneuvers or casting elemental spells. You can also accumulate Spirit by attacking enemies and deflecting their attacks, which can then be used to boost your offensive abilities. However, dodging, mistimed deflections, weapon-specific special moves, and casting Wizardry Spells will decrease your Spirit. These rules make the game a bit more complex and introduce a strategy to the combat system. Additionally, taking damage from enemy attacks will also lower your Spirit. If your Spirit falls into the negative range and you get hit, your character will be left vulnerable for a short period. This creates a delicate balance where you must accumulate enough positive Spirit to utilize your entire range of abilities, while also avoiding the staggered state caused by negative Spirit.

The Enemies Also Have Their Spirit Gauge

I was excited to find out that the enemies have their own Spirit gauge, which made the game more fun, and kind of leveled the playing field. This means that instead of attacking them to reduce their health bar, you must focus on wearing down their defenses. Attacking them will lower their Spirit gauge, but using special moves and dealing critical blows will significantly diminish their gauges. Once their Spirit gauge reaches its minimum limit, they’ll become stunned, allowing you to deliver a powerful fatal strike that will cause significant damage. However, this isn’t always an easy feat as you’ll encounter multiple enemy types simultaneously, and dealing with multiple foes simultaneously can be challenging. The difficulty of each enemy is determined by their “Morale rank,” with more challenging opponents offering more valuable loot.

Conclusion

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an excellent action RPG that offers an exciting and immersive gaming experience. With its engaging plot, challenging enemies, and intuitive combat system, this game will provide hours of entertainment for gamers of all ages and skill levels. However, the historical aspect of the game might not be appreciated by people who don’t know Chinese history.