Like Nioh, Wo Long is beautiful and intricate and offers a punishing combat system to satisfy your masochistic desires if you like Souslike games.
The review is based on the PS5 version. It is also relevant for PC, XSX, XONE and PS4 versions.
Most games start with intro battles that gradually get you used to their fighting style and even give you a chance to make mistakes until you feel good enough to do it yourself without tutorial instructions no intervention. Oh, but not Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
BENEFITS:
- A brutally satisfying combat system that rewards patience and timing;
- Plenty of ways to customize your attacks and build;
- Detailed and impressive visuals and enemy designs.
AGAINST :
- High learning curve at the start of the game;
- The characters are generally not memorable despite being historical figures.
No, this game decides that you face a hard-hitting boss from the start. And just when you thought you’d finally beaten him, surprise, there’s another phase you have to beat. It’s this initial fight that may deter some players from understanding the ups and downs of playing Wo Long, Team Ninja’s new entry into the soulslike genre. It’s a challenging game to say the least, but it offers some satisfying moments that test your patience and a fluid combat system that’s fun and a beast to master.
a world in danger
Wo Long takes place in the year 184 AD. C. and is set in the tumultuous Three Kingdoms era of China. However, that’s not the whole story as the game also includes dark magic and supernatural elements to give you a story where you encounter historical figures but also battle possessed monkeys. Each area you visit will allow you to find notable allies who will fight alongside you against an ever-growing threat, so you’ll learn a bit more about them until the next area where you encounter a few more.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, published by Koei Tecmo (2023)
Some of these characters don’t have much of an impact on your story considering how quickly the game mixes them up sometimes. Your character is also a nameless warrior who is destined to stop this evil that threatens the world, but he is also a silent protagonist, which means that some of the most important scenes will only be met with a cold look and a nod. head, depending on the situation, how you angle your eyebrows. in the character creator. Your options are generous to become the warrior you want, but the lack of personality makes you it was a long time ago Feel like an epic you follow, not a story you make up.
VERDICT:
Its morale ratings, the experience you gain from fighting enemies, and the generous way to customize your favorite pieces of armor give you the tools you need to take on tough enemies that will, yes, kill you, but also provide you with more than 30 hours. satisfactory punishment. There’s no denying that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has a steep learning curve, but as many Chinese proverbs will tell you, patience, practice, and some great parrying skills will go a long way.
Despite this, the game features beautiful settings and plenty of realistic scenes that show the struggles, betrayals, and joy of the Three Kingdoms. I didn’t notice any issues while playing the game, but the English voice acting doesn’t always match lip movements, so I got used to it a bit. Their bosses and intricate designs with armor that drops during combat also show off the finer detail that combat has to offer.
Although the game is beautiful, you are at war after all, so your character will often encounter enemies in each area during the main quests. These are often human soldiers, magical animals, or demons to fight until you reach the boss at the end of a checkpoint. Although linear, the game features side quests that you can undertake to learn more about certain characters or simply to level up before continuing the story. It’s a format that works without being too repetitive because the combat always spice things up.
a dance of swords
Similar to Nioh, Wo Long’s combat system is more about understanding your enemy, deflecting their attacks, and waiting for an opening to attack. Even ordinary soldiers can end your journey if you’re not careful, as their blows can sometimes overwhelm you if you miss the timing of their attacks.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, published by Koei Tecmo (2023)
That first boss fight I mentioned earlier? Well, it can also be a test for anyone new to the game. Zhang Liang is relentless and will hit you with blow after blow, but if you time your attacks, unleash a martial arts skill, and parry enough blows, you can. stagger, making it vulnerable for a few seconds so you can land a devastating fatal. blow. Patience is key in this game, as pressing a button will get you killed in an instant, but so is mastering the many skills at your disposal and reading enemy attack patterns.
Compared to this first battle, it was a long time agoThe overall combat system is punishing but fair.. The more you attack an enemy, the more you increase your Spirit Gauge, the game’s version of a stamina bar that also allows you to boost your attacks. Once you’ve filled enough of them, you can use something to trigger martial arts moves or weapon-specific magic spells. These attacks allow you to keep combining your enemy and will sometimes prevent them from attacking if you do it well. However, if you get hit too hard, your gauge will drop and you’ll stagger instead.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, published by Koei Tecmo (2023)
This tussle with your Spirit Gauge makes combat more precise than you might think at first glance. Sure, you’ll want to hit the attack button when you can, but mastering when to parry will win you the battle. This move is vital to your survival, as enemies have unlockable attacks that can only be parried. Not only is it amazing to hit the stop button at the right time to see a cool animation, but dealing lots of damage and getting closer to defeating them is even better..
the spoils of war
Of course, mastering how a boss fights also means fighting them multiple times until their moves and time decrease. If you die, and you will do so multiple times, your morale range decreases and you respawn at your last checkpoint. Your morale cannot drop below your fortress range, which increases as you activate battle flags, checkpoints, but this comes at the cost of repopulating any enemies you just fought. This is actually a good thing, because you can use these checkpoints as safe markers to heal, grind a bit, and boost your morale higher than an upcoming boss to give you an edge in the fight.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, published by Koei Tecmo (2023)
Grind isn’t as bad as it sounds, since you only lose half of your experience points when you fall.. These can be used to boost one of five attributes that correspond to different stats of your character, such as fire for spirit attack strength or earth for increased health. These attributes allow you to customize your build however you want, as there are benefits to focusing on individual abilities. Additionally, you can also unlock spells based on your attribute level. These are overshadowed by the faster aspect of combat and also deplete your Spirit Gauge, but using spells defensively proved more beneficial to me in the long run.
All the loot you get from fighting enemies has its perks, but I was surprised you could get far in the game with old pieces of armor, as long as you just upgrade them with the various items you pick up. Aesthetically it’s great if you want to look a certain way, but armor weighs differently and can affect your dodge and parry abilities, so you’ll want to wear what you can depending on your statistics or your objects. The game also offers you different types of weapons which feel distinctly different and change the attacking style of your martial arts attack to your liking. It’s great when you want to switch from focusing on enemies in front of you with your hammer, for example, to doing splash damage with your polearm.
final thoughts
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, published by Koei Tecmo (2023)
Once you pass the first brutal battle, you will realize it was a long time ago It’s surprisingly accessible if you give it the time.. Most of the battles you play bring with them one or two companions who don’t do much damage, but do their best to distract your enemies. Playing with others online will also increase your enemies’ overall difficulty levels, but it feels different to only go into battle with fighters who really know what they’re doing, not to mention it’s good to know what they’re doing. Get help when you’re out of your mind for a tricky boss fight.
Its morale ratings, the experience you gain from fighting enemies, and the generous way to customize your favorite pieces of armor give you the tools you need to take on tough enemies that will, yes, kill you, but also provide you with more than 30 hours. satisfactory punishment. Wo Long cannot be denied; Fallen Dynasty has a steep learning curve, but as many Chinese proverbs will tell you, patience, practice, and some great parrying skills will take you a long way.
Giancarlo Saldana | juegopresion.com