The upcoming SoulslikeWo Long: Fallen Dynastyis shaping up to be an incredibly challenging experience. Its developer, Team Ninja, is no stranger to creating tough, unforgiving games, with both theNinja GaidenandNiohfranchises serving as proof of this. Team Ninja firmly believes that players should gain a real sense of achievement from overcoming these challenges, andWo Long: Fallen Dynastywill certainly be no different in this regard. The third-person action RPG takes place in a dark fantasy version of China’s Three Kingdoms period. While it has drawn several comparisons with theNiohseries,Wo Longis looking to carve out an identity of its own thanks to some crucial new mechanics.
At first glance,Wo Longcertainly seems like anotherNiohgame. Indeed, the similarities are plentiful. The tough, unforgiving combat lets players use a variety of weapons and moves, the enemy types span from standard humans through to supernatural monsters, and combat encounters demand a deliberately considered approach. All of these elements lend themselves perfectly to theNiohfranchise. However, this is by no means a bad thing, and many gamers are waiting patiently for any news of a third installment in the series that has so far been absent. Regardless of whetherNioh 3ever sees the light of day,Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyseems determined to succeed on its own merits.
RELATED:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Preview- A Faster, Leaner Team Ninja Soulslike
Wo Long Sets Itself Apart From Nioh in a Couple of Key Ways
The first signs of differences between the two titles are relatively subtle in nature. The level design is far more vertical than that ofNiohand its sequel, with Team Ninja planning to allow players to take full advantage of a double jump functionality, as well as no recognized stamina meter, in order to exploit the full verticality ofWo Long’s world. The game’s equipment and loot systems are also much more streamlined thanNioh’s, which was often criticized for being too cumbersome and unnecessarily time-consuming.Wo Longwill also feature several Divine Beasts, creatures who can be used to tip the tide of battle in the player’s favor.
Wo Long’s combat systemis where the main differences begin to reveal themselves, though. A huge emphasis will be placed on parrying and counters, perhaps borrowing more from 2019’s Game of the YearSekiro: Shadows Die TwicethanNioh. Probably the most interesting new mechanic is the morale rank system. Despite it being a staple of the genre, there is no traditional ‘levelling up’ mechanic inWo Long. Instead, players are given a morale rank which they are able to raise by defeating enemies, who themselves also have morale ranks. The higher an enemy’s rank, the tougher the fight will be, and to make matters even worse, each time the player dies, their morale rank decreases.
One of the problems with challenging games such asNiohor theDark Soulsfranchiseis that the player isn’t always sufficiently rewarded for killing standard enemies. This means oftentimes they will choose to simply bypass these enemies en route to the next checkpoint, as the risk just isn’t worth the reward.Wo Long’s morale rank system should change this, though, and will be an exciting new approach to rewarding players sufficiently. Tough enemies discovered in the far reaches of the map will all of a sudden become enticing, for players who will be eager to overcome them and significantly increase their morale rank as a result.
The huge increase in the popularity of Soulslikes can be attributed mainly to FromSoftware andElden Ring, but Team Ninja has long been an advocate of video games pushing players to their limits, with 2004’sNinja Gaidenpreceding FromSoftware’sDemon’s Soulsby five years. Clearly, this is a developer that plays to its strengths, and, with its interesting new mechanics,Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyis set to be one of Team Ninja’s toughest and most rewarding games yet.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynastywill release on June 06, 2025 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
